Barack Obama’s win in Virginia is a small victory for Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine , who was the second governor in the country to endorse Obama. Kaine announced his support for Obama nearly a year ago, when the junior senator from Illinois gave the keynote address at the state party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Richmond, Va.
The two men are fond of pointing out their odd similarities. Both went to Harvard Law School—as did both of their wives—though the two men missed each other by five years. On a stranger note, both of their mothers hail from El Dorado, Kan. , population 12,000. Obama also campaigned for Kaine in his 2005 gubernatorial bid.
This win gives endorsing governors a nine-and-four record in the Democratic primary, according to the tally of superdelegates at the Democratic Convention Watch . (Our count does not include Iowa Gov. Chet Culver’s endorsement of Obama, which he announced after the caucuses.) Should Obama win Maryland tonight, as he is expected to do, this would make governors nine-and-five, as Martin O’Malley has endorsed Clinton.
Virginia used to be overlooked in presidential elections—one of those states that the cable news stations would color in red the moment the polls closed. But the last three statewide elections have gone to Democrats, and Kaine insists that the state will be in play for the Democrats in the general election whether Obama is the nominee or not.
