It’s Official: VA’s 5th District to Hold Republican Primary

This weekend, Republican leaders in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District voted 19-13 in favor of an open primary to determine their party’s 2010 challenger to incumbent Tom Perriello.

From Tertium Quids:

This is a short-term win for Sen. Robert Hurt, the only one of a gaggle of candidates who favored a primary.

I’m not completely convinced this helps Hurt more than anyone else, but it does put a higher premium on fundraising. And because Hurt is the favorite of the local political gentry, and of the Richmond crowd, they will open their checkbooks for him. He’s the front-runner.

Perriello’s is one of the most vulnerable Democratic seats in a year widely expected to be tough on supporters of higher taxes and bigger government. But Sen. Hurt is not exactly against tax hikes himself, having voted for the largest increase in Virginia history just a few years back.

Which is why, like sharks to chum, a number of conservatives who have never held public office have flocked to run against both Perriello and his seemingly anointed opponent. However, the decision not to have a convention is a major setback for the less-well-known candidates.

In a primary situation, without the kind of money that Sen. Hurt can raise, it will now be very difficult for any of those outsiders to capture the plurality necessary for the nomination.