State GOP Rallies for Romney, Gov. Still Mum

By Hannah Hess, Virginia Statehouse News Friday, January 13, 2012

RICHMOND - The Virginia GOP establishment Thursday bestowed two more endorsements on Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, but popular Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has expressed interest in a nod for vice president, stayed on the sidelines.

McDonnell doesn’t want to be “on the wrong side of the fence,” if the former Massachusetts governor is not the eventual nominee, said Michael McDonald, a political science professor at George Mason University in Fairfax.

“I don’t see the benefit, especially (for) someone who’s been discussed as being a vice presidential nominee," McDonald said.

In August, McDonnell told Politico he would be interested in joining the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket, although he was "not looking for the call."

McDonnell press secretary Jeff Caldwell told Virginia Statehouse News on Thursday that the governor would consider the spot, if it is offered, but state issues are his primary focus.

Virginians will cast their presidential primary ballots March 6, and McDonnell has “no plans right now to make an endorsement” before or after that date, Caldwell said.

McDonnell could be a smart pick for Romney, McDonald said, because "he knows how to run a campaign based on the economy," offers conservative credentials and has a reputation for fiscal responsibility.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling has thrown his support behind Romney, saying in a statement that he would serve as the former Massachusetts governor’s Virginia campaign chairman, and he is "absolutely convinced that (Romney) is the right person to carry our party's banner into the 2012 campaigns."

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore joined the Romney camp Thursday. “No other candidate in the race has a more detailed plan to get Americans back to work or has a laid out a vision for America’s role in the world,” Gilmore said in a statement.

Bearing Drift, the popular, statewide conservative opinion blog, supports Romney as well.

McDonnell, however, still is looking carefully at all the GOP candidates and staying focused on his responsibilities as head of the commonwealth, Caldwell said.

“It’s really a calculation that you have to make, going all-in with a candidate and hoping that candidate wins,” said McDonald.

He said McDonnell’s endorsement would be useful in the general election, when Virginia is sure to be a battleground state, and choosing a candidate too soon could hurt Republican prospects.

Though Romney notched early wins in Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucus and New Hampshire’s Jan. 10 primary, he faces a socially conservative electorate in South Carolina’s Jan. 21 primary. Conservative voters helped push former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum within eight votes of Romney in Iowa, and they could make the contest close.

But, as of Thursday, Santorum’s name wasn’t an option on the Virginia ballot.

Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate, besides Romney, who met the requirements to appear on the primary ballot. State rules require that a candidate submit 10,000 signatures from registered Virginia voters, including at least 400 from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts.

Paul is an unlikely candidate for McDonnell’s endorsement.

Caldwell said the governor is leaning toward a candidate who has the title “governor,” on his resume. McDonnell said that executive experience molds a solid contender for the White House.

Paul has represented his Texas district in the U.S. House for 24 years.

A lawsuit filed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, challenging his exclusion as a violation of constitutional rights, could change the ticket in Virginia and add more candidates with executive experience. Fellow GOP hopefuls Santorum, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman have joined the lawsuit.

“Our mutual goal is to ensure that the voting rights of the citizens of Virginia are fully protected," said Bill Pascoe, executive executive vice president of Citizens for the Republic, a conservative group helping the candidates in their legal challenge.

U.S. District Judge John Gibney Jr. is expected to issue a ruling on the Virginia ballot challenge Friday.