So, yesterday was election day in a few states, and Virginia was one of them. The entirety of the House of Delegates and State Senate was on the block. The Democrats captured the State Senate, while the Republicans maintained control of the House of Delegates. What my cohort Don pointed out to me was disturbing: 77 of the 140 seats were not contested. Meaning, they ran unopposed. Meaning, they raised a bunch of money ($95k+ in some cases…) to win an election they were going to win anyway.
When you look at what it takes to run for state office here, coffers of $200k+ (more in many cases), a tolerance of a media that’s bent on crucifying that which is nuanced or complex instead of merely black & white, not to mention a two-party system that’s predicated on revenge and scoring points with the tip of the sword. I guess it’s really not all that surprising that half the seats weren’t contested. Is it?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
