Decision Virginia

Jackson shocks Virginia GOP convention: wins LG nod

In an unlikely turn events, Bishop E.W. Jackson a Harvard educated retired Marine and pastor from the Hampton Roads area turned back six other candidates to become the GOP candidate for Lt. Governor.

He will run along side gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli and Attorney General nominee Mark Obenshain.

Jackson sprinted out to an early lead in the balloting after delivering an electrifying speech. But as the balloting went on, he seemed to be losing steam as Northern Virginia businessman Pete Snyder began to coalesce support from the delegates who had previously supported other candidates.

Snyder was the last man standing against Jackson going into the final ballot, but after a strange turn of events lost steam. A series of flyers were distributed throughout the building that said Snyder was endorsed by several people who he was apparently not supported by.

Jackson then marched around the Coliseum with Corey Stewart who made it into the final three, but did not make it on to the final ballot. From there Jackson overwhelmed the final vote to become the first African-American nominee by the Virginia Republican Party since they picked Maurice Dawkins in 1988. He eventually lost to Chuck Robb.

The Cuccinelli- Jackson- Obenshain ticket has the potential to be one of the most conservative in Virginia political history. While Jackson and Obenshein have their own records to present it starts at the top of the ticket. This afternoon Ken Cuccinelli did not run away from his conservative credentials but he made an effort in his speech this afternoon to step out from behind the sterotype democrats are ready to paint him with.

Here is my story for NBC12:

RICHMOND (WWBT)- Ken Cuccinelli took his critics head on, claiming those who call him extreme are ignoring a record of positive accomplishments.  This crowd of 8 thousand agreed, and he is now the party's nominee for the state's top job.

 It was just a formality, but it is now official.

"So I humbly stand before you this morning to accept your Republican nomination in the race to be the 72nd Governor of this great Commonwealth," said Cuccinelli to loud cheers. 

He is a man who built his career by fighting for conservative causes. He stood by those convictions, but today made the pivot to a candidate ready to create jobs and grow the economy.

"A stronger economy that can produce new jobs for the thousands who are currently out of work,” he said.   “And to be clear, we should be trying to create those jobs right here in Virginia. Not in Mississippi or in China."

He spent plenty of time knocking his opponent Terry McAuliffe and his business record and his career as a political operator. Outside of the Richmond coliseum, McAuliffe's defenders like Democratic Party Chair Charniele Herring said that Cuccinelli can talk jobs all he wants, but she fears it is not the kind of governor he will really be.

"Ken Cuccinelli has an extreme ideological agenda when it comes to women's reproductive health care," she said.

After his speech, Cuccinelli told me one on one that he would not pursue any new legislation as governor when it comes to abortion, but instead protect the laws the currently exist.  He said he has nothing to hide.

"They (voters) will have very clear idea of what to expect from a Cuccinelli governorship. Just like my last four races,” he said. “What you see is what you get."

And now Virginia voters will be the ones who get to take that information and make their decision.

Virginia Republicans chose to decide their nominees through this convention which drew a little more than 8 thousand voters, instead of a primary which had the potential to draw from tens of thousands. That decision is what ultimately pushed Lt. Governor Bill Bolling out of the race, and left Cuccinelli unopposed this afternoon.

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News  

Undecided on your choice for Lt. Governor? Here is a recap:

It all comes down to this for the seven candidates vying for Lt. Governor on the Republican side of the ticket. A diverse and eclectic group, the only consensus about what could happen on Saturday at the Richmond Convention Center is that no one really knows.

If you are headed to Richmond and like most, somewhat undecided, here is a look back at my interviews with several of the candidates. I talked to four of the seven candidates at various times during the past year. For the other three I wasn't able to track down, I provided links to their web sites.

We will see what happens Friday.

The interviews are in chronological order.

SUSAN STIMPSON (October of 2012)

 

Our story from Decision Virginia.

PETE SNYDER (announced his candidacy on First at 4, November 2012)

 

Our story from Decision Virginia.

E.W. JACKSON (February of 2013)

 

Our story from Decision Virginia.

COREY STEWART (May of 2013)

 

Our full story from Decision Virginia.

Here are the campaign web sites for the other three candidates:

Scott Lingamfelter

Jeanmarie Davis

Steve Martin

On convention week Snyder invests in Southwest VA Business

Time is ticking away for the candidates for Lt. Governor and each is working to find the edge that will help push them to the top of the heap.

With a field that most voters are not intimately familiar with, few Republicans in the know seem willing to venture a guess as to who could come out on top. It has the air of a Papal election. A huge crowd of potential nominees, but not one person with the best chance of winning.

