As previously reported, Brian Moran, who is running for Governor of Virginia, picked up key endorsements during a visit to Hampton Roads on Wednesday, December 17th. Those endorsements turned out to be from the mayors of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampton.

Moran is attempting to make significant and lasting inroads in the Hampton Roads areas, battling the idea that the recently resigned delegate from Alexandria’s only focus is northern Virginia.

As it turns out, districts throughout Hampton Roads are key to any victory in the 2009 gubernatorial race. Specifically, the 6th and 7th districts, where the vote tends to swing conservative due to being rural areas.

Moran recently attended a reception in his honor in Virginia Beach where he expressed an interest in reaching out to the citizens of Hampton Roads, knowing that the area was important and shares many of the same issues familiar to him and others in northern Virginia, like transportation and education. In a radio interview on WNIS the morning before picking up the Hampton Roads endorsements, Moran stressed that as a commonwealth, every part of Virginia needs to work together for the benefit of the whole; and that no one area should benefit from the taxation or sacrifice of others.

Ollie Bates, Chairman of the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee jested during a recent VBDC breakfast that both Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds, also a gubernatorial candidate, attend VBDC functions so often, it was as if they lived in Virginia Beach; illustrating the importance of the city and the region to the success of any state-wide candidate. Terry McAuliffe, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and another candidate for governor, will be attending an upcoming VBDC event as well, showing that he hasn’t overlooked the city’s importance either.

Photo Source: Dan Sullivan

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