VA-05: Democrat Cameron Webb is closing in on Republican Bob Good in red Virginia district
The House race in Virginia’s usually red 5th District appears within reach for Democratic candidate Cameron Webb, with two nonpartisan political analyst sites saying he is proving competitive against Republican Bob Good.
Between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, both Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia and Inside Elections shifted their race ratings in Webb’s favor. Sabato’s now rates the race a toss-up, rather than “leans Republican,” while Inside Elections has shifted the race from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.”
Nathan Gonzales, editor of Inside Elections, said he and his analysts have been hesitant to shift the rating too far in Webb’s favor given the clear “conservative DNA” among voters in the sprawling district, which stretches from Fauquier County to the Shenandoah Valley, through Appomattox and into Southside Virginia along the North Carolina border.
Explaining Thursday's change, he cited Good’s poor early fundraising compared to Webb’s, as well as struggles within the Republican Party to unite behind Good after his victory over incumbent Rep. Denver Riggleman (R) during a bitter GOP nominating convention.
“This district, under normal circumstances, is going to elect a Republican,” Gonzales said. “The question is whether these are normal circumstances. The fact that it’s an open seat helps [Webb], because defeating an incumbent is usually more difficult. Facing an underfunded challenger helps. Having a divided opposition party helps.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-politics/webb-good-house-virginia/2020/10/01/224c866c-03fe-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html
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