With jobs and the economy the top issue, Pete Snyder the well funded, well connected candidate could benefit from a well timed business announcement. Snyder, who sold his successful New Media Strategies social media marketing firm, has now gone into the investment business. His Disruptor Capital firm is designed to inject cash into emerging companies and Snyder believes he found one in Russel County, VA.

On Tuesday, Snyder announced a major investment into Bills Khakis, an American company with a manufacturing operation in Virginia. Snyder's investment will help to support 160 jobs in Russell County where LACorp, a cut and sew operation, manufactures more than 100 thousand pairs of Bills Khaki pants a year.

As part of his investment, Snyder will sit on the company's board of directors.

Snyder said the announcement on convention week was a "coincidence", the conclusion of something he had been working on for some time. But it was clear that he saw the political opportunities in presenting himself as a do-something businessman leading up to the important vote. Snyder appeared with company CEO Bill Thomas behind a podium that featured his campaign slogan "real world experience, real Virginia jobs."

Snyder has worked hard to paint himself as the alternative to Terry McAuliffe. He has gone out of his way to virtually ignore his fellow primary opponents and focus any fire he has on the Democratic nominee for governor. He set up his investment in Southwest Virginia several weeks ago with a lengthy web video that asked why McAuliffe chose to move his Greentech car company to Mississippi when high unemployment rates and need existed in parts of Virginia.

Snyder is counting on the economy being the central focus for convention voters who are largely strong social conservatives. Snyder checks all the important boxes in those categories, but is certainly positioning himself as a mainstream candidate who can compete in a general election in a very purple state. 

It has led some of his detractors to question if Snyder has the passion to pursue a strong social issues agenda that many convention goers crave.

Former Del. Tom Gear (R-Poquoson) sent out a mass email to a large group of Virginia politicos and media members comparing Snyder to Mark Warner. Gear was upset that Snyder refused to answer a questionnaire he sent to the candidates and said his lack of participation was evidence that Snyder is not as conservative as he seems. Gear received responses from only three of the seven people standing for the GOP nomination. (Lingamfelter, Davis & Stimpson)

Snyder though has racked up endorsements from important and influential conservative leaders like one time U.S. Senate Candidate Oliver North and Former Reagan Education Secretary Bill Bennett. He doesn't run from his conservative record but seems confident that jobs and the economy will continue to be the top issue, even with the far right of his own party.

As much as the GOP cares about abortion and gay marriage Snyder feels the story of an American company defying the odds will resonate with convention delegates.

"At a time when many manufacturing jobs flocked to Southeast Asia, Bills bet on the talented and hardworking people of Southwest Virginia—and the quality shows," Snyder said. "We're excited to announce this investment in a great American business and good Virginia manufacturing jobs."

Stewart works to stand out in crowded GOP Lt. Governor field

With nine candidates and an unpredictable electorate it is virtually impossible to tell who has the edge going into this weekend's Republican convention.

We know Ken Cuccinelli will end up as the nominee for Governor, but both the Attorney General's race with two established legislators competing, and the Lt. Governor's race featuring seven candidates of various stripes, will make for an interesting if not volatile Saturday in Richmond.

There is no candidate, or campaign that demonstrates that potential unpredictability better than Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart.

Stewart entered the race as an early front runner, simply based on his experience and his effort to build a statewide brand. He has flirted with statewide runs in the past. However as the field got crowded his campaign has worked hard to stand out from the crowd. In some instances that has led to positive attention, in other areas it has led to controversy.

Late last week, Stewart told me that heading into Saturday he considers himself to be the one to beat. 

"I'm clearly the front runner," Stewart said and he points to two specific examples of what has pushed him to the front of the pack.

The first is his support from The Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation and the Middle Resolution PAC, a Tea-Party related activist group based out of Richmond. The Tea Party Patriots Federation is a loosely based organizational structure of the various Tea Party groups throughout Virginia. While the Federation leadership expressed support for Stewart, each individual Tea Party group can choose to support a separate candidate if they see fit and several have.

However Stewart believes that the endorsement of this large association demonstrates his commitment to smaller government and fiscal restraint.

"People know that we have to return some fiscal sanity to the Commonwealth's budget and the Nation's," he said.

But Stewart's campaign has also had it's stumbles. The past several weeks he has been forced to beat back accusations that he was either directly or implicitly connected to a series of web attack ads against opponents Pete Snyder and Scott Lingamfelter. The source of the ads is not clear and the rumors have caught fire in the conservative blogosphere, even reaching the popular national site Breitbart.com.

Stewart emphatically denied any connection at all to the ads and said it was just another example of his detractors working to de-rail his campaign.

