Decision Virginia

BREAKING: Bolling passes on independent run for governor

After mulling the prospect for several week, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling (R), has decided against an Independent run for governor. Bolling had been flirting with the idea after deciding that mounting a convention challenge against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli would be to difficult. 

Bolling has spent the last several weeks carving out a more moderate republican tone hoping that it would allow him the opportunity to serve as alternative to the hard charging conservative style of Cuccinelli. 

Bolling has been very critical of Cuccinelli during that time and even today as he officially passed on the idea of running Independent he still refused to offer the presumptive GOP nominee his endorsement, and appeared to offer the AG one last dig before he exits the stage. 

"Our priority should be on electing a Governor who has the ability to effectively and responsibly govern our state and provide the mainstream leadership we need to solve problems, get things done and make Virginia a better place," he wrote. "Nothing less should be acceptable.” 

Bolling has repeatedly rapped Cuccinelli for being "out of the mainstream". 

Despite his unique stance in the race, few experts believed Bolling could really muster the necessary resources to win a race as an Independent. While he could certainly play an important role in the outcome, perhaps more than any Independent candidate in Virginia history, that role would not be as the victor. Publicly and privately Bolling remained constant in only one standard when it came to him running. He had to be able to win. 

It is clear after surveying the field for the last few months he knew that wasn't possible. 

Bolling's entire statement can be found below:

BOLLING SAYS NO TO POSSIBLE INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR

Lieutenant Governor cites financial, political and personal reasons for decision; pledges to continue working to build a better Virginia

Richmond – Lieutenant Governor Bolling today released the following statement: “When I suspended my campaign for the Republican Party's nomination for Governor, I indicated that I wanted to be a more independent voice for Virginia, speaking out more objectively on the important issues facing our state. Over the past several months, I have done just that. I have sought to call Virginia to a higher purpose, focusing more on policy than politics and more on the next generation than the next election.

“This more independent approach to governing led to widespread speculation that I was thinking about reviving my campaign for Governor as an Independent candidate. While that was not my initial intention, the reaction to a possible Independent campaign has been overwhelming, and for the past three months I have been going through a "due diligence" process, trying to objectively assess the feasibility of an Independent campaign.

“Throughout this process my focus has been on one thing - what's best for Virginia? I love Virginia and I want to make certain that we have a Governor who is committed to governing our state in a mainstream way; a Governor who will keep his focus on the big issues facing our state and work with Republicans and Democrats to solve problems, get things done and make Virginia a better place.

“I'm confident I could be that kind of Governor. Throughout my career in public service, I have done my best to stand strong for the conservative values I believe in, while at the same time respecting the views of others and promoting consensus building and results, as opposed to confrontation and gridlock. That's the kind of pragmatic, results oriented leadership we need to make certain that Virginia remains on the right track.

“Given the current political dynamics in Virginia, the prospects of an Independent campaign were very appealing to me, and based on the positive feedback I had received from business leaders, community leaders and citizens all across our state, I am confident that I could have run a credible and competitive campaign and made a positive contribution to the public debate. In many ways I would have enjoyed participating in such a campaign a great deal and I think it could have been good for Virginia.

“However, after a great deal of consideration I have decided that I will not be an Independent candidate for Governor this year. There were many factors that influenced my decision to forgo such a campaign.

“First, I know how difficult Independent campaigns can be. The biggest challenge an Independent candidate faces is fundraising. You can have a winning message, but if you don't have the resources to effectively communicate that message to voters you cannot win. To run a winning campaign I would have needed to raise at least $10-$15M. That's a very difficult thing to do without the resources of a major political party and national donors at your disposal. Based on my discussions with key donors over the past three weeks, I was confident I could raise enough money to run a competitive campaign, but I was not confident I could raise enough money to run a winning campaign. While it is possible that these resources could have been secured over time if the campaign progressed as we envisioned, that was an uncertain outcome and it was too big a risk for me to ask my donors to take.

“Second, running as an Independent candidate would have required me to sever my longstanding relationship with the Republican Party. While I am very concerned about the current direction of the Republican Party, I still have many dear friends in the Republican Party, people who have been incredibly supportive of me over the years. I have tremendous respect for them and I am very grateful for everything they have done for me. I value these friendships a great deal and I feel a deep sense of personal obligation to those who have done so much to make my success possible. I have heard from many of these friends over the past several months. They have encouraged me to not give up on the Republican Party and continue working to get our party back on a more mainstream course. Maintaining their friendship and respect means more to me than the prospects of being Governor and I was unwilling to jeopardize these longstanding relationships by embarking on an Independent campaign.

