Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Brenda Campbell |
Thursday, January 14, 2010
By PAUL COLLINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
Brenda Campbell of Ridgeway has waited eight years to see a Republican take the oath of office to become Virginia’s next governor.
On Saturday, she will get her chance.
Campbell is president of the Virginia Federation of Republican Women. Between that group’s Legislative Day today and inaugural events through Sunday, she has a busy schedule.
Republican Bob McDonnell will be sworn in as Virginia’s 71st governor at noon Saturday at the Capitol.
The inaugural events Campbell will participate in or has been invited to include the lieutenant governor’s ball tonight; a benefactors gala and dinner for McDonnell on Friday night; a prayer breakfast Saturday; the swearing-in Saturday; a number of receptions and special events; the governor’s inaugural ball Saturday night; and the first lady’s luncheon at noon Sunday.
People attending inaugural events are invited to bring canned foods to help the needy, and McDonnell has been volunteering at charities and food banks this week, Campbell said.
She brought several black gowns, floor-length and short, for events such as inaugural balls.
“I’m just really excited. ... I can’t wait to get in all the celebrations,” Campbell said.
Some area residents probably will ride a bus to the inauguration Saturday, she said. The bus will leave that morning from Danville and was arranged by Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville; Del. Don Merricks, R-Pittsylvania County, and Sen. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, Campbell said.
Today, Campbell will give two speeches at the Virginia Federation of Republican Women’s annual Legislative Day, she said. Several hundred members of Republican women’s clubs from around the state are expected to attend along with Republican state senators and delegates, according to a news release.
In the first speech, Campbell said she will encourage Republican women; in the second, she will discuss the role women played in this year’s elections. McDonnell got 54 percent of the women’s vote, and many women were concerned about jobs and the economy, she noted.
Campbell said that when McDonnell, “my choice for governor,” told her that he or a member of his administration will come to Southside every 30 days to focus on its distressed economy, she told him she was going to hold his feet to the fire.
And she said she wants to see action to help the area, not just visits. There’s a sign up in the area that says “Bob’s for Jobs,” and it’s going to stay up as a reminder to McDonnell, she said.
Campbell said she wants to see jobs so young people will stay in the area and jobs so people can provide for their families.
She said she could not predict how much McDonnell will be able to accomplish, but he has promised to create jobs, and if he can do that and visits here frequently, she thinks this area will benefit.
She is going to tell the McDonnell administration “every chance I can we need help,” she said.
The VFRW has 67 clubs and in 2009 had 2,591 members, Campbell said. Clubs and the VFRW donated a total of nearly $137,000 to candidates, she said. |
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