"We haven't attacked any of our opponents," Stewart said flatly. He went on to say that "Talk about personal attacks? The personal attacks have been more against me than anyone else."

He made it clear that he has nothing to do with the ads.

"We are not behind those ads, We wouldn't support them and at the same time I'd ask my opponents to kinda lay off me as well."

But while Stewart has denied that connection, and any connection to the mysterious group behind the ads, his story changed a bit during a candidate forum in Henrico Friday night.

Breitbart columnist Michael Patrick Leahy recounted an exchange between Stewart and Richmond Tea Party member Larry Nordvig.

Nordvig Question: "Do you agree with these ads and did you have any connection to them whatsoever for the record?"

Corey Stewart Answer: "Am I connected? Yes. I have donated money to that organization."

Nordvig Question. "At least a couple of these candidates fought against these budget increases, specifically Steve Martin...The information on the flyer is not correct so this information is misleading. Will you do the right thing and publicly condemn these ads as false?"

Corey Stewart Answer: “No, I’m not going to do it. I play hardball. This is politics.”

Leahy has statements from several people at the meeting who confirmed the exchange. Nordviq was holding up mail pieces attacking several candidates paid for by "Virginians for Limited Government".  Stewart said he donated to the group, but denied having any direct connection with the production of the mail pieces or web ads.

The candidate told me the accusations and innuendo are byproducts of his momentum going into Saturday.

"This is why I have been the subject of so many accusations and so many attacks," Stewart said. "As soon as the Tea Party endorsed me last week the knives came out. I got attacked from every sector and have been called every name in the book."

The source of the ads remains a mystery but many Republicans privately are convinced Stewart had some hand in their production. The candidate continues to deny any connection.

What the delegates believe could determine if Stewart is the actual front runner he thinks he is.

Our full interview with Stewart, including his thoughts on the future of immigration reform can be found below.

 

 

 

Cuccinelli financial report turns up questions about donor

The financial forms are in from the first quarter of 2013 and we are starting to get a sense of who is funding the campaigns of both Ken Cuccinelli and Terry McAuliffe.

There are some interesting take aways. McAuliffe has a significant Union presence on his financial disclosure report. This is not a surprise for a Democratic candidate. It is worth noting though because of Virginia's right to work status.

Three different national union organizations contributed $100,000. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, The American Federation of Teachers and the International Association of Fire Fighters. In total he took in more than a half a million from unions and their related Political Action Committees (PACs).

Of his notable donors, we told you about the $100,000 from former President Bill Clinton, but he also took in a small donation from Sandy Berger, the former Clinton staffer who pled guilty to removing documents from the National Archives.

Cuccinelli's donor base was, as expected much different than McAuliffe's. His biggest haul came from the Republican Governor's Association which ponied up $1 million, almost half of his entire report. Cuccinelli also took a $25,000 check from Foster Friess, a major conservative donor during the 2012 presidential campaign. Friess, who was a big supporter of Cuccinelli ally Rick Santorum, drew some heat when we went on cable news and said that in his day pregnancy was prevented when "gals put it (an aspirin) between their knees and it wasn't that costly."

Also in Cuccinelli's report is a $2,500 contribution from a company that calls itself "KHSE LLC". KHSE lists their address as 6915 Wolf Run Shoals Road Fairfax Station, VA. They claim to be a radio station. 

The trouble is there is no such thing as a radio station called KHSE anywhere in Virginia or Fairfax Station. Just like our look into the McAuliffe $100,000 contribution from Sungate Real Estate, KHSE is not listed as a corporation in Virginia.

A Google search of KHSE doesn't turn up much either, especially in Virginia. In fact the only KHSE listed as a radio station anywhere on the internet is a Wikipedia entry for a station that doesn't appear to be broadcasting.

According to the Cuccinelli campaign officials, much like the McAuliffe situation, it is a case of an honest mistake. In this situation, the donor provided the correct information and the campaign incorrectly assumed it was a radio station. They submitted their filing information as such.   A spokesperson for the campaign said that KHSE is actually an investment firm not a radio station. They plan to fix the filing.

However, the campaign could not provide any information as to who runs the company. It is also difficult to find any other information about KHSE the investment firm either. A google search of KHSE LLC Virginia turns up the following:

Much like our search of State Coroporation Commission Records of KHSE the radio station, nothing turned up in a search for KHSE the investment firm.

So while the Cuccinelli camp was quick to jump on an incorrect and potentially misleading item in the McAuliffe report, it appears their reports aren't completely error free either.

