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| Ticket brings campaign to county |
The Republican ticket of (from left) attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli, gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling campaign in Henry County on Thursday. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray) |
Friday, October 30, 2009
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Republican candidates stumping in Henry County on Thursday urged supporters to keep working hard for the next five days to ensure voters show up en masse at the polls on Tuesday.
“Five more days to victory. Then you can sleep ’til December,” gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell quipped to more than 100 people gathered at the party’s headquarters in Collinsville.
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who hopes to retain his seat; Ken Cuccinelli, who is seeking the post of attorney general; Ed Creed, who hopes to unseat Del. Ward Armstrong in the 10th House District; 16th District incumbent Del. Don Merricks, who is running unopposed; and Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, also appeared at the event.
Jobs are needed, McDonnell said, and the one thing he wants voters to remember when they head to the polls Tuesday is his campaign slogan, “Bob’s for Jobs.”
McDonnell said he grew up in a “fairly humble middle class family.” To have reached this pinnacle in his career proves “that if you work hard, dream big and have a lot of friends around, you can still accomplish anything,” he said.
Although the last decade has been especially harsh on the Henry County area as it lost jobs in textile, furniture and tobacco, McDonnell said that if he is elected Tuesday, his priorities will be restoring financial stability and creating jobs “all over the state.”
He said he will focus on transportation, education and “retooling” other areas. He also said he intends to keep taxes low and maintain the state’s “strong right-to-work law.”
Focusing on industries such as film production and alternative energy sources will help create jobs and turn the economy around, said McDonnell.
In his vision for the future, Virginia emerges as the “energy capital of the East Coast,” he said.
When talking to Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry after his comments to the crowd, McDonnell said, “We’ve got to get you more money.”
Later, he said public safety is a priority. With job losses and a dire economy, crime often increases. That is not the time to cut funds to public safety, he added.
During his remarks, Steele said the GOP got the message in the 2008 election.
“You want change, but the right kind of change” is needed, he said. The Republican candidates represent “the kind of change Virginia needs.”
During campaign stops in other parts of the state, Bolling said GOP candidates are being greeted by crowds that are two to three times bigger than usual.
He attributed that to concern about the future “and they know this team is the one to help. ... The polls are very encouraging,” Bolling said.
Recent polls have put McDonnell’s lead over Bath County Democrat Creigh Deeds between 11 and 18 points.
“We’re poised for victory, but polls don’t vote,” Bolling said. “The real message is whether you are a Republican, an independent or a Democrat, this is the Virginia team and we want your support. The future of our country and the future of our state depend on it.”
Cuccinelli said he won his last race by only 101 votes, and McDonnell won his by 360 votes, he said.
“We have a special appreciation for every vote cast,” Cuccinelli said.
He predicted that fewer than half of registered voters will go to the polls and urged supporters to encourage others to vote.
“We haven’t won yet. The race isn’t over yet,” Cuccinelli said.
Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, was attending a Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission meeting and could not attend Thursday’s rally. He is a member of that commission.
“That’s more important to this area,” said Brenda Campbell of Henry County, president of the Virginia Federation of Republican Women.
On behalf of that organization, Campbell gave McDonnell, Bolling and Cuccinelli $2,000 checks each. |
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