“Finally, my decision was heavily influenced by a growing dissatisfaction with the current political environment in Virginia. Politics is much different today than it was when I was first elected. In many ways I fear that the "Virginia way" of doing things is rapidly being replaced by the "Washington way" of doing things and that's not good for Virginia. As a result, the political process has become much more ideologically driven, hyper-partisan and mean spirited. Rigid ideologies and personal political agendas are too often placed ahead of sound public policy and legitimate policy disagreements too quickly degenerate into unwarranted personal attacks. This makes it more difficult to govern effectively and get things done. While I still value public service a great deal, the truth is that I just don't find the political process to be as enjoyable as I once did. Because of this, I decided that the time has come for me to step away from elected office and look for other ways to serve Virginia.

“For all of these reasons, I decided that I will not be an Independent candidate for Governor in 2013. However, I truly appreciate the confidence and support of those who had encouraged me to do so and I hope they will understand and respect my decision. “There is no higher honor than the privilege of serving one's fellow citizens in the halls of government. That privilege has been mine for the past 22 years. I am very grateful for the confidence the people of Virginia have placed in me. As a county Supervisor, a State Senator and Lieutenant Governor, I have done my best to serve them well. I hope I have been able to make a positive contribution to the betterment of our state.

“I look forward to continuing my work with Governor McDonnell and the rest of our great team in the months to come. We have accomplished a lot over the past three years, but we still have a lot of important work to do before our term of office is over. After that, I will return to the private sector and look for other ways to serve Virginia. I love Virginia and I will always be willing to do my part to help make Virginia a better place.

“I wish Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Cuccinelli well as they begin their campaigns. One of these two candidates will have the responsibility of leading Virginia into the future. This is a tremendous responsibility and it should not be taken lightly. I encourage them to run campaigns that are worthy of Virginia; campaigns that focus on the big issues facing our state and offer a positive vision for the future of Virginia. That's the kind of Governor the people of Virginia want and deserve.

“And I encourage the people of Virginia to carefully consider the decision they will make this November. Our priority should be on electing a Governor who has the ability to effectively and responsibly govern our state and provide the mainstream leadership we need to solve problems, get things done and make Virginia a better place to live. Nothing less should be acceptable.”

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The state of the race: January 11, 2013

I'm going to start, on a semi-regular basis, a recap of the state of the 2013 race. I'll try to run down some of the big moments in the statewide campaigns in Virginia. This segment will obviously primarily feature the race for governor, but because it looks like we will have some pretty competitive down ballot races, we will include them in there at times as well.

To make this segment a bit different than just the normal "best of" posts, we will also include a special addition you will only find on Decision Virginia. We will award one campaign with the honor of the "Best Week".  Any statewide campaign can be up for the "Best Week". It doesn't mean that other campaigns did not have a good week, just that at this particular time this particular campaign had the "Best Week". So stay tuned at the end of this post for our first winner.

This was a very busy week in the race for governor. Perhaps not a surprise given that everyone is looking to make noise before the General Assembly session takes over and with it all the headlines.

*The biggest headline came from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R). Cuccinelli was interviewed on the Steve Deace Radio Show in Iowa and said that he told his local Bishop that he may have to "go to jail" to defend his religious liberty when it comes to the HHS mandate that requires employers to provide full coverage for contraception. The Deace show is broadcast out of Iowa, but has a national audience. It currently airs on 88.1 WIRH in Richmond.

Here is the transcript of what Cuccinelli had to say:

"My local bishop said, 'Well, you know I told a group I'm ready to go to jail.' And I said, 'Bishop, don't take this personally: You need to go to jail. What I mean by that is, people need to see it play out all the way to its logical conclusion."

-Steve Deace Radio Show. The entire interview can be found here.

The interview took off when it was posted on Politico. It resulted in outrage from women's rights groups and Democrat Terry McAuliffe who called it "divisive" and "outside the mainstream".  Cuccinelli doesn't need these kind of headlines, but this is the kind of thing his die hard supporters love about him. It's early enough where most passive general election voters will never hear about it. But it is still a boon for McAuliffe who can use it fund raise.  It is yet another reason for democrats and liberals to be scared to death by thought of a Cuccinelli governorship.

*Speaking of McAuliffe he is taking a decidedly more low key approach to 2013 when compared to 2009. He has yet to launch any television ads. He didn't come out with a public pronouncement on the McDonnell transportation plan and he even found a way to meet one on one with Lt. Governor Bill Bolling who he now shares a common enemy with. When he does emerge (like to respond to the Cuccinelli radio ad) it is understated. He is running like a general election candidate. It is still a marathon, not yet a sprint.

*Bolling meanwhile, is not ready to go away. He promised after McDonnell's State of the Commonwealth that he will remain quiet during the General Assembly session, but also made the rounds to any media outlet that will have him to make sure they knew he is very serious about an independent run. I talked to Bolling for about five minutes and my vibe is that he isn't doing this for show. If he thinks he can win, he will run. I still think his potential bid is unlikely, but it should be considered serious.