Both sides turn up the heat on candidate issues

The emails and press releases are flooding inboxes so fast it can lead to whip lash. Both Republicans and Democrats are working to turn up the heat on two major issues that are dogging the campaigns of the two nominees for Governor.

For Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), his problem is his connection to Star Scientific and it's CEO. The connection has led to questions about his role in the company's lawsuit against the state. It has led prominent Democrats and one candidate for Attorney General to call for him to resign as the state's top lawyer. Sen. Mark Herring, who is competing for the Democratic AG nomination along with Northern Virginia lawyer Justin Fairfax, also called for a federal investigation into Star Scientific.

Terry McAuliffe's issues derive from his investment in a green car company shortly after he lost his democratic gubernatorial bid four years ago. Questions surround McAuliffe's decision to place the company's manufacturing hub in Mississippi instead of Virginia and just how much success the company has had in producing what McAuliffe believes is the technology of the future.

As the information surrounding both of these controversies continues to trickle in, both sides have gone to creative lengths to keep the opposing candidate's flaws front and center.

Thursday morning the liberal group American Bridge released this a web video that points out Cuccinelli's connections to Star Scientific and the lingering questions surrounding the issue.

 

Much like Herring and others, the ad calls on Cuccinelli to resign from office. 

On the other side of the issue, Pete Snyder a candidate for Lt. Governor, is taking the unique approach of not attacking is fellow candidates in a crowded field for the GOP nomination or the potential nominees on the Democratic side, but instead zeroing his focus directly on McAuliffe.

Thursday Snyder, who has a business background in internet and social media marketing, launched the website: SearchingForTMac.com.

The url directs you to Snyder's web site where his team has created a list of handy search items that they use to point out flaws in the McAuliffe Greentech story. The list links to news stories critical of the McAuliffe's role in the company and asks questions about how that impacts his campaign.

Expect this type of guerrilla internet campaigning to only continue, with daily attacks on issues like these as we get closer to November.

And keep in mind we are still seven months until voters go to the polls.

Snyder goes high tech in attracting convention delegates

In a crowded field of candidates for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor, every little bit will help. Former tech entrepreneur Pete Snyder is hoping an easy to use web application will set him apart.

Snyder is the first candidate to launch an app that is designed to give attendees to the RPV convention all the tools they need to vote for Snyder at the event. It walks potential delegates through the sign up process and then with the information they input into the system, reminds them of where they need to go and do to cast a ballot for Snyder.

According to his campaign, the app will have any easy Facebook and Twitter interface and also be easy to use on mobile devices.

"Pete's not a political insider, he's a tech entrepreneur and innovator who believes in tackling problems with Big Ideas and bold solutions," said Chris Bond, Snyder's Communications Director. "This new app is just the latest way in which Pete is shaking up politics-as-usual to help grow and strengthen our party."

Snyder is a successful businessman who made his money in the tech industry and has attempted to use that expertise in has campaign. His effort to push technology has had it's hiccups. An initial introductory mass e-mail to potential supporters was meant to address each voter specifically, but in many cases the salutation was replaced with an unrecognizable code. The e-mail also pointed readers to an embedded video with our interview with Snyder where he officially announced his campaign for Lt. Governor.  In many of the e-mails the video was nowhere to be found.

Since that initial roll-out, Snyder's digital outreach has been sharp and far exceeds what basically any other campaign has attempted.

We will see if this app will help with the generally traditional group of voters that usually attend the Republican Party of Virginia's Convention.

Another Snyder note.. the Bob McDonnell ally has come out against the transportation compromise that emerged from the conference committees today. His full statement on that can be found after the jump.

Jackson hopes to break through crowded LG field

This isn't Bishop E.W. Jackson's first time on a ballot. The Chesapeake Republican has flirted with numerous political runs and actually competed in last year's GOP primary for U.S. Senate.

In a four way race, Jackson finished last. Far behind the eventual nominee George Allen and his leading challenger Jamie Radtke.

But the loss has not dampened Jackson's spirit. The conservative pastor is hoping that his position on the right of the political spectrum will help him in a convention where Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be nominated as the party's leader on the ticket.

Jackson shares many of the same views Cuccinelli does. He is pro-life, opposed to same-sex marriage and is strongly against the expansion of government.

Jackson dropped by the NBC12 studios and gave us an idea of what to expect from his campaign.

 

In addition to Jackson, former Sen. Jeannemarie Davis, Del. Scott Lingamfelter, Sen. Steve Martin, businessman Pete Snyder, Prince William Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart and Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair  Susan Stimpson will all compete for one spot May 17 & 18th at the GOP convention in Richmond.

On the Democratic side, former Obama technology czar Aneesh Chopra will compete in a primary against Sen. Ralph Northam.

