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Will Bill Bolling Run for VA Governor?

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling tells dinner guests to "save the date" for a March 14 announcement. Speculation is running high on a potential independent bid for Virginia governor.

 

Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe could get some company in the race for governor of Virginia. 

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, told a dinner crowd Wednesday night in Richmond to save March 14 for a big announcement, the AP reports

Bolling, currently serving his second term as lieutenant governor, decided to quit the Republican race for Virginia governor after conservatives loyal to his intraparty rival, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, took a majority of seats on the state GOP's central committee and opted for a closed nominating convention instead of an open primary.

"[Bolling] has been very successful in staking out positions that have gotten him a lot of attention this year," Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told the Washington Examiner, in a report published Sunday. "If Bolling is planning on not running, it doesn't seem likely he'd be nearly this visible."

Bolling, 55, and his wife have two sons and live in Mechanicsville, a suburb of Richmond. He is a vice president of a Virginia insurance company.

A Jan. 9 poll by Quinnipiac University showed Bolling garnering 13 percent of the vote for Virginia governor with Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe getting 34 percent each. The election is in November. 

Cuccinelli, 44, a resident with his wife and seven children of Nokesville announced his bid for governor nearly a year ago. 

Democrat McAuliffe, 56, a resident with his wife and five children of McLean, threw his hat in the ring Nov. 8. McAuliffe, former head of the Democratic National Committee, owns an electric car company.

He ran an unsuccessful bid to be the Democratic nominee in 2009 but lost to Creigh Deeds. Deeds lost the general election to Republican Bob McDonnell.

What's your prediction for the Virginia governor's race?  

Related Topics: Bill Bolling and VA Governor's Race

JimWoods

1:45 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

As an independent, I do not plan to vote for Cuccinelli. The effort by Virginia Republicans to attack individual rights, related to abortion and church-state separation issues, make them wholly unacceptable in government.

However, Democrats make themselves equally odious in their attacks upon individual rights related to taxation, property rights, and economic regulation.

I will not let vile Republicans and Democrats turn me away from voting. Further, I encourage like minded independents to consider voting against both parties.

Reply

Sally Singer Brodsky

4:20 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Oh dear! If this man runs he'll split the "rational" vote and pave the way for Cuccinelli!

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Ronald Sarson

12:21 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Bolling has really gone off the deep end lately. I don't know if he is mentally ill or becoming senile. He is certainly finished as a Republican. He could switch parties, perhaps.

Reply

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