2008 Virginia Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 Virginia Democratic presidential primary took place on February 12, 2008, an election day nicknamed the "Potomac Primary" because the District of Columbia and Maryland also held Democratic primaries.[1] The Virginia Democratic primary was an open primary, and was competitive for the first time since 1988.[2] Barack Obama won the primary, as he did the other Potomac contests that day.[3]
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 Primary results by county Clinton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Obama: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||||
| Elections in Virginia |
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Candidates
Six national candidates appeared on the ballot in the Virginia primary. However, all but Obama and Hillary Clinton had withdrawn prior to the primary on February 12.
Eliminated
- Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards Dropped out on January 30, 2008 [4]
- Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich Dropped out on January 25, 2008 [5]
- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Dropped out on January 10, 2008[6]
- Delaware Senator Joe Biden Dropped out on January 3, 2008
Background
The prior week, Barack Obama had beaten Hillary Clinton in Nebraska (68%-32%),[7] in Washington (68%-31%) [8] and in Louisiana (57%-36%) [9] by large margins.
The Clinton Campaign looked towards the primary in Virginia as well as those in Maryland and Washington, D.C. which were held on the same day. Though Hillary Clinton spent more resources in the Maryland Primary, she also campaigned in Virginia, particularly in Northern Virginia.
Strategy
The Barack Obama campaign divided Virginia into 4 regions in which to campaign: Northern Virginia, Richmond, Charlottesville, and the Tidewater region in the southeast. He was expected to do well with affluent and independent voters, as well as with African-American voters, who could total 25% of the vote on primary day.[2]
The Hillary Clinton campaign said it would focus its efforts on Prince William and Loudoun counties, especially older white professional women, and also in the unemployment plagued Southwest Virginia.[2]
Polling
Barack Obama had a significant lead over Hillary Clinton in final polling throughout the state.
FINAL POLLING
| Candidate | Survey USA | Mason Dixon | InsiderAdvantage | Rasmussen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillary Clinton | 38% | 37% | 37% | 37% |
| Barack Obama | 60% | 53% | 52% | 55% |
Results
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Virginia Democratic presidential primary, 2008 99.95% of precincts reporting[10] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates[11] |
| Barack Obama | 627,820 | 63.66% | 54 |
| Hillary Clinton | 349,766 | 35.46% | 29 |
| John Edwards | 5,206 | 0.52% | 0 |
| Dennis Kucinich | 1,625 | 0.16% | 0 |
| Bill Richardson | 991 | 0.10% | 0 |
| Joe Biden | 795 | 0.08% | 0 |
| Totals | 986,203 | 100.00% | 83 |
See also
References
- "Up next: the Potomac Primary". NBC News. February 6, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
- Turque, Bill; Kornblut, Anne E. (February 7, 2008). "Va. Is Next Battleground In Democrats' Long Fight". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
- "RESULTS: Virginia". CNN. February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
- Bosman, Julie; Zernike, Kate (January 31, 2008). "Edwards abruptly ends Presidential bid". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- Falcone, Michael (January 24, 2008). "Kucinich to Drop out of Presidential Race". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- Phillips, Kate (January 10, 2008). "Richardson drops out". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- "CNN Election Center 2008: Nebraska Caucus Results". Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- "CNN Election Center 2008: Washington Caucus Results". Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- "Louisiana Primary Results". CNN. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- "2008 Democratic Presidential Primary Unofficial Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
- The Green Papers