*Any statewide candidate willing to participate in an interview to be featured on Decision Virginia should contact Ryan Nobles at rnobles@nbc12.com.

The field is set for RPV Convention

Ten candidates will vie for three spots on the Republican ballot for this fall's election.

Only one person, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, submitted his name to be considered for the gubernatorial nomination. That means Cuccinelli can now be considered the party's presumptive nominee.

The most competitive field is the race for Lt. Governor. Seven different candidates submitted their names to be considered for nomination. It is a diverse and broad group of candidates, not one appears to have a particular edge. It could get interesting as we get closer to convention day.

Then finally in a competition that has been set for sometime, Del. Rob Bell and Sen. Mark Obenshain will square off to receive the GOP spot on the ballot for Attorney General.

The convention will take place May 17-18 at the Richmond Coliseum.

The full list of candidates can be found below in the official release from the RPV:

Ten Candidates File For Statewide Office Nominations at 2013 RPV Convention  -- Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is sole candidate to file for Governor; will be party's nominee --

According to the Call approved by the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee on November 30, 2012 and published in the Richmond Times Dispatch on Tuesday, December 18, 2012, the deadline for candidates seeking the Republican nomination in 2013 for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General ended at 5:00 p.m. today, January 14, 2013.  Per the approved and published Call, should only one candidate properly file for an office by the January 14, 2013 5:00 p.m. deadline that individual shall be deemed the nominee of the Republican Party of Virginia.  The following candidates filed by today's deadline: Governor Ken Cuccinelli* Lt. Governor Jeannemarie Davis E.W. Jackson Scott Lingamfelter Steve Martin Pete Snyder Corey Stewart Susan Stimpson Attorney General Rob Bell Mark Obenshain Statement of RPV Chairman Pat Mullins: "I am pleased that so many candidates for Lt. Governor and Attorney General have filed to seek the Republican nomination at our state convention.  These candidates all have tremendous qualifications and all of them would make an excellent candidate in the fall. I would also like to congratulate Ken Cuccinelli on becoming our Republican nominee for Governor.  Ken is a man of principle who you never have a doubt on where he stands on the important issues facing Virginia.  I know he will continue the hard work Governor McDonnell has started to grow our economy, reform our state government, and provide greater opportunities for all Virginians.  I look forward to working with him, or nominees for Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and all of our House candidates for a united Republican victory his fall." * since Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was the only candidate to file for Governor by the deadline, he has been deemed the Republican nominee for Governor.

The Republican Governor's Association has now come out fully behind Cuccinelli. Their endorsement can be found after the jump.

Quick hits: Patrick Moran's legal trouble.. Snyder's holiday mail

Here is a look at some interesting political stories percolating in the Virginia political world:

*Rep. Jim Moran's son Patrick is in trouble again. Patrick made headlines during the election when James O'Keefe's Project Veritas caught him on a hidden camera offering up tips to commit voter fraud. Now Moran is dealing with criminal charges. He pleaded guilty to simple assault after a Washington, D.C. police officer saw him smash his girlfriend's head into a metal trash can. Moran and his girlfriend Kelly Hoffman claim the whole thing is a misunderstanding. Steve Contorno has the full story at the Washington Examiner.

*Gov. Bob McDonnell continues to be well liked by Virginians. A new poll from Public Opinion Strategies gives the governor a 67% approval rating. As Julian Walker notes in the Pilot on Politics blog, the poll represents some of the highest approval ratings of McDonnell's time as governor.

*That same Public Opinion Strategies poll shows that the 2013 race for governor is tight.  Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ken Cuccinelli (R) are locked in a statistical dead heat, with 15% of voters still undecided.

*Speaking of 2013, I bet you are hoping you start getting some mail pieces from the candidates right? Maybe not.. GOP LG candidate Pete Snyder is taking that into account as he finds a way to get his message into your mailbox without annoying you too much.

Snyder is ready to drop this mail piece which pokes fun at political mail pieces with a holiday twist. The mailer asks "What if career politicians took over your Christmas mail?" It then lines up two fictional pols with made up witty holiday "campaign" stances.

Snyder also beefs up his conservative credentials by offering voters that get the mailer a chance to scan a QR code that allows them to donate directly to Pregnancy Resource Centers of Virginia. The group is a pro-life organization designed to offer pregnant women alternatives to abortion.

Look for the Snyder mailer if you are a prime GOP voter or past delegate. The key contingent Snyder needs to attract in a crowded convention contest.

Do you know of any hot political stories that need to be reported? Send me a tip at rnobles@nbc12.com or hit me up on twitter or facebook.