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Four years ago, Republicans nominated Jerry Kilgore for governor. He was a logical enough choice -- he was the only Republican in the state’s top three ofices, so by Virginia standards, he was THE guy. Still, some Republicans fretted. Was Kilgore, from way down in Scott County in far Southwest Virginia, too rural for an increasingly suburban state?
Don’t know, but he didn’t win. In fact, his opponent, Democrat Tim Kaine, even won some Northern Virginia localities that had traditionally gone Republican (Prince William and Loudoun County.)
Now, this year, Democrats nominate Creigh Deeds of Bath County for governor. Deeds called himself “a nobody from nowhere.” He managed to win Northern Virginia during the primary, but come the general election, well, that momentum didn’t last. I saw comments about Deeds on some blogs that called him a “backwoods hick” and some worse things I can’t repeat on a family-oriented site like this one -- and these were from Democrats!
So are Kilgore and Deeds the last two rural candidates to make a serious run for statewide office?
Republicans -- who have seen their increasingly difficulties in Northern Virginia -- made a concerted effort this time to nominate a ticket that would sell in the suburbs. McDonnell was a suburban everyman: Grew up in Northern Virginia, held office in Virginia Bech, then lived in suburban Richmond as attorney general. Bolling hails from Richmond’s outlying suburbs. Cuccinelli trumpeted his Northern Virginia background in his nomination contest about John Brownlee of Roanoke County.
I bet Democrats will do the same next time around.
There are a number of rural Democrats whose names pop up in discussions among possible statewide contenders -- Russell County Supervisor Jon Bowerbank explored a run this year, then backed off. Del. Ward Armstrong of Henry County also is mentioned (interestingly, he had a surprisingly close re-election race tonight.)
But I bet when they do, well, it’s going to be a hard sell for them. There are two potential candidates from Roanoke, which isn’t exactly rural, isn’t exactly considered part of the urban crescent, either -- state Sen. John Edwards and lawyer John Fishwick have both in the past been interested in running for attorney general. I wonder how they’d be viewed?
Speaking of Kilgore . . . well, stick around for the next post.

-- Dwayne Yancey, senior editor

OTHER ELECTION ANALYSIS:
* Analysis: The most expensive governor's race ever
* Analysis: Where we'll be looking tonight
* Analysis: How many House seats will change hands tonight?
* Analysis: The biggest winning margin since . . .
* Analysis: The polls close; here's what's coming . . .
* Analysis: The saddest sight I've seen in politics
* Analysis: The first precinct reports in
* Analysis: An early return from Henrico County
* Analysis: A closer look at McDonnell's lead
* Analysis: McDonnell winning places that Democrats did four years ago
* Analysis: Henry County flips to McDonnell
* Analysis: Deeds running weaker in Northern Virginia
* Analysis: How Deeds did it -- a counter-factual look at McDonnell's victory
* Analysis: Three reasons why Obama hurt Deeds
* Analysis: Three reasons why Obama didn't matter
* Analysis: Are sweeps common or rare in Virginia?
* Analysis: Republicans take back the suburbs
* Analysis: Are primary winners destined to be November losers?
* Analysis: McDonnell may win biggest Republican victory ever
* Analysis: Should the Democrats blame their defeat on . . . Terry McAuliffe?
* Analysis: Did the Republicans win this race four years ago?
* Analysis: Should the Democrats blame . . . Phil Puckett?
* Analysis: Why didn't the thesis sink McDonnell?
* Analysis: Is winning re-election a bad career move?
* Analysis: Let the 2013 governor's race begin!

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