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Republicans take stock after shutout on Election Day
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Related Topics: Arlington County
Arlington County (Map, News) - Arlington County Republicans are regrouping after an election season in which they saw national issues and the race for a U.S. Senate seat eclipse local issues, Republican Party officials said.
Arlington County historically votes Democrat. This year was no different, with voters supporting Jim Webb in the Senate race with nearly 73 percent of the vote, Rep. Jim Moran with more than 68 percent, and County Board Chair Chris Zimmerman with more than 65 percent of the vote.
“This was kind of a crazy year,” said Mike McMenamin, who received just less than 30 percent of the vote in his loss to Zimmerman. “I think a lot of people voted straight down the line. [National issues] resonated all the way down to state and county levels across the country.”
Jeffrey Miller, chair of the Arlington Republicans, said the makeup of the Arlington electorate made it difficult to focus on fiscal responsibility, the cornerstone of Republican candidates’ campaigns.
“Turnout was a big factor here in Arlington ... and was stimulated overwhelmingly by interest in the Senate race,” Miller said. The Senate “overwhelmed the other races.”
Miller said Republican candidates would show better next year in General Assembly elections, where the focus can be on local issues.
Arlington Democrats chair Peter Rousselot disagreed, saying Zimmerman’s re-election shows voters are happy with their local government.
“If people really were dissatisfied, they would do what people did all over the country — they would have voted him out,” he said.
dfrancis@dcexaminer.com
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1:32 PM MST on Sat., Feb. 2, 2008 re: "Romney: ‘I’m a conservative Republican’"
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8:19 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm an Amerca Catholic born en Cuba.I will bote for Romney.He is the best for America.I like for what he stand en Emigration, en Economic and gay righ and Family also en Militare y make Amerca stronguer.Pardon my English.Lida Brett
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Examiner Reader said:
Right on, Sammon! Let our "Yes" be yes; let our "No" be no. Keep it up; there's more of us out here than some who are being led to think. From Okieland, Mary Westrope
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