Matthew Berry Defeated
It is with great sadness that I report that my friend Matthew Berry lost his primary to Patrick Murray. Berry had 6,651 (48.25%) to Murray’s 7,133 (51.74%).
Noting that this “is the only district in Virginia that has had a contested Republican primary in the last three congressional elections“, Michael Barone finds that turnout was way up:
Turnout in 2006 was 4,409 and turnout in 2008 was 5,863. Turnout in Tuesday’s primary, with 2 of 156 precincts yet to report, was 13,531. In other words, more than double 2008 and triple 2006; and more than both put together. Another indicator of Republican enthusiasm this year.
One thing which may have helped Murray was that he had Mike Lane running his campaign. Mike was the last Republican elected in Arlington County. And his successful campaign was the last Virginia campaign I worked on. We won a special for County Board in April 1999, largely on our Get Out the Vote (GOTV) operation. Mike knows a lot about GOTV and my sense is that’s what put his candidate over the top.
While Matthew won Arlington and Alexandria, Murray racked up big margins in the Falls Church City and the Fairfax County portions of the district. Murray may owe some of his margin to efforts in some socially conservative evangelical churches to encourage their parishioners to vote against the gay candidate.
Matthew did run a great campaign and it must be heartbreaking to lose so narrowly. My thoughts are with that good man at this difficult time.
10 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
What’s interesting is it looks like the new head of LCR was working for Murray against the gay candidate.
Comment by Tim W — June 8, 2010 @ 11:10 pm - June 8, 2010
That’s what it looks like.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — June 8, 2010 @ 11:16 pm - June 8, 2010
Damn! Matt ran a great campaign (even though I don’t agree with his pro-life stance, I was rooting for him). Hey AE, tell me again how Christian conservatives are such wonderful people and that we should have a group hug with them. Those SOBs deprived the VA-8th of a fantastic candidate.
Comment by Jim Michaud — June 9, 2010 @ 12:40 am - June 9, 2010
Jim,
It looks like Log Cabin deprived him just as much as those ‘Christian Conservatives’ (who likely voted for him. Most CCs prefer to choose life over a candidates choice of bedmates.)
Comment by The_Livewire — June 9, 2010 @ 6:51 am - June 9, 2010
Jsut re-read the last paragraph. If that initial analysis is accurate. then the CC just shot themselves in the foot.
Comment by The_Livewire — June 9, 2010 @ 8:10 am - June 9, 2010
So, regretting your choice of party yet, now that the GOP has been exposed as a party of homophobic fascists?
Comment by Lloyd — June 9, 2010 @ 11:09 am - June 9, 2010
Not sure what you’re talking about Lloyd. Most of us are Conservative/Republican/Libertarians here, not Democrats.
Comment by The_Livewire — June 9, 2010 @ 11:34 am - June 9, 2010
Let’s see.
Members of the Obama Party support Federal constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, engage in antigay ranting, openly discriminate against gays in employment, and support and endorse regimes like Hamas and Iran that openly execute gays, but are not in any way homophobic or fascist.
I think, Lloyd, you continue to demonstrate why Republicans don’t waste time with the gay community. They know that you’re more than willing to march right into the gas chambers as long as Obama is telling you to do it.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — June 9, 2010 @ 1:51 pm - June 9, 2010
LCR’s new head was Murray’s right-hand man in this campaign. Cooper held THE big fundraiser for Murray and made many DC introductions for the candidate.
It is cute how Log Cabin apologists are trying to change history now.
My only question is: “Who does Tim Gill want to win the seat? Murray or Moran.”
Comment by Bruce (GayPatriot) — June 9, 2010 @ 5:28 pm - June 9, 2010
In my house, we voted for Berry because of his anti-abortion stance, his opposition to DADT repeal, his inside knowledge of the dysfunctionality of bureaucracies, and because he went to the trouble to knock on our door and run a very energetic campaign. Unfortunately, there weren’t quite enough of us to carry him over the top. Murray’s position on the murder of pre-born children seems less than satisfactory, but on the whole it’s hard to see how Jim Moran would be any better. We will be voting for Murray in November.
Comment by John McCue — June 15, 2010 @ 5:47 pm - June 15, 2010