Philip Walzer
The Virginian-Pilot
©
In the race for contributions from local businesses and executives, it's Bob McDonnell by a landslide over Creigh Deeds.
More than two-thirds of the 50 largest donations in the governor's race have gone to McDonnell, the Republican candidate. Of the nine above $25,000, two helped Deeds, the Democrat: John P. Wright, a real estate developer in Portsmouth, gave more than $58,000, and Consumer Litigation Associates, a public interest law firm in Newport News, contributed $52,400.
The top donor from the area has been J. Douglas Perry, the former chairman of Dollar Tree Stores Inc., who gave McDonnell $75,000.
The tilt to McDonnell follows established practice, said Mark Rozell, a public policy professor at George Mason University: "Generally, the business community likes less government, less regulation and lower taxes. Those are generally more Republican-leaning positions."
In addition, Rozell said, Deeds has cost himself business support by "not being clear about his transportation plans " and the role of taxes, until recently. "He has not conveyed a strong position that gives people confidence that he knows what he's doing in that area. And to a lot of businesspeople, that's a big issue."
Richard Poulson, an executive vice president at Smithfield Foods Inc., which has given $25,000 to McDonnell, echoed Rozell. "I've known Bob McDonnell since he first ran for attorney general," Poulson said. "I consider him to be the businessman's candidate. I think he will create jobs, which is what we need."
Poulson added: "I haven't quite been able to understand what Mr. Deeds' position is on tax increases. His position seems to change from meeting to meeting." Deeds acknowledged late last month that he wouldn't rule out tax increases in a transportation package.
Another Smithfield official, executive vice president Joseph Luter IV, was the largest local contributor to McDonnell, behind Perry, at $50,000. That doesn't mean Smithfield automatically backs the Republican, Poulson said.
"I gave a number of fund raisers for Mark Warner and supported him strongly," he said of the Democrat who is now a