Too bad.
From what I've read, both Deeds and Byrne were underfunded and were not nearly as visible as their Republican challengers.
Byrne never had a chance since she won the primary. She's far too liberal for Virginia. The better choice for the Dems would have been Chap Petersen of Fairfax, a moderate. Just goes to show you that it is the extremes of the party and the most dedicated members that vote in primaries. Turnout for the June 2005 Virginia primary was low for both Republicans and Democrats.
