"With Virginia’s presidential primaries approaching on Feb. 12, supporters of the two candidates who dropped out of the race Wednesday were quickly finding new presidential hopefuls to endorse.

Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania County, supported John Edwards for president until Edwards left the field of candidates, so on Wednesday the state senator switched his backing to Barack Obama.

“I’ll vote for Obama,” said the 24-year veteran of the Senate whose district includes Louisa, Orange, Madison and Culpeper counties.

In a primary for Virginians to choose between Obama and Hillary Clinton, “I think it’s Obama, Obama, Obama,” Houck said. He admires “the energy, the enthusiasm, all the ingredients for political success. He’s a hot political commodity.”

Del. Vivian E. Watts, D-Annandale, is another Edwards legislator thinking of switching the same way, she said Wednesday. “I’m leaning toward Barack Obama.”

Clinton and Obama each have a list of legislative supporters and no one seems to know for sure whether more Edwards voters will drift to Clinton or to Obama.

Clinton backers in the House of Delegates include Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake, Adam P. Ebbin of Arlington and Jennifer McClellan of Richmond. Those backing Obama include Kristen J. Amundson of Mount Vernon, Robert H. Brink of Arlington, David L. Englin of Alexandria, Frank Hall of Richmond, Dave W. Marsden of Burke and Kenneth R. Plum of Reston.

Virginia Republicans are drifting in larger numbers to John McCain.

“I signed on the first part of this week,” said new McCain backer Del. Edward T. Scott, R-Madison County.

“I think he stands a very good chance when you look at his record on defense issues,” said Scott, whose House district includes Madison, Culpeper and most of Orange.

“He’s got a lot of support in Tidewater and Northern Virginia,” Scott said of McCain, his pick to win the Virginia Republican primary. “I understand there is also some very strong support in the business community.”

Scott switched from uncommitted to McCain and said he was not influenced by Rudy Giuliani’s decision to drop out of the race Wednesday.

“He had all his eggs in one basket, and unfortunately that basket just didn’t get filled up” in the Florida primary, where Giuliani finished well behind McCain, who took all of Florida’s GOP delegates, and Mitt Romney.

Del. Chris B. Saxman, R-Staunton and co-chairman of McCain’s Virginia campaign, said more than a dozen delegates and state senators are backing the Arizona U.S. senator.

Saxman said McCain backers in the House of Delegates include: David B. Albo of Springfield, Thomas D. Gear of Hampton, Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News, Terry G. Kilgore of Gate City, Donald Merricks of Danville, Harvey B. Morgan of Gloucester, Dave Nutter of Christiansburg, John M. O’Bannon of Henrico County, Glenn Oder of Newport News and Scott of Madison.

Sens. Robert Hurt of Chatham and Ryan McDougle of Mechanicsville also are backing McCain, as is U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, Saxman said.

House Speaker William J. Howell of Stafford County and Clarke N. Hogan of South Boston are in Mike Huckabee’s camp, which Howell chairs in Virginia, Hogan said.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, R-Mechanicsville, heads up the Romney camp in Virginia. House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith of Salem is on board with Romney as are Dels. Jackson Miller of Manassas and Chris Peace of Mechanicsville.

Many legislators remain uncommitted, including Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County; Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County; Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville; and Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr., R-Mount Solon.

“Huckabee and McCain would be my favorites, but I’m OK with Romney on the right day,” Hanger said Wednesday." (Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, January 31, 2008)