Hope In Northern Virginia

There are two congressional retirements at the end of this term in Virginia, Jim Moran and Frank Wolf. Wolf's district leans Democratic but still has a PVI of R+2. In 2008 Obama beat McCain 51-48%. In 2012, Romney squeaked by Obama 50-49% The DCCC and testate Democratic Party see the seat as a good pick up opportunity. Due east-- and meeting along Dolley Madison Blvd and Chain Bridge Road in McLean-- is a VA-08, Moran's much bluer seat. The PVI is a healthy D+16. Obama beat McCain and Romney by the same landslide margins-- 68-31%. The district is comprised of the inner DC suburbs. It includes all of Arlington County, Alexandria City and Falls Church City as well as big chunk of Fairfax County. Moran, who represented it for 24 years, was a founder of the corrupt Wall Street-owned New Dems in the 1990s but has moved cautiously left over the last decade in order to stay in office. The district is solidly Democratic and the winner of the Democratic primary will be the next congressman.

The field ranges from liberal Democrats to much more conservative ones. On the left are Virginia Progressive Caucus founder and Co-Chair state Delegate Patrick Hope and the other current Progressive Caucus Co-Chair, state Senator Adam Ebbin. Local progressive radio personality Mark Levine has also announced his campaign.

  Candidates with more questionable progressive credentials include State Delegate Charniele Herring (also state party Chairman under McAuliffe) and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille. Herring has been an outspoken liberal on social issues, but has been very friendly to "business issues" in Virginia and has cast some questionable votes on that front. Euille has no real track record on many issues as a Mayor, but has been known for being very close with the developer community in Alexandria.

Then there is former Lt. Governor Don Beyer. Beyer has been going to meetings in the district bragging about being the author of Virginia's "welfare reform" efforts of the 1990's that then Governor George Allen praised before signing into law. Beyer noted that his language was used as a model in the rest of the country. You can only imagine his views on other issues if he thinks it is a positive to have written model language on how to undermine programs for the poor in the '90s.

  The most conservative of the serious candidates is state Delegate Mark Sickles. Sickles is a wholly owned subsidiary of the banking industry in Virginia and was appointed by Republicans in the legislature to serve on the commerce and labor committee for many years because of his alliance with them on those issues. He supports payday lenders and has run as a Chamber of Commerce endorsed Democrat in every election since first becoming a state Delegate.

Arlington makes up more of the primary electorate than Alexandria-- and Beyer, Herring, Euille, Levine and Ebbin are all from Alexandria. With Beyer likely to have a larger districtwide base from his days as Lt. Governor, that means the only progressive with a chance to stop him is Delegate Patrick Hope, the only major candidate running from Arlington. I was inspired by Hope this morning. Here's why:

"I'm running for Congress because we need more progressives in Congress who are unafraid to stand up to the right wing influences-- even when they are within our own party. When I was elected to the state legislature I found out there was not a progressive caucus of members that existed; so I founded it and we have won some major issues despite facing a 2-1 Republican led House. I've led the fight in Virginia to expand Medicaid and I will work in Congress to expand and improve the health care law we passed in 2014. I support comprehensive immigration reform… with no more delays. We can make progress in Washington-- but only if we elect real progressives to Democratic seats like this one."