Execution puts Va. Sen. Webb in an uneasy political position

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Virginia’s first execution in almost two years highlights an awkward political stance for Sen. Jim Webb, whose near-total opposition to the death penalty runs counter not only to majority opinion in the state, but also to his image as a leading Southern moderate.

Webb, a Democrat, opposes capital punishment except in some “significantly severe cases,” said spokeswoman Jessica Smith, who refused to elaborate on whether Tuesday’s execution of convicted murderer Kevin Green fell within those exceptions.

The stance puts Webb the furthest to the left of the state’s three Democratic vice presidential prospects: Gov. Tim Kaine said he is opposed to the death penalty but has presided over five executions since taking office and former Gov. Mark Warner, who is running for the Senate, saw 11 executions during his term.

“[Warner] supports Virginia’s existing death penalty statutes and in fact enforced them when he served as governor,” said Warner campaign spokesman Kevin Hall.

Webb’s image as a tough, conservative Democrat helped propel him to a narrow victory in November 2006. He has done little to broadcast his opposition to capital punishment, instead focusing more on prison reform and combating high incarceration and recidivism rates. The issue was not prominent when he faced off against incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen, despite Allen’s staunch support of the death penalty.

Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Virginians support the punishment, and Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of executions it has performed. University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato said he remembers Webb “being in favor of it, to some degree,” during the 2006 campaign.

“I honestly do not believe that a candidate could be elected statewide in Virginia being completely opposed to the death penalty, that’s just not where public opinion is in the state,” Sabato said. “That may change one day, but that’s certainly true today.”

wflook@dcexaminer.com

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