▁a ▁" mod er ate ▁Republican ," ▁and ▁critic ized ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁for ▁being ▁too ▁far ▁right ▁polit ically ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁people ▁it ▁represents . ▁Pot ts ' ▁moder ate ▁views ▁on ▁abort ion ▁and ▁tax es ▁led ▁some ▁Republic ans ▁to ▁label ▁him ▁a ▁Republican ▁In ▁Name ▁Only . ▁ ▁Republican ▁opposition ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁g ubern atorial ▁run ▁Pot ts ▁ran ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁in ▁the ▁Virginia ▁g ubern atorial ▁election , ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Virginia ▁p und its ▁disag re ed ▁on ▁how ▁he ▁would ▁affect ▁the ▁November ▁g ubern atorial ▁election , ▁and ▁the ▁Win chester ▁City ▁Republican ▁Committee ▁dis owned ▁him ▁in ▁early ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Both ▁the ▁Kil g ore ▁and ▁K aine ▁campaign s ▁announced ▁his ▁candid acy ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁their ▁favor ▁— ▁the ▁former ▁because ▁of ▁Pot ts ▁relatively ▁liberal ▁views , ▁and ▁the ▁latter ▁for ▁his ▁appeal ▁to ▁moder ate ▁Republic ans . ▁Pot ts ▁was ▁considered ▁an ▁under dog ▁to ▁both ▁of ▁these ▁candidates , ▁trailing ▁behind ▁them ▁in ▁popular ▁and ▁financial ▁support . ▁Lloyd ▁Ross , ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁T ues day ▁Mor ning ▁ret ail ▁chain ▁and ▁frequent ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁Republican ▁campaign s , ▁don ated ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁the ▁Pot ts ▁campaign . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁and ▁Democratic ▁g ubern atorial ▁candidate ▁Tim ▁K aine , ▁in ▁his ▁role