A Tale of Two Governors
Virginia's U.S. Senate Race

November 5, 2000 -- This race between two former governors has received national attention - in part because if Democrats hope to reclaim control of the U.S. Senate, this is one seat they must maintain. Robb is considered the most vulnerable incumbent Democrat in the Senate this election. Democrats say Robb is their No. 1 priority, and President Clinton has campaigned on Robb's behalf. Some say, if the Clinton-Lazio race in New York hadn't stolen the spotlight, Virginia's would be most-watched Senate race of this election.

Allen and Robb helped rejuvenate their respective parties in Virginia in the 1980s and 1990s, and both come from famous families - Allen, the son of former legendary Washington Redskins coach George Allen, Sr.; Robb the son-in-law of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Earlier in the season, the contenders faced off in three televised debates, but it's the candidates' hard-to-ignore television ads that have garnered the most attention in a whirlwind of attacks and counterattacks. Ads funded by the state parties and outside interest groups brought education, social security, abortion, and race, into Virginia's living rooms.

An ad paid for by the Virginia Democratic Party attacks Allen's education record, citing his support for education cuts and his opposition to smaller class sizes. "In 1994, he proposed a budget that cut nearly $100 million from public schools - $52 million from K-12 and $47 million from colleges and universities," says a teacher in the ad.

Allen says last statement is misleading because the state's education is determined by student enrollment which, at the time, were on the decline according to the Allen campaign.

Allen's response ad claims he invested $2 billion over four years to raise academic standards, improve reading, hire more teachers and improve school safety. Critics say the $2 billion increase in the education budget was due less to Allen's efforts than to student enrollment formulas.

Allen also pledges to support a $1,000 tax credit for every child. The education tax credit would be used to write-off school materials like computers, but would cost the federal treasury approximately $30 billion a year. A Washington Post poll found that most registered voters favored the Allen proposal. Robb opposes the credit because he says it would take away money that could be used to hire more teachers and build more schools.

Another Allen ad touts his support for "lock-box" legislation to keep Congress from using Social Security funds on other programs, and charges that Robb prevented such legislation from coming to a vote on seven occasions. Robb says he did vote against GOP proposals, but that he voted in favor of a Democratic lock-box bill nine times.

Allen TV ads have also attacked Robb for not supporting parental consent laws for minors wishing to obtain an abortion, as Allen has. Robb has supported laws requiring the consent of a "relative" of a minor seeking an abortion - a slight, but notable, distinction. Robb identifies himself as pro-choice, whereas Allen's stance on abortion is less clear. In their first debate in Richmond, Allen twice avoided giving his position on Roe v. Wade.

During the final days leading up to the election, Robb issued a new attack. Allen, Robb says, has an "intolerable" record on racial issues. Robb denounced Allen's vote against the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (while establishing "Confederate History Month" in Virginia) and his stance against the Civil Rights Act of 1991, a strengthening of the 1964 act. Allen immediately responded by creating an ad specifically for black radio stations, announcing an endorsement by a former state NAACP president, who was once a Robb supporter. It is the first time Allen has reached out to African-American Virginians, who have traditionally been the biggest base of support for Robb and the Democrats.

Black voters could be the deciding factor in pushing one candidate over the top for the Virginia Senate. While Allen led by as much as 7 points just two months ago, recent polls show Robb has almost entirely closed that gap. Robb's strategists say he can win if he gets 90 percent of the African American vote. Currently, The Washington Post estimates Robb's support among blacks at about 82 percent. During the final days of the campaign, the race between the two former governors will likely remain tight, down to the final moments of Nov. 7.