Deeds wins in a rout, will again face McDonnell

State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds scored a come-from-behind victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary yesterday, setting up a rematch with Republican nominee Bob McDonnell.

Deeds and McDonnell clashed in the race for attorney general in 2005. McDonnell won by 360 votes in the closest general election in Virginia history.

Terry McAuliffe finished second, far behind Deeds and narrowly ahead of Brian J. Moran. About 6 percent of the state's 5.07 million voters cast ballots.

Former Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner of Virginia Beach won an easy victory over Mike Signer of Alexandria in the race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Deeds, ecstatic and seemingly overwhelmed, strode onto the stage at the Jefferson Ballroom in the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville and bear-hugged Del. David J. Toscano of Charlottesville as a crowd of 150 supporters cheered wildly and the Journey song "Don't Stop Believing" blared through the loud speakers.

"No one could have ever imagined what we accomplished here in the state of Virginia tonight," Deeds said, noting that the rain, hail and storms throughout the state did not deter his supporters.

Deeds vowed that if elected, "I will never turn my back on children, the seniors, and the working families who are the backbone" of the Virginia economy.

McAuliffe called Deeds to concede at 8:06 p.m., a little more than an hour after the polls closed. About 150 people gathered at an Arlington County hotel for the McAuliffe event.

"I told him something that I know everyone in this room agrees with -- that he must be the next governor of Virginia and that I will do everything possible to help make sure he is the next governor of Virginia," McAuliffe said. "Virginia needs Creigh Deeds."

McAuliffe later sent an e-mail to his supporters, asking them to contribute to Deeds' campaign.

As Deeds' lead widened, the Moran campaign pulled the live feed of poll results from the big screen at his party in an Alexandria ballroom and put up a slideshow of Moran.

Tears flowed as Moran conceded shortly before 8:10 p.m. Moran made a conciliatory speech promising to work for Deeds' election.

Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria, said it was a spirited campaign. But, he said, "because of this primary, Creigh Deeds is now an invincible candidate."

Before Moran left the stage, he invoked his father, a former football coach.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if at the conclusion of that game, you played every down as though it was your last, win or lose, you can hold your head high," Moran said.

Deeds dominated his rivals, winning vote-rich counties such as Chesterfield, Henrico, Fairfax and Prince William and cities such as Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. He carried 10 of Virginia's 11 congressional districts; McAuliffe took the 3rd District.

Political analysts said Deeds, as the most moderate of the three candidates, could have a better chance of defeating McDonnell on Nov. 3.

"The McDonnell people were salivating at the chance to run against McAuliffe," Quentin Kidd of Christopher Newport University said.

Before Deeds took the stage in Charlottesville, one of his supporters, Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw of Fairfax County, made a similar point.

"Believe you me, if I was Bob McDonnell tonight, I'd be scared out of my mind."

McDonnell released a video statement in which he congratulated Deeds on his "well-earned victory" and joked that he was sorry to see the Democratic primary campaign end.

"And Creigh, after your victory, I'd say take a break, you deserve it, long vacation, relax for a few months, take some time off," McDonnell said.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, praised all three Democratic candidates but said "tonight is Creigh Deeds' night."

"Creigh Deeds has always been able to bring people together, build consensus, and deliver results," Kaine said.

Deeds had a potential disadvantage in the primary because he lagged in fundraising, but he won't have that problem in the general election, Kidd said. Both parties will provide ample funds to the candidates, he said.

Virginia and New Jersey are the only states holding gubernatorial elections in the fall. Republicans, having suffered a string of recent losses, hope to make a comeback in Virginia, which Democrat Barack Obama carried in November.

Polls showed that McAuliffe, who spent more money and had more paid staffers, leading until the closing week, when Deeds passed him. Moran, who tried to appeal to the liberal Democratic base, never seemed to gain much traction.

A former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a prolific fundraiser for President Bill Clinton, McAuliffe hoped his connections and larger-than-life personality would put him over the top. But Moran began attacking McAuliffe's business dealings, which appeared to help Deeds more than Moran.

An endorsement of Deeds by The Washington Post gave his campaign a big boost, Kidd said.

Coming from behind, Deeds husbanded his resources until the closing weeks and was able to buy considerable television advertising time near the end.

The three candidates spent more than $14 million on the contest but had trouble getting the voters interested. Some observers blamed voter fatigue after last year's presidential election.

The name of Stephen C. Shannon, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, was not on the ballot because he was unopposed for the nomination. Shannon, 38, has served in the House of Delegates, representing a Fairfax County district, since 2004.

McDonnell was unopposed for the gubernatorial nomination. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, seeking re-election, and state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli of Fairfax County make up the rest of the GOP ticket.

Deeds, a 51-year-old lawyer from the second-smallest county in the state, represents a mostly rural state Senate district that also includes Charlottesville. He was in the House of Delegates for nine years before moving to the state Senate in 2001.

Last night, Deeds became emotional toward the close of his 10-minute acceptance speech when he paused to thank his family -- his wife, Pam, their four children and his mother.

"Only in Virginia can a mother who still works as a mail carrier in Bath County send her son to college with four $20 bills in his pocket -- that was all -- and have her son stand before you as the Democratic nominee for the next governor of the commonwealth of Virginia."

Deeds also made his first general-election promise:

"Virginia, I promise you, every single day you will have a governor who is always on your side," he said.

The loudspeakers blared Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" -- and Deeds was off and running.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .

Staff writers Olympia Meola and Jeff E. Schapiro contributed to this report.