The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Following in the footsteps of several predecessors, Attorney General Bob McDonnell said Tuesday that he is resigning his elected post this month to concentrate on the 2009 governor's race.
McDonnell, a former House of Delegates member from Virginia Beach, announced his plan to resign Feb. 20 in an e-mail sent Tuesday morning to employees in his office. He later talked with his staff and reporters. He leaves with roughly one year remaining on the four-year term he was elected to in 2005.
"It's now time for me to dedicate myself full-time to the mission and the effort ahead of me," McDonnell said Tuesday, adding that it would be inappropriate to work as a part-time attorney general while campaigning.
"For 32 years, I've been a public servant. I've been an Army officer, a prosecutor, a legislator, attorney general," he continued. "And now I'm interviewing for a new job for the people of Virginia. And that is to be the next governor of Virginia."
McDonnell has tapped Chief Deputy Attorney General Bill Mims as his chosen successor.
Mims, a former legislator from Leesburg, needs General Assembly confirmation to assume that role. Several legislators said they didn't anticipate any efforts to obstruct Mims' ascent.
"I don't know anybody that has an objection to Bill," said Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw. "He's very bright, balanced and level-headed."
Mims was largely mum in public Tuesday, other than to say that he thought his outgoing boss is "the best attorney general in the history of Virginia" and that he has "enormous shoes to fill."
In stepping down, McDonnell is continuing a tradition observed by past Republican and Democratic Virginia attorneys general who have left office in the final year of their term to run for governor. The most recent example was Jerry Kilgore, who left office in 2005 to concentrate on his gubernatorial bid.
"The office is a very difficult job. It demands a full-time attorney general to do the hard work that's required," McDonnell said.
McDonnell, 54, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination and is the party's presumptive nominee. A social and fiscal conservative, he is an Army veteran with roots in Northern Virginia and South Hampton Roads. Before being elected attorney general in 2005, he served 14 years in the House of Delegates.
He previously had been a prosecutor for the Virginia Beach commonwealth's attorney. He received his law degree from Regent University and had been a partner in the law firm of Huff, Poole and Mahoney.
As the GOP nominee, McDonnell will likely face in November one of three Democrats competing for their party's nomination: state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath; former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe; and Brian Moran, a former state delegate from Alexandria.
"The end of the General Assembly session is generally the time that the campaign for governor heats up in earnest, and I want to be prepared for that," McDonnell said.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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cFred
Quite the opposite. This is a gentleman who truly understands the value of public service above self. This is not a “power grab” as you describe. It is an honorable man who seeks to serve the people in the best way possible, free from a diminished commitment to his current elected position. Would YOU leave a job with no guarantee of another? What a breath of fresh air, contrary to our career politicians in office.
So much for his pledge to serve the Commonwealth
If Attorney General McDonnell is being so honorable, as some here seem to believe, what happened to his pledge to serve the Commonwealth to the best of his ability for the duration of the term for which he was elected? He has one of the most important legal roles in our state government. Yet apparently he's willing to throw that over, and abdicate his responsibility to complete his term and serve the AG's office, the state and its citizens in his quest for higher office. That tells me all I need to know about this so-called man of character. He's only as reliable as his next grab for power.
Not fit to be elected Dog Catcher
Bob McD bent over backwards supporting a mammoth tax increase and unelected, unaccountable and unconstitutional transportation board. He's exactly the kind of RINO who's a cancer eating away at the Republican party (as are Ken Stolle and Sal Iaquinto). So no thanks Mr. McD ... if I wanted my taxes raised I can just vote for a Democrat. In fact, I intend to do just that. Because until the GOP quits rewarding these RINO's with money and support, we'll never get back to core conservative principles such as lower taxes and limited government.
"carpetbaggers"?
Republicans don't mind carpetbaggers. They ran Ollie North for office.
Well, Bob McD will be right there as the lawyer who said it was constitutional for unelected officials to raise taxes on the citizens of VA, back in the roads bill imbroglio.
No brainer here
McDonnell will likely face in November former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who appears poised to play the "you take my job and I'll take yours" switcheroo game with good ole Timmy Kaine. One carpet bagger wanting to trade for another's job, all at the expense of the citizens of the commonwealth.
No thanks. I will gladly vote for McDonnell. HE will serve Virginia, his home, very well.
How's this?
"We need progressive thinkers who will look for ways to solve our problems, not the same old cut taxes and do nothing.
Our schools are begining to fail. We are cutting needed programs for our students."
Here is a truly progressive thought: Why don't we dissolve the Dept of Education and send ALL that money directly to the states? Any functions presently handled by the DOE can be folded into agencies like HUD or Health and Human Services for dispensing college aid and other responsibilities, as well as ensure that the states do indeed spend all such monies on education. Anybody who cares to research can make the correlation between the establishment of the DOE (under that paragon of competence, Jimmy Carter) and the steady erosion of educational standards and abilities of too many of this nation's students since then. Getting rid of all that overhead that the DOE sucks up is an idea long overdue for implementation.
I would be honored to call him Governor ...
Bob McDonnell truly is a man of great integrity, and I would be honored to call him the Governor of Virginia. He is not like other politicians, and definitely nothing like our current Governor. I agree with the other comments. Governor Kaine should quit his part-time job as governor of Virginia and devote his time serving Obama and his interests. Kaine certainly has never been focused on our interests. Go, Bob, our next Governor!!
jimb40389
what color is the sky in your world?
Wow, that was so "out there", I had to ask.
Be well.
who is brainwashed by whom?
Jm69288, I’m not nearly as brainwashed by them as you are by Keith Olbermann, Howard Dean, and Clinton Cable News. I work for a living; therefore I do not listen to Limbaugh, Hannity, or O’Reilly. Besides, I am fully capable of finding the truth about democrat hypocrisy for myself. It’s the same old garbage that comes from the gutter of the liberal think-tank.
Jimb40389, our government run schools have been failing for years and years. Look who runs these institutions of indoctrination; the ultra-liberal union NEA. Liberal fiscal policy does nothing to help the American worker. You want to talk about obstructionists??? Look no further than your liberal pals in congress. You want to pay more taxes??? You go right on ahead, but leave me out of it. I’m tired of my hard earned dollars going to a bunch of slack-jawed leaches.
Support the Democrats
No matter it be for governor, or any state office, we need to get the obtructionist Republicans out of government.
Their policies of cutting taxes, increase spending, and ignoring the infastructure of the state now have us in this budget crisis.
We need progressive thinkers who will look for ways to solve our problems, not the same old cut taxes and do nothing.
Our schools are begining to fail. We are cutting needed programs for our students.
Our roads and highways are unsafe, bridges unsafe, and the bay is in trouble.
Let's elect Democrats who will work to solve problems and not go around spouting things like drill, baby drill when we need to be looking for energy alternatives.