Virginia's 11th congressional district election, 2010
Encyclopedia
Virginia's 11th congressional district election, 2010 was an election held to determine who would represent Virginia's 11th congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
during the 112th Congress. The seat that was contested is located in Northern Virginia
, and includes most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax
, and part of eastern Prince William County. Democrat
Gerry Connolly
first won the seat in 2008. The Republican
nominee was Keith Fimian
.
The result was too close to call immediately following the election. At the end of the day on November 2, Connolly led Fimian by only 487 votes, with canvassing and certification still to be completed. After canvassing was completed and provisional ballots were counted, Connolly increased his lead to 921 votes (0.41%). Although Virginia election law allows the losing candidate to request a recount on November 22 if the margin is less than 1%, the recount is at the government's expense if the margin is less than 0.5%, and the Fimian campaign had alluded to the possibility of a recount in a statement, Fimian eventually conceded the race to Connolly on November 9. Connolly won by 981 votes, or 0.43%.
Fimian faced a primary challenge from moderate Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
member Pat Herrity
. A bruising primary fight ensued and the Washington Post described the race as "one of the nastiest contests in the commonwealth," with each campaign accusing the other of negative campaigning
. Fimian emerged victorious, beating Herrity 56%-44%, with 35,890 votes cast.
The race was closely watched; it was considered a bellwether battleground district in the larger Republican mission to regain a majority in the House. The National Republican Congressional Committee
picked Fimian for its Young Guns candidate training and support program.
Official campaign sites
Virginia's 11th congressional district
Virginia's Eleventh Congressional District is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It comprises most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax, and part of eastern Prince William County...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
during the 112th Congress. The seat that was contested is located in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
, and includes most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, and part of eastern Prince William County. Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Gerry Connolly
Gerry Connolly
Gerald E. 'Gerry' Connolly is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th congressional district. He was first elected in 2008. Connolly is a member of the Democratic Party....
first won the seat in 2008. The Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee was Keith Fimian
Keith Fimian
Keith Shawn Fimian is a businessman and politician in Virginia. He was the 2008 and 2010 Republican nominee for . Fimian lost both elections, the first by 12%, and the second by 0.4%.- Early life and education :...
.
The result was too close to call immediately following the election. At the end of the day on November 2, Connolly led Fimian by only 487 votes, with canvassing and certification still to be completed. After canvassing was completed and provisional ballots were counted, Connolly increased his lead to 921 votes (0.41%). Although Virginia election law allows the losing candidate to request a recount on November 22 if the margin is less than 1%, the recount is at the government's expense if the margin is less than 0.5%, and the Fimian campaign had alluded to the possibility of a recount in a statement, Fimian eventually conceded the race to Connolly on November 9. Connolly won by 981 votes, or 0.43%.
Background
The 2010 race was a rematch of the 2008 race, when Connolly defeated Fimian 55% to 43%. Connolly was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.Fimian faced a primary challenge from moderate Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sometimes abbreviated as FCBS, is the governing body of Fairfax County; a county of over a million in Northern Virginia. The board has nine districts, and one at-large district which is always occupied by the Chair...
member Pat Herrity
Pat Herrity
Patrick S. "Pat" Herrity is a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Springfield District since being elected November 2007. Herrity is also a certified public accountant and is the Chief Financial Officer of Arrowhead Global Solutions...
. A bruising primary fight ensued and the Washington Post described the race as "one of the nastiest contests in the commonwealth," with each campaign accusing the other of negative campaigning
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
. Fimian emerged victorious, beating Herrity 56%-44%, with 35,890 votes cast.
The race was closely watched; it was considered a bellwether battleground district in the larger Republican mission to regain a majority in the House. The National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
picked Fimian for its Young Guns candidate training and support program.
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Gerald Connolly (D) | Keith Fimian (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLaughlin & Associates | February 5–10, 2010 | 35% | 40% |
Fundraising
| Candidate (Party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash On Hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Connolly (D) | $2,461,286 | $2,435,016 | $49,124 | $0 |
| Keith Fimian (R) | $2,941,463 | $2,785,586 | $166,003 | $358,137 |
| David Dotson (L) | $1,790 | $390 | $1,396 | $100 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act... |
||||
Republican nomination
- Keith FimianKeith FimianKeith Shawn Fimian is a businessman and politician in Virginia. He was the 2008 and 2010 Republican nominee for . Fimian lost both elections, the first by 12%, and the second by 0.4%.- Early life and education :...
, businessman and 2008 Republican nominee - Pat HerrityPat HerrityPatrick S. "Pat" Herrity is a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Springfield District since being elected November 2007. Herrity is also a certified public accountant and is the Chief Financial Officer of Arrowhead Global Solutions...
, member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Results
Others on ballot
- Libertarian David L. Dotson,
- Independent Green David William Gillis, Jr.
- Independent Christopher F. DeCarlo.
General election results
External links
- VA - District 11 from OurCampaigns.com
- VA 11 a Toss Up from Real Clear Politics
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
Official campaign sites