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Democrat Gwen Mason has found her seat on the Roanoke City Council to be a double-edged sword when it comes to her General Assembly race against Republican Bill Cleaveland in the 17th House District.

On one hand, it can be a positive: Her experience as an elected council member factored into her endorsement by the Virginia AgPAC, the political action committee of the Virginia Farm Bureau.

But it can also be a negative at times. On Tuesday, Mason used a two-week-old estimate from the Virginia Municipal League -- a state organization representing local governments such as Roanoke City Council -- to comment on the state budget shortfall she estimated to be "at the very least $700 million."

Gov. Tim Kaine told state lawmakers Wednesday that number is closer to $1.2 billion, which led Cleaveland to issue a statement critical of Mason's estimate.

"Today, the governor adjusted the official figure to a half a billion dollars more than my opponent's projection," Cleaveland wrote in an e-mailed statement. "Underestimating economic difficulties and simply hoping for the best are the origins of the current shortfall. ... Virginians deserve leadership that will produce realistic budgets based on realistic projections not wish lists based on misplaced optimism."

At a gathering in Botetourt County to celebrate her Farm Bureau endorsement Thursday, Mason said that at this point no one really knows what the shortfall will be.

"These are all estimates," Mason said. "We don't know what the Christmas shopping season is going to be like. We're not going to know until the General Assembly convenes [in January] exactly what we're looking at."

Cleaveland and Mason are running to replace Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke, who is retiring at the end of this term.

Mason and a small group of supporters celebrated the endorsement with local produce and three wines from Chateau Morrisette. Although the 17th District is more urban and suburban than rural, Mason said her family has a long history of working in agriculture -- specifically on peach orchards near Wytheville.

Andrew Smith, senior assistant director of governmental relations for Virginia AgPAC, said that Mason's endorsement stemmed partly from her experience as an elected official but also from the fact she placed a conservation easement on some of her property and her response to questions on property rights, open space and "the importance of fresh local food."

The group endorsed all three Republicans running for statewide office. In House races, the PAC endorsed 77 of the 89 incumbents, and only endorsed one challenger to an incumbent.