With Edwards' Win in S. Carolina, Virginia is Now Candidates' Key Battleground in South

Although Sen. John Kerry continued his early domination of the Democratic Party presidential primaries this Tuesday, Sen. John Edwards' wide margin of victory in South Carolina and Gen. Wesley Clark's narrow victory in Oklahoma gave evidence that the process remains far from over. This Tuesday, the rolling primaries arrive in Virginia and Tennessee, two southern states that will be decisive indicators of just how far.

Polls will be open throughout the Commonwealth from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with provision for absentee balloting up to that time. In the City of Falls Church, the registrar of voters' office will be open this Saturday for that purpose.

Among the unusual features of the primaries to date have been the high voter turnouts in almost all locations. That can be expected in Virginia, where all the major candidates are now focusing their attention.

Edwards, Kerry, Clark and Gov. Howard Dean are all slated to appear at the Virginia Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Richmond this Saturday, which will receive major national media coverage and is sold out.

At Route 50 and Annandale Road, adjacent the Falls Church City limits, the Kerry campaign's statewide headquarters opened with a rousing ribbon cutting last Saturday that featured former Fairfax Board of Supervisors chair Kate Hanley, Supervisor Penny Gross and State Del. Jim Scott and a standing room only crowd.

Less than a mile away, at the Dean statewide headquarters by City Hall in Falls Church, five eminent U.S. military leaders delivered a gripping briefing to the press yesterday morning. Gen. (Ret.) Merrill "Tony" McPeak, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, was joined by four others denouncing the Bush administration's military policy and endorsing Dean for president. McPeak, in particular, had worked on the Republican campaigns of Sen. Dole in 1996 and G. W. Bush in 2000 before recognizing the "disastrous effect," he said, Bush has had on the U.S. economy and foreign relations.

Dean arrived in Virginia this week noting that over 90% of Democrats have yet to vote in the primaries.

Meanwhile, Edwards, energized by his South Carolina victory and polls showing that he (like Kerry) could beat Bush if he were nominated, stormed into Virginia this week as the direct neighbor to the North Carolina that he represents in the U.S. Senate. Gen. Clark, his campaign buoyed by victory in Oklahoma, has come to Virginia to focus on the heavy military-related constituencies here around the Pentagon and Tidewater areas.

The names of nine candidates will appear on the Virginia ballot Tuesday, including two – Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman – who have officially withdrawn from the race. In addition to their names, those of Al Sharpton, John F. Kerry, Wesley K. Clark, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dennis J. Kucinich and Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. will be on the ballot. All qualified for the ballot under Virginia law by submitting a required number of petition signatures.

The Falls Church registrar's office will not mail requests for absentee ballots past 5 p.m. today (Thursday), and the deadline for coming to the office to vote absentee is 5 p.m. Saturday. Completed request forms can be faxed in and completed ballots can be received by mail or in person up to 7 p.m. Tuesday. For more information, contact the registrar's office at (703) 248-5085.

Voting will take place at the location for all elections in the City of Falls Church's five wards:

• Ward I – Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, 601 S. Oak St.

• Ward II – Oakwood Apartments, 503 Roosevelt Blvd.

• Ward III – Boy Scout House, 128 S. Spring St.

• Ward IV – Community Center, 223 Little Falls St.

• Ward V – American Legion Post 130, 400 N. Oak St.