1.
Nearly two-thirds of all candidates for the
General Assembly will run unopposed in the 2003
elections, equaled only by 1987 in recent years.
The
most discouraging piece of data we have discovered
is that 64 percent of party nominees are unopposed
by the other major party; 68 percent of House
nominees and 52.5 percent of Senate nominees are
essentially elected in advance because they are
completely unopposed or have opposition only from
an independent with little chance of success. This
is tied for the highest percentage in the past 20
years. Only in 1987 did the lack of two-party
competition equal that of 2003. In the past six
legislative election years, the average
uncontested proportion of seats has been around 45
percent — bad, for sure, but not nearly as
disgraceful as in 2003.
2.
The rate of party competition in Virginia is far
below the national rate.
How
does the dismal lack of competition in Virginia
compare to the country as a whole? According to
the Center for Voting and Democracy in Washington,
D.C., 37 percent[1] of the
6,222 [2] state legislative
seats elected in November 2002 had nominees from
only one of the major parties. Virginia's 2003
noncompetitive proportion of 64 percent, then, is
massively greater than the national figure.
Throughout U.S. history, Virginia has led America
in many ways—but this is not a category in which
Virginians can be proud to excel.
3.
The number of women nominated by the two major
parties has plummeted.
There
is more bad news in terms of the number of women
nominated by the two major parties for the General
Assembly. In 2003 just 24 women [3]
were nominated. The last time both houses of the
General Assembly were up for election, in 1999,
the two major parties nominated 39 female
candidates (23 Democrats, 16 Republicans).
Moreover, the parties nominated more women in 5 of
the 6 previous election cycles.
4.
Virginia is
43rd out of 50 states in female
representation.
Not
only has the number of Virginia women running for
the legislature declined, but the state ranks very
low nationally in the proportion of women in the
General Assembly. Countrywide, there are 1,648
women in the fifty state legislatures, 22.3
percent of the total as of 2003. On the eve of the
general election, Virginia had 22 women in the
House and Senate combined, or 15.7% of the total.
This percentage places Virginia 43rd out of the 50
states.[4].
5.
African American representation is marginally
increasing.
African
Americans have 17 Democratic candidacies on the
November ballot (12 House, 5 Senate), but just 2
Republican House challengers. [5]
Since the GOP House nominees are unlikely to win,
it appears that the African American delegation
will be entirely Democratic and, as of January
2004, will consist of 11 House Democrats and 5
Senate Democrats. (There are 5 non-incumbents: 4
House members and 1 Senate member will be new).
The current number of 15 is relatively stationary,
[6], yet the nomination of
Onzlee Ware in Roanoke, who will replace white
Del. Chip Woodrum, D-Roanoke (there is no
Republican opponent), suggests that there will be
an increase of one this year.
--
July 14, 2003
