By Steve Haner
More often than not, the suspense in an election is over long before the polls open. That is the case with the two primary contests which will require me to sit in a polling place all day on June 23. The expected losers should just drop out now and save us all the risk.
The precinct where I work has both a Republican and a Democratic contest scheduled, which will require my co-workers and me to be at the polling station from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. Based on what happened in the local elections yesterday, it will mostly be voting from cars – in a location with very little parking.
Fourth District Congressman Donald McEachin’s opponent in the Democratic primary, Cazel Levine, has mounted such a weak campaign that he (or she?) has no photo on the Virginia Public Access Project webpage and has filed no campaign finance reports. Drop out, Levine. If there is concern about COVID-19 exposure in the black community – and clearly there is – don’t ask voters in those city precincts to show up and deliver 98% votes for McEachin.
Does somebody have a phone number for this person? Make this happen, eliminate the need for this primary. At least cut down the crowd.
The other contest on the ballot will have thousands of poll workers all over Virginia in enclosed spaces with strangers for 15 hours. It involves the three potential Republican challengers to U.S. Senator Mark Warner. These candidates have mounted campaigns, and do report funds raised, but the likely outcome is obvious.
Daniel Gade has raised $500,000 as of the last reporting period, with the others chiming in at $80,000 and less than $10,000 raised. Only Gade, a wounded vet, has created any public visibility. The chances that he will prevail against Warner in the fall are slim, since President Donald Trump is likely to be losing the state. But it is vital that somebody challenge Warner, preferably with enough resources to force Warner to defend his record. He is no stronger today than he was in 2014.
Of the three challengers, only Gade has any chance to accomplish that.
The other two, Alissa Baldwin and Thomas Speciale, should just hang it up and wait for another opportunity. They are forcing poll workers all over Virginia to put their health at risk in a pandemic. It would be an act of kindness and charity, not just a rational choice, to pack it in a month out and save us all the trouble.
Were it a real contest, I would not be making this request. It is not. If the threat of contracting COVID were diminished, I would not make this request. It has not. Being in enclosed spaces for hours and hours is the riskiest activity.
Most Virginia voters cannot name any of the three GOP candidates and know nothing about them. Sorry, I played this game for a living, and you two with the weakest chances are putting people at risk in a hopeless cause. You stay in and, out of loyalty, I’ll be there at the poll all day, but it isn’t necessary. Whether high or low, this risk is not necessary.
