Can Jody Win Her Hometown?

If there is any sign of a candidate's viability, it's in carrying their hometown. Al Gore famously lost Tennessee in 2000, and John Edwards couldn't turn North Carolina blue in 2004. Keeping this in mind, all eyes are on the candidate for lieutenant governor Jody Wanger.

Jody Wagner, of course, hails from Virginia Beach. Her name is emblazoned across the famous popcorn business that she and her husband started. And her local popularity should serve her well in holding good margins in the voter-rich Virginia Beach area.

But Jody has one problem. The Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, also comes from Virginia Beach. And the popular candidate is sure to turn out voters in the region.

The area is kind of a mixed-bag. Plenty of military families and the presence of several evangelical universities always guaranteed votes for the GOP. But newly-arrived residents from the North have dyed the area purple. Virginia Beach, if anything, has always been a tough nut to crack. According to CQ Politics, George W. Bush bested John Kerry there by a whopping 16 points. But in 2008, Democrat Glenn Nye beat Republican Thelma Drake 52-47%, and Obama won the district by 2 points. Nothing is assured.

So both hometown favorites Jody Wagner and Bob McDonnell are bound to turn out voters and make this region a nail-biter. Or maybe Virginia Beach will elect a mixed ticket. Who knows how the tide will flow?