The winner of the 5th District's Republican Primary tomorrow will more than likley take on Democratic State Senator Parker Griffith in the General Election.  The 5th District is currently represented by popular Democrat Bud Cramer, who is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House.  Wayne Parker, an ad exec and the GOP candidate against Cramer in 1994 and '96, was the early favorite to win the nomination.  However, attorney Cheryl Baswell Guthrie has put herself into the race and outraised Parker in campaign cash.  Tomorrow's contest will be close between the two, and the winner has a fair chance of helping the GOP take a Democratic seat this November.  Both seem like good candidates, although neither have elective experience and Parker has lost the district twice already.  Look for an extremely close race in the General, regardless of which Republican candidate wins tomorrow (this is a conservative district; Bush took 60% of the vote in 2004).

     

Wayne Parker      Cheryl Baswell Guthrie

6:27:46 PM

Monday, June 02, 2008