Well, well.

The case for James Webb as Virginia's Democratic Senate nominee to oppose George Allen was that he supposedly would have greater appeal outside of predominantly Democratic northern Virginia (DC suburbs) than his opponent, Harris Miller. Mark Warner had won the Governorship in part because he had fared relatively well outside of northern Virginia and that has become the CW for how a Democrat can win a statewide race.

So what happens? With 2400 of 2403 precincts reporting, Webb wins by 10,792 statewide. In northern Virginia, he wins huge Fairfax County by 7,996, Arlington County by 4,476, and Alexandria City by 1,351.

It may be advisable not to read too much into these numbers, as statewide turnout was 3.4%.

Webb identifies as a recent Democratic convert, having voted for Bush and Allen in 2000. Described by U. Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato as "George Allen's worst nightmare" candidate, he was endorsed by Wes Clark and many national Democrats, including, visibly, John Kerry. He is a former Secretary of the Navy under Reagan and a former United States Marine Corps officer decorated for valor in the Vietnam War. In a recent NPR interview he came out strongly for public financing of campaigns as order of business #1 in Washington.

Miller is a longtime Democratic loyalist who was generally regarded as more liberal than Webb. He was endorsed by many state and local elected officials as well as by pro-choice and gay&lesbian advocacy groups.