Wittman, Hurt, Fimian, Murray all GOP winners

By Bob Lewis

RICHMOND

State Sen. Robert Hurt's easy primary victory on Tuesday means he'll face a first-term Democratic incumbent tied closely to President Barack Obama and a conservative independent this fall in Virginia's 5th District.

And in a day of tepid turnouts in five Virginia Republican congressional primaries, the lone GOP House member to face opposition, Rep. Rob Wittman, easily brushed aside a challenge from the right in Catherine Crabill. Wittman represents the 1st District, which includes much of the Peninsula.

In the 11th District, Keith Fimian won the GOP primary to reprise his unsuccessful 2008 race against freshman Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly.

Virginia Beach businessman Scott Rigell won the Republican U.S. House primary in Virginia's 2nd District, which includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and part of Norfolk, to challenge Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye this fall.

And in the 8th District, Patrick Murray won a tight race over Matthew Berry in a battle between two Republican newcomers. Murray faces 10-term Democratic Rep. Jim Moran in the heavily Democratic Washington suburbs of Arlington and Alexandria.

There were no Democratic primaries, and other GOP nominations were decided in district conventions.

Hurt took nearly half the votes cast in a seven-way primary.

His victory sets up the most nationally significant Virginia race this fall. Hurt, the established GOP candidate, takes on a clear Obama proxy in Tom Perriello, whom conservatives have sworn to unseat because of his fealty to Obama's health reform and clean energy bills.

Wittman won 88 percent of the vote over Crabill, who lost a state legislative race last year after exhorting supporters to bring about change "at the ballot box before we have to resort to the bullet box."

In the 11th District, Fimian won 57 percent of the vote over Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member Patrick Herrity.

Turnout totals ranged from nearly 2 percent to just short of 6 percent, according to data from the State Board of Elections Web site.