Goochland Middle School students gave the nod to Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president in a mock election Monday, one day ahead of the general election.

The Obama/Biden ticket edged out Republicans McCain/Palin by 20 votes, 262 to 242.

Former Democratic governor Mark Warner beat former Republican governor Jim Gilmore handily, 289 to 190, for the open U. S. Senate seat held by retiring Republican John Warner.

But Republican congressman Eric Cantor held off challenger Anita Hartke, 317 to 206, preventing a clean sweep by Democrats in the mock election.

“We’re too young to vote now, but it’s a little bit of a taste of what’s to come,” said seventh grader Katie Zohab (12), who said she voted for the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. “He put his life on the line for the country,” she said.

But eighth graders Brittany Allen (14) and Corbyn Jackson (13) favored the victorious Democratic presidential candidate.

“I think Obama is good, he tries to help everybody,” said Allen.

“Obama will help lower gas prices,” said Jackson. “And he won’t send a lot of young kids to Iraq.”

Whatever their politics, students at GMS got a chance to express them courtesy of seventh grade civics teacher Grace Turner, who organized the mock election.

Turner, who spent five years in the political world running campaigns and working as a fundraiser and lobbyist, came back to her first love teaching this year.

The Goochland native said she missed working with the kids.

“I wanted to teach middle school,” said Turner. “The students are way more open minded and inquisitive than high school kids,” she said.

Turner said her students had really gotten engaged in the election.

“Some of them say they wish they really could vote. They have gotten so passionate on this election,” said Turner.

In class leading up to Monday, students examined campaign advertisements and discussed how they might affect voters’ decision on who to support.

Some students tried to create an ideal imaginary candidate, taking positions from both McCain and Obama, said Turner.]

The mock election site was set up in the middle school library’s media center, with 12 computers with cardboard petitions around them for privacy.

Parent volunteer Lisa Perkins checked students in as they came in by class, and Turner helped them through the voting process. Most seemed to make their decisions quickly. They voted for their SCA officers at the same time.

Although voting was not mandatory, only a few students declined to take part, said Turner.

Turner taught government in Norfolk for two years before taking her hiatus from teaching to work in politics.

She said this was her first time running a mock election and the first one held at the new Goochland Middle School.

In the SCA election Mason Engel was elected president, Jessica Liddle vice president, Lydia Talmadge secretary and Sallie Ann Moore media representative.

More election coverage on our election page