After narrowly winning re-election by 101 votes over challenger Janet Oleszek (D), Sen. Ken “Landslide” Cuccinelli (R-Centreville) has thrown out a not-so-subtle indication that he is seriously considering running for Attorney General in 2009. Cuccinelli intends to gather with conservative friends and supporters on Monday in Richmond (as he is in session right now, he cannot raise money). From an email sent to supporters:

My wife and I are thinking about the possibility of me running for Attorney General in 2009, and I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with activists in the Richmond area about 2009 and the future of the GOP.

As a leader in the conservative wing of the Senate Republican caucus, Cuccinelli is viewed highly in activist circles. Politically, this makes for a rather unsurprising move. As the lone remaining Republican senator representing Fairfax County, representing a district changing right from under him, and facing potential long-term minority status, 2009 would be an excellent year for Cuccinelli to jump ship and still retain a seat in the Senate should he lose. Party moderates, a dying but still significant breed, are unlikely to embrace his candidacy with open arms, but with a very shallow bench to work with, I would not be so sure they can come up with someone.

Look forward to a campaign of tough-on-immigration rhetoric and a heavy courting of the Republican’s evangelical Christian base with staple issues such as abortion that Cuccinelli has championed. Just because his district has sprinted to his left doesn’t mean that the rest of the state has.