The rumors continue to swirl about the possible retirement of 11th District Rep. Tom Davis.

The chatter intensified Friday after Bob Gibson, of the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported on his blog "Virginia Democrats may pick up a House seat this year in Northern Virginia as 11th District Rep. Tom Davis has decided to retire."

Now other bloggers, including Not Larry Sabato are running with the story, while the Davis camp publicly remains mum on future plans.

"We still don't know," Brian McNicoll, a Davis aide, said yesterday.

Last summer, I reported on growing speculation that Sen. John Warner was holding off a retirement announcement to give Davis time to build a grassroots network of supporters to replace him.

But after Warner announced his retirement in late August, it appeared state party members were more interested in Jim Gilmore's conservative credentials, than Davis, who at times had been bashed by social conservatives.

Despite behind the scenes primary jockeying from Davis, the State Central Committee voted 47-37 in October to picks its nominee at a convention.

The decision was widely considered a victory for Gilmore, who is thought to have a greater appeal among the thousands of grass-roots conservatives who attend conventions.

Roughly two weeks later, Davis told reporters at an invitation only breakfast at the Sofitel Hotel, near the White House, he would not run and bashed the GOP.

"I don't think our party understands what a difficult undertaking it is and how the demographics of the state and the issue matrix has changed markedly over the last decade," Davis told reporters.

Then in November, his wife, Jeannemarie Devolites Davis lost her re-election bid for her Senate seat, hurting Davis's image as someone who can deliver votes in Democrat-leaning Northern Virginia.

Should Davis retire, Democrats feel the region's demographic changes — which played a huge role in Jim Webb defeat George Allen in 2006 — provide a great opportunity to pick up the seat.

Leslie Byrne, who Davis defeated in 1994, already announced her intentions to run and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly also appears poised to take a shot at the Democratic nomination.

Ms. Byrne in 2005 lost her bid for lieutenant governor in the general election to Bill Bolling by about 22,000 votes, which amount to a little more than 1 percent vote margin.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are giddy to see how this race pans out.

"I'm getting the popcorn ready," state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, Fairfax County Republican, said. "I can't wait," he said.