Glenn Nye, a Democrat running in the 2nd Congressional District, released an internal poll today that shows he's well positioned to unseat incumbent Thelma Drake (R-Va) this year, especially if Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) is his party's nominee for president.

In the survey by the firm of Bennett, Petts & Normington, only 40 percent of voters say they want to reelect Drake. In a head to head match up, Nye gets 32 percent of the vote, compared to Drake's 48 percent. But the polling memo notes that only 9 percent of voters can currently recognize Nye's name.

Is former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year's U.S. Senate race, taking black voters for granted?

Maybe, according to the Richmond Free Press, the city's black newspaper.

In an editorial this morning, the newspaper warned Warner he does not have a lock on the African-American vote. Although the editorial board conceded Warner is heavily favored to win in the fall, it noted former senator George Allen (R) was also the front-runner a few months before he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat James Webb.

As lawmakers prepare to head back to town next month to try to resolve how to finance transportation projects, it is looking increasingly like the special session might repeat of the pattern of the past two years.

That pattern goes something like this: Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), backed by some Democratic lawmakers, pushes a big tax increase. House Republicans, most of whom have little connection to heavily congested Northern Virginia, kill the proposal. Lawmakers leave town knowing full well it's only a matter of time before they return to repeat the entire exercise.

The campaigns for the House of Delegates in 2009 are about to begin. Yes, already.

Former mayor Kerry J. Donley announced today that he stepping down as the athletic director for Alexandria public schools to run for the House of Delegates in 2009.

Donley, a Democrat, plans to run for the seat held by Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria), who is expected to run for governor instead of seeking reelection. Donley's resignation from Alexandria schools will be effective June.30. He was mayor fof Alexandria from 1996 to 2003 and served a stint as chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party

Because Moran's district is heavily Democratic, Donley will be favored to succeed Moran if he can win a nomination fight in the spring.

House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) sent a letter to Virginia Republicans encouraging them to re-elect John H. Hager chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia on May 31.

Unfortunately, one of the recipients was the wife of Hager's opponent, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (R-Prince William).

A clearly angry Amy Frederick sent letter back to Howell today, defending her husband and demanding an apology.

"I realize Jeff is a young go-getter and that rubs the old guard the wrong way,'' she wrote. "Yet, just because you've known Jeff's opponent for over 20 years, as you stated in your letter, doesn't excuse this sort of conduct."

Read below for text of both letters:

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John H. Hager anounced today they are leading an effort to build the party's grassroots organizations across the state.

The effort calls on local Republican committees to double their membership lists by Labor Day. Those that do will receive extra money to support their activities, including get-out-the-vote efforts for the November elections.

"Reaching out to those Virginians who share our principles and getting them involved is essential to strengthening the Republican Party and winning elections," Hager said. "This initiative reflects the unity within the party and will pay dividends not only in 2008, but in years to come as well."

If you haven't already heard, Dan Drummond, a lobbyist and former newspaper reporter and political staffer well known in Richmond, won a seat on the Fairfax City Council.

Drummond, a senior vice president at the Powell Tate public affairs company, told the Washington Post that voters selected a trio of newcomers because of unhappiness at the rapid pace of development in recent years.

"We need to make sure we have balanced growth," he said. "We can't lose that special something, that small-town charm."

Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, a superdelegate who had endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, announced today that she is switching her support to Sen. Barack Obama after his strong showing in this week's primaries.

"The time has come to support Sen. Obama as our likely nominee,'' said McClellan, an African American woman from Richmond. "The time has come for us to come together as a party."

McClellan, who endorsed Clinton in December, agonized in recent weeks about her decision, calling it "the most stressful thing I've been through in my whole life." She said that she gradually changed her mind after watching Obama win recent primaries and realizing he will probably be the Democratic nominee.

The legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action, of the Family Research Council, founded in 1983 to promote "marriage, family and the sanctity of human life," endorsed Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

"Delegate Marshall is the conservative candidate in this race," said Connie Mackey, senior vice president of the group's legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action. "There is a clear and significant difference between Bob Marshall's claim to the pro-life mantle and Jim Gilmore's."