Congressional election results
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell appeared on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday, Nov. 7, to discuss the implications of the election results for the Republican Party.
In his interview, McDonnell expressed his disappointment in presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s loss to incumbent President Barack Obama. The governor also discussed a record voter turnout in Virginia and added, “We won eight of the 11 congressional seats for the Republican team.”
Democratic candidate Tim Kaine was elected to the Senate and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won the popular vote in Virginia, but Republican candidates for Congress in Virginia won big on Election Day. The 5th and 6th Districts elected Republican congressmen Robert Hurt and Bob Goodlatte.
In the 5th District, Robert Hurt won a second term to the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the Virginia Board of Elections, Hurt received 56 percent of the vote, while his democratic opponent, retired Air Force Gen. John Douglass, received 43 percent of the vote.
Voting in the 5th District, which stretches from Virginia’s southern border to Fauquier County, was heavy, according to records kept by the Virginia Board of Elections.
A former Chatham lawyer, Hurt spent six years in the House of Delegates before being elected to the Virginia Senate in 2007. He defeated incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat from Albemarle County, in 2010 to win the congressional seat.
According to his website, Hurt voted for a balanced budget amendment and supported a variety of other bills aimed at reducing the $16 trillion federal debt in his first congressional term. He repeatedly voted to repeal President Obama’s health care reform law and supported legislation targeting federal regulations and red tape.
In the 6th District, Democratic Party congressional nominee Andy Schmookler failed in his bid to unseat Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte, who has been re-elected for the 10th time.
The 6th District, which represents the Shenandoah Valley and includes Lynchburg, also saw high voter turnout, according to records kept by the Virginia Board of Elections.
According to his website, Goodlatte first won a seat in Congress in 1992. Since then, he has won every re-election bid by more than 20 percentage points.
In an interview with WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Goodlatte said he will continue to focus on helping balance the federal budget, and he knows that will require partnering with a Senate and a White House controlled by Democrats.
“I have always worked with members across the aisle, when we can find common ground on issues,” Goodlatte said to WVIR-TV. “And whenever I introduce a bill, I always look to find a Democratic co-sponsor. So that’s the key to success in the House, but you still have to work with the Senate.”