My full interview with Bolling can be seen below. Note my last question:

Nobles: Have you guys talked at all? Have you had any opportunity to iron out your differences? Do you want to do that? Are you interested?

Bolling: "We have not. He has not reached out to me and that is not..... not suprising."

   

Who had the BEST WEEK? Terry McAuliffe: McAuliffe wins by pushing but not pushing too much. He made good use of the Cuccinelli interview and got positive press for meeting with Bolling. McAuliffe has a long way to go, but at least this week was a good week.

Bolling to drop out of the race for governor

In a what had become a patient waiting game for the past 5 plus years, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, who had hoped to have an unimpeded march to the GOP nomination for governor will end his campaign as soon as this weekend.

Several GOP sources have confirmed the news that was first leaked on the conservative blog BVBL and by liberal blogger Ben Tribbett on his twitter feed.

Bolling's departure leaves the field wide open for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to easily coast to the nomination. The only other remaining announced candidate is White House party crasher Tareq Salahi.

The news is surprising at first glance because Bolling seemed determined to not be pushed out of a race for Virginia's top elected official. More than four years ago he gracefully stepped aside under similar circumstances to allow then Attorney General Bob McDonnell to run for the nomination unopposed.

While Bolling and McDonnell embraced the opportunity to run together, Bolling made it clear this was the only time he was going to step aside and vowed to fend off any challenge from Cuccinelli. When Cuccinelli's plans were revealed Bolling stood up to the Attorney General and appeared ready to take him on.

The dynamics for Bolling changed dramatically when Cuccinelli operatives engineered a change to the nominating contest. Instead of a statewide primary, Republicans will now select their candidates in a convention. Conventions generally bring out the party die-hards, a group that Cuccinelli is very popular with. Cuccinelli and his staff are also masters at running and winning convention nominating contests.

In addition to the challenges presented by taking on Cuccinelli in a convention, many polls showed Bolling trailing Cuccinelli with republican voters and performing only marginally better against potential democratic rivals.

It appears the math and the reality was something Bolling, who is a very rational man, came to grips with.

While we are confident Bolling will end his campaign for governor, we don't know what his next step will be. Will he endorse Cuccinelli? Will he take a step back and mount a plan for a 2014 run for U.S. Senate? Will he leave elected life?

We could begin to learn some of these answers as soon as this weekend as republicans begin to gear up for 2013 at their RPV Advance in Virginia Beach.

Stay Tuned..

 UPDATE: Bolling officially announced his decision to suspend his campaign with a statement this morning:

Statement of Lieutenant Governor Bolling Regarding Campaign for Governor

 

RICHMOND – Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling issued the following statement today regarding his decision to suspend his campaign for the Republican Party’s nomination for Governor of Virginia.

 

“When I was growing up my dad was a coal miner and my mom waited tables.  We didn't have much, but my parents instilled in me a love of Virginia.  I never dreamed that I would one day have a chance to help lead this wonderful state, but thanks to you, that has been my privilege.

 

“Throughout my 21 years in public service I have done my best to stand strong for our shared conservative values, while at the same time working with Republicans and Democrats to get things done in state government.  I think that effort has been successful, and I hope you agree.

 

“For the past seven years I have had the honor of serving as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, and it had been my intention to seek the Republican Party’s nomination for Governor in 2013.  However, not everything we want in life is meant to be.

 

“After a great deal of consideration I have decided to suspend my campaign for the Republican Party's nomination for Governor of Virginia.  Needless to say, this was a very difficult decision for me, and I know it will come as a surprise and disappointment to many, but I am confident it is the right decision.

 

“Four years ago I decided to set my personal ambition to be Governor aside and join with Bob McDonnell to create a united Republican ticket.  Time has proven the wisdom of that decision.  Governor McDonnell and I were elected in 2009 by historic margins, and for the past three years we have successfully worked together to get Virginia back on the right track.

 

“I had hoped that Attorney General Cuccinelli and I would be able to form that same kind of united Republican ticket in 2013.  However, late last year Mr. Cuccinelli unexpectedly announced that he intended to challenge me for the Republican Party's nomination for Governor. 

 

“While I was surprised and disappointed by Mr. Cuccinelli's decision, I was confident in my ability to win our party's nomination for Governor in a statewide primary election, which was the method of nomination that had previously been adopted by the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia.

 

“However, in June of this year the newly constituted State Central Committee voted to change the manner in which we will nominate our candidates in 2013 from a statewide primary to a closed party convention.  While I did not support that decision, it had a dramatic impact on the 2013 campaign.

 

“For the past several months my campaign team has worked hard to restructure our campaign to effectively compete in the convention process.  While we have made a great deal of progress, I reluctantly concluded that the decision to change the method of nomination from a primary to a convention created too many obstacles for us to overcome.

