You gotta love it when a long shot wins - and it wasn't even close. Creigh Deeds took 50 percent of the vote in a three-way primary. [Note for political junkies: McAuliffe beat Deeds in only one district, the 3rd - where he sent Bill Clinton to campaign for him in the African-American community.] Deeds, a well-liked and personable guy, is also moderately conservative. Watch as the Democratic-consultant lemmings everywhere decide this means he won because he's a conservative, not in spite of it, and start yanking candidates ever rightward:

R. Creigh Deeds, a longtime state legislator from rural Bath County, won a stunning come-from-behind victory in the Democratic primary for Virginia governor last night, overwhelming a pair of better-funded and better-positioned opponents.

Deeds beat Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe in every region of the state, including vote-rich Northern Virginia, despite a pro-gun stance and relatively conservative positions that are out of line with many of the area's voters. His victory was so dominant that he captured 10 of the state's 11 congressional districts, including the one held by Moran's brother, U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr.

All three campaigns and state political experts had agreed that Deeds was coming on strong in the final days of the race, but no one expected him -- or the other candidates -- to come close to winning the 50 percent of the vote that he captured. In an e-mail sent to supporters less than two hours before polls closed, McAuliffe's campaign predicted that "this thing could come down to the wire." McAuliffe came in second, with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Brian Moran with 24 percent.

Deeds, 51, will face Republican Robert F. McDonnell in a general election battle that amounts to a rematch of the race for attorney general four years ago, which McDonnell barely won after a late surge by Deeds.

It just goes to show you that political operatives never fade away, they haunt the Democratic Party forever

 WaPo:

The Virginia Democratic State Central Committee voted yesterday to hold a primary next year to choose the party's candidate for governor amid growing indications that there could be a three-way fight for the nomination.

Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor, said yesterday that he plans to start a 30-locality tour of the state this month to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Senate candidate Mark R. Warner. But the tour could also serve as a test of McAuliffe's appeal with the Democratic activists who play a crucial role in electing the party's nominee for governor.

"Clearly, I won't rule it out," McAuliffe, a McLean resident, said of a bid for governor. "A lot of people have talked to me about it, but I said let's just focus on this year. . . . By Election Day, I will have traveled to every corner of the state for Obama and Mark Warner."

McAuliffe, a retired businessman who has close ties to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), made the comments during an interview at Warner's annual pig roast at his estate on the banks of the Rappahannock River in King George County. About 2,000 Democratic activists attended.

McAuliffe's presence was the latest sign that he is seriously looking at entering Virginia's governor's race.

Oh joy.  It's hard for me to think of McAuliffe without being reminded of this Rick Perlstein article from 2007. I can't imagine Virginians being thrilled with a "Washington elite" as their Governor.