McDonnell kicks off gubernatorial campaign Saturday

RICHMOND

Having already secured the Republican nomination for governor and raised more than $3 million for his campaign, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell will tend to a more basic political task starting this weekend.

He plans to travel the state to announce his candidacy.

"I'm going to run a positive, optimistic campaign," he said in an interview Thursday. "I'll speak to the dreams and aspirations of the people of the state: expanding jobs; keeping taxes, regulation and litigation low; strongly supporting right-to-work laws; improving transportation; expanding colleges and junior colleges."

Voters will have to wait to find out how McDonnell plans to do many of these things. He plans to roll out policy papers later.

He pledged to make Virginia "the easiest place to go into business in the country" by establishing a process in which all necessary permits can be obtained in 48 hours.

McDonnell, 54, represented Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates for 14 years before becoming attorney general in 2006. He'll be returning to his old stomping ground Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. rally at Princess Anne High School.

That will be one of four stops he'll make Saturday. He's also scheduled to announce his candidacy in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Roanoke. He'll make eight other stops across Virginia during the following three days.

McDonnell was unopposed for the GOP nomination. He has been able to organize and raise money this year while three Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls - state Sen. Creigh Deeds, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, and former Del. Brian Moran - embroil in a tough June 8 primary campaign.

McDonnell opposes federal legislation that would end requirements that union certification votes be conducted by private ballot. He criticized the Democratic hopefuls for not opposing a union effort to allow the certification votes to be cast on check-off lists.

"One of the goals of unions is to end right-to-work," McDonnell said, referring to a state law th at bars compulsory membership in unions.

"I trust business leaders," he said.

During his political career, McDonnell worked to ease business regulations, combat Internet pornography, and reform welfare and the juvenile justice system.

He has also promoted a socially conservative agenda that Democrats plan to criticize during the general election. McDonnell has consistently backed efforts to restrict abortions and to define marriage as between a man and a woman. He received his law degree at Regent University, founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.

"He spent more time on issues that divide us than those that can bring us together," said Richard Cranwell, chairman of the state Democratic party and a former state delegate who served with McDonnell.

McDonnell was raised in Mount Vernon, about a mile from the home of George Washington. He's lived in Richmond for the past three years and has five children.

Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com