Virginia Lawyers Weekly

A five-year veteran of the Virginia House of Delegates with experience as a prosecutor is campaigning for the 2009 Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general, bringing to four the number of contenders for the position.

Del. Steve Shannon, D-Fairfax, is the only candidate who has surfaced as a possible Democratic contender in the race where three Republicans already are seeking support in their party.

Although he does not expect an official announcement until after November, Shannon said, “I am full time campaigning.”

Shannon said that he has been speaking to gatherings around the state and “doing a fair amount of fundraising.”

Shannon’s fundraising has been fruitful. He has nearly $500,000 available in his campaign coffers, according to filings with the State Board of Elections. He said he would expect the attorney general candidates to spend a total of $6 million overall and he sees his fundraising as on pace with the contenders of four years ago.

Shannon said that he does not expect a free ride to the nomination next summer. “It’s a long way between now and June of ’09, but I am running on the assumption that we’ll have a competitive primary,” he said, adding, “That’s a good thing.”

If Shannon were to capture the 2009 Democratic nomination, he would likely face either fellow Fairfax legislator Ken Cuccinelli or former federal prosecutor John Brownlee in the general election. Both are running for the Republican nomination, along with former Arlington County School Board chairman David Foster. Foster lags far behind Cuccinelli and Brownlee in fundraising.

Shannon, 37, served as a Fairfax County assistant commonwealth’s attorney for two and a half years. He now is special counsel to the Fairfax law firm of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman PC, maintaining a litigation practice. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2003.

Money, money, money

The Richmond-based law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen is on the list of major contributors to Shannon’s war chest. Firm partner W. Coleman Allen Jr. says he came to admire Shannon after a lengthy conversation at a recent VTLA convention. “I’ve been as impressed with him as any other young legislator that I’ve met in a while,” Allen said. “He’s a terrific legislator and a rising star in the General Assembly.”

Shannon’s half-million-dollar campaign treasury dwarfs the fund raising efforts to date of his would-be GOP rivals. Cuccinelli, a patent attorney and six-year veteran of the Virginia Senate, raised about $125,000 for his attorney general bid in the last six months. Brownlee, the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, took in just over $100,000, all of it in just the past six weeks since he resigned from that position.

Cranwell for Lt. Gov?

Meanwhile, another lawyer may venture into the statewide elections next year. Former Del. C. Richard Cranwell confirms that he is considering a bid for lieutenant governor. Currently chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Cranwell served for 30 years in the House of Delegates. He practices with Cranwell, Moore & Emick in Vinton.

If he runs, Cranwell will face Southwest Virginia businessman Jon Bowerbank, who is actively campaigning and has raised more than $220,000 for his bid for the 2009 Democratic lieutenant governor nomination. Jody W. Wagner, secretary of finance under Gov. Tim Kaine, also has been mentioned as possible lieutenant governor contender.

The Democratic nominee would challenge incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking re-election.

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