 

“In addition, I know how divisive conventions can be, and I was concerned that a prolonged campaign between Mr. Cuccinelli and me could create deep divisions within our party.  The convention process would have forced Republican activists to take sides against their friends in local committees all across our state.  The wounds that can develop from that type of process are often difficult to heal.

 

“Conventions are by their very nature exclusive, and at a time when we need to be projecting a positive image and reaching out to involve more Virginians in the Republican Party, I am unwilling to be part of a process that could seriously damage our image and appeal.

 

“While it may have been in my self-interest to have continued the campaign and done my best to win without regard to the consequences of those actions, I have never chosen to place my self-interest ahead of our Party's best interest, and I will not do so now.

 

“I know that my decision will surprise most people and disappoint many people, but I'm confident it is the right decision.  I hope that my friends and supporters, as well as those who have chosen to support Mr. Cuccinelli, will respect and appreciate the reasons for my decision. 

 

“It has been a great honor to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia for the past seven years, and I wouldn’t trade the experiences and opportunities we have had for anything in the world. 

“I look forward to serving the remainder of my term as Lieutenant Governor and as Virginia's Chief Jobs Creation Officer, and working with Governor McDonnell and the rest of our great team to build a better Virginia.

 

“Jean Ann and I want to personally thank everyone who has done so much to support us over the years, and I especially want to thank the thousands of people who had already pledged their support to my campaign for Governor.  Their support means more to us than words can express.  My greatest regret in suspending my campaign is the thought that I have let them down.

 

“In the coming days Jean Ann and I will be evaluating our future political options.  I love Virginia and I value public service a great deal.  I assure you that I will continue to look for ways to make a contribution to the public life of our Commonwealth. 

 

“I intend to remain actively involved in the 2013 campaigns – perhaps not as the Republican nominee for Governor, but as a more independent voice, making certain that the candidates keep their focus on the important issues facing our state and offer a positive and realistic vision for effectively and responsibly leading Virginia”

 

 

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Bolling's Romney gamble begins to pay off

In hind sight it seems like an easy pick to make. Mitt Romney has all the makings of a GOP nominee for president and was pretty much the front runner for 2012 as soon as the 2008 race came to a close. But while republican leaders across the state and here in Virginia took their time in picking their candidates, no one can claim that they were on the Romney train earlier than Lt. Governor Bill Bolling.

                                                            (Bolling at the RNC convention on Monday)

Bolling was a Romney backer before it was conventional wisdom to be a Romney backer. Even more, Bolling got on Romney's team as a southern leader, which wasn't easy particularly given Romney's reputation pre-2008 which was that of a moderate from the northeast. Bolling was the first southern state wide elected leader to endorse Romney. An endorsement he provided in 2007. By contrast, Governor Bob McDonnell did not endorse Romney until late in the primary of 2012.     

"We've been working together about five years now," Bolling said of his relationship with Romney. "I have absolute confidence in this man and his ability to get this country back on the right track."

I vividly remember Bolling and his team gearing up for a primary fight in 2008, hoping to steal momentum away from a surging John McCain. Romney conceded and endorsed McCain shortly before the Virginia primary. McCain easily beat Mike Huckabee in the "Potomac Primary" and eventually captured the nomination.

While Romney wasn't successful in 2008, Bolling did not give up on him. He got involved in his 2012 plans right away and serves as his Virginia state co-chair, which has become an increasingly important position given the Commonwealth's distinction as a top five swing state.

"It is going to be very exciting this week to see him become the nominee of the republican party, it is something we've been working on for five years now," Bolling said. "I just hope I'll have the chance in November to see him become the next President of the United States of America."

It is clear that Romney appreciate's Bolling's friendship and loyalty. He often speaks highly of the Lt. Governor in campaign stops in Virginia and even went as far as to say that he hopes that Bolling will be the "next governor of Virginia". A statement he later pulled back when questions were raised about the heated primary Bolling faces with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

The commitment to Romney has already been helpful to Bolling, but if Romney wins it could a huge boon to the L.G. as he looks ahead to a difficult and potentially bruising nominating contest. While it is doubtful that a recently elected GOP president would wade into a contentious primary, just months after being elected, there is no doubt that Bolling could count on behind the scenes support from the man who he has been there for from the beginning.

Cuccinelli has worked on behalf of Romney after he captured the nomination, but did not endorse any candidate in the GOP primary.

Bolling, who is adding 2013 staff on a regular basis told me he's not all that worried about that race quite yet.

"Our focus is on Mitt Romney and the Romney/Ryan ticket," he said. "We don't even want to talk about 2013... We are going to take November 7th off and then maybe on November 8th we will start talking about 2013."

November 8th, really isn't that far away.

Extended clips from my conversation with Bolling can be found below: