Bill Bolling stepped aside in 2009 to support Bob McDonnell's run for governor and took a second turn as Lieutenant Governor to avoid deep divisions within the Virginia GOP. Relieved Republicans were grateful to keep a united party and avoid what surely would have been bloodshed and long-lasting animosity. Bolling's lack of power-grabbing impressed many who took note and, when he announced his run for governor, pledged their support.
Ken Cuccinelli won as Attorney General in 2009, completing the GOP sweep of the top three state offices. When asked if he would run for Governor in four years, most thought he said no but he later seemed to imply a "depends-on-what-the-meaning-of-is-is" explanation when it became public that his sights were indeed on the top office. Word that he was going for it in 2013 was released or leaked or whatever the day before the December 2011 Republican Advance, a weekend that could have highlighted Bolling's upcoming gubernatorial run.
Governor Bob McDonnell has endorsed Bolling. So has Majority Leader Eric Cantor who just won his primary with a whopping 79% of the vote.
This week the Bolling campaign released the names of more than 100 Republican grassroots leaders who are either current or immediate past unit chairs or members of the Republican Party's State Central Committee.
My name is included on that list for a number of reasons.
When Bolling ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2005, the SWAC area supported him. Then-Augusta County Republican Committee Chairman Dr. Kurt Michael hosted a fund raiser at his Fishersville home in June 2005 that was attended by 70 people including the LG, and raised a significant amount of money.
In October of that year, local realtors Kevin and Vonda Lacey along with the Augusta County Republican Committee hosted the Bollings at their Augusta County horse farm, an event that was also attended by Bob McDonnell who was running for Attorney General and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman. They were fun events that brought together a vast array of people.
Bolling expressed gratitude this week for the grassroots endorsements and commented, "I'm proud to have the support of these grassroots Republican leaders from all across the Commonwealth. Their endorsement is representative of the broad support my campaign enjoys from conservative leaders in Virginia, including Governor Bob McDonnell.
"During my 20 years in elected office I have fought for conservative values and established a strong conservative record of results. Now, I am ready to lead Virginia as Governor. I'm proud to have the support of these grassroots Republican leaders from all across the Commonwealth. Their endorsement is representative of the broad support my campaign enjoys from conservative leaders in Virginia, including Governor Bob McDonnell. With their support I will continue working hard to provide common sense, conservative leadership for the people of Virginia."
Endorsements - hard-working volunteers who have been in the trenches for years:
Kyle P. Adams – Former Republican Party of Hampton Chairman
Hon. Fred Anderson – Member of State Central Committee
Thomas Arthur – Former Pittsylvania County Republican Committee Chairman
Trixie Averill – Former
6th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairwoman, Former
Member of State Central Committee – Western Vice Chairwoman
Mike Bailey – Former Roanoke County Republican Committee Chairman
Pat Barksdale – Halifax County Republican Committee Chairman
Don Bishop – Former Craig County Republican Committee Chairman
Lynelle Bishop – Former Craig County Republican Committee Chairman
Gene Bishop – Floyd County Republican Committee Chairman
Joan Blackstone – Lancaster County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Ben Boggs – Former Wise County Republican Committee Chairman
Adam Boitnott – Former Roanoke City Republican Committee Chairman
Hon. Brenda Bowman – Former Pittsylvania Republican Committee Chairwoman
Matthew Braud – Former Member of State Central Committee, Former Bedford County Republican Committee Chairman
John Breedon – King William County Republican Committee Chairman
Pam Brown – Norfolk Republican Party Chairman, Member of State Central Committee
Walt Brown, III – Franklin City/Southampton County Republican Committee Chairman
Brenda Campbell – Former Virginia Federation of Republican Women President, Former Member of State Central Committee
Polly Campbell – Secretary, RPV State Central Committee
Keith Carlson – Former Brunswick County Republican Committee Chairman
Damie Carter – Former Lee County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Jo-Ann Chase – Former Member of State Central Committee
Ron Chipper – Nottoway County Republican Committee Chairman
Frank Chrzanowski – Former Franklin County Republican Committee Chairman
Linwood Cobb – 7th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Bill Coburn – Isle of Wight Republican Committee Chairman
Jonathan Comer – Page County Republican Committee Chairman
Bob Copeland – Former Washington County Republican Committee Chairman
Carlton Cowan – Former Gloucester Republican Committee Chairman
Lee Davis – Former Middlesex County Republican Committee Chairman
Patty Denton – Former Washington County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Brandy Dyke – Former Young Republican Federation of Virginia Chairman
Jacki Easter – Amelia County Activist
Roger Elkins – Lee County Republican Committee Chairman
David Ferguson – Shenandoah County Republican Committee Chairman
Tom Foley – Former 1st Congressional District Chairman, Former Middlesex County Republican Committee Chairman
Admiral Robert Fountain – Former Westmoreland Republican Committee Chairman
David Fuller – Member of State Central Committee
Debra Harper – Richmond County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Carla Cash Harris – Emporia / Greensville Republican Committee Chairwoman
William Harvill – Madison County Republican Committee Chairman
Wayne Hayden – Former New Kent Republican Committee Chairman
Irene Hurst – Former Member of State Central Committee
Patricia Jackson – Former Winchester City Republican Committee Chairwoman
Robert James – Former Rockbridge/Lexington/Buena Vista Republican Committee Chairman
Hon. Angela Kelly-Wiecek – Former Hanover County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Steve Kendall – Nelson County Republican Committee Chairman
John Kilgore – Scott County Republican Committee Chairman, Former Member of State Central Committee
Joyce Kistner – Bristol City Republican Committee Chairwoman
Linas Kojelis – Former Petersburg City Republican Committee Chairman, Former Member of State Central Committee
Ray Kramer – Former Powhatan Republican Committee Chairman
Jane Ladd – New Kent County Republican Committee Chairwoman, Former Member of State Central Committee
Anna Lee – Member of State Central Committee
Jerry Lester – Member of State Central Committee, Former Buchanan County Republican Committee Chairman
Michael Lindsay – Frederick County Republican Committee Chairman
Hon. Gary Lofton – Former Member of State Central Committee
Rich Macbeth – Washington County Republican Committee Chairman
Patty Manthe – Former Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Bobby May – Buchanan County Republican Committee Chairman
Wade McRoberts – Former York County Republican Committee Chairman
Bruce Meyer – Former 2nd Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Mae Midkiff – Giles County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Lynn Mitchell – Former Member of State Central Committee
Jack Morgan – 9th Congressional District Chairman
Kim Mullins – Wise County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Tamara Neo – Former Member of State Central Committee
David O'Kelley – Former Member of State Central Committee
Wayne Ozmore, Jr. – Former Member of State Central Committee
Mark Peake – Member of State Central Committee, Former Lynchburg City Republican Committee Chairman
Brian Plum – RPV Treasurer
Marie Quinn – Member of State Central Committee
James Rich – Former 10th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Bill Rilee – King & Queen County Republican Committee Chairman
Doug Rogers – Member of State Central Committee, Orange County Republican Committee Chairman
Christian Schoenewald – Former Albemarle County Republican Committee Chairman
Rachel Schoenewald – Member of State Central Committee, Former Albemarle County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Blake Slusser – Essex County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Gene Smith – Former Member of State Central Committee, Former Campbell County Republican Committee Chairman
Vivienne Smith – Former Fluvanna County Republican Committee Chairwoman
Scott Stanley – Dickenson County Republican Committee Chairman
Larry Stanley – Patrick County Republican Committee Chairman
Becky Stoeckel – Former 11th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Matt Stoeckel – Fairfax City Republican Committee Chairman
Bruce Swenson – Former Falls Church City Republican Committee Chairman
Mary Gail Swenson – Member of State Central Committee
Dolores Switzer – Member of State Central Committee
Barbara Tabb – Prince George Republican Committee Chairwoman
Vernon Teall – Sussex County Republican Committee Chairman
Adam Tolbert – Member of State Central Committee, Smyth County Republican Committee Chairman
John D. Tucker – Former Member of State Central Committee, Former Madison County Republican Committee Chairman
Tom Van Auken – Former Member of State Central Committee
John Van Hoy – Former Member of State Central Committee
Chris Walters – Former Roanoke City Republican Committee Chairman
Sandra Warren – Danville City Republican Committee Chairwoman
Tucker Watkins – Former 5th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Bob Wheeler – Member of State Central Committee
Fay Williamson – Former Virginia Federation of Republican Women Chairwoman
Jack Wilson – 4th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
Steve Witham – Amherst County Republican Committee Chairman
Chris Woodfin – Former 3rd Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman
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