It's late. It's been a long day. We put out over a hundred signs ... we took in over a hundred signs. It rained. Then it poured. At least it wasn't cold.
We didn't do any more or any less than other members of the A-Team in every corner of the Commonwealth. The A-Team ... that loyal, dedicated group of George Allen supporters who have been there for him throughout the years and who came back together when he announced in February 2011 that he would seek to reclaim the U.S. Senate seat he once held.
Staunton City got 68% of the vote. Augusta County got 70%. Other places around the state got in the 90-percentage range. Wow ... I aspire to do that in November.
If you've never worked a political campaign, it's tough. Long hours turn into longer hours. But to win is exhilarating. To lose is heart-breaking.
This time we won. The hard work paid off.
But this contest is only halfway to the finish line. Now we face six more months of campaigning leading to the November election. This is head-in-the-vise time.
My mom was at the Allen-Cantor victory party in Richmond and called around 10:00 p.m. to fill me in on the evening. (We were still in the field getting in the last of the signs at the polls.) She had worked her precinct this afternoon for four hours in Midlothian, then headed to the victory party. I can't keep her at home! She passed along greetings from a number of 7th District folks and from Mrs. Allen, who had introduced Mom today as "SWAC Girl's mother."
Great to also hear from campaign manager Mike Thomas ... we're in for the long haul now or, as he calls it, the Main Event. I suggested he could maybe take a couple of days off and he said he would take off until 9:00 Wednesday morning. That's one hard-working man, someone I admire and respect very much (which is rare for me in this cut-throat game of politics).
Roll Call wrote Tuesday night, "Former Sen. George Allen easily won the Virginia Senate Republican primary today...."
Easily?
George and Susan Allen worked long days for over a year, traveling to every nook and cranny that makes up the Old Dominion, talking with thousands and thousands of Virginia's citizens at events large and small. They have remained gracious and focused when at times it would have been easy to level a few accusations at some not-as-gracious fellow Republicans. That is the mark of a leader.
Congratulations, Governor Allen and Mrs. Allen. Virginia recognizes leadership when we see it.
I'm a proud member of the A-Team. Now on to the November election where we will all fight together against Tim Kaine and the Obama Machine. Game on!
Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
June 12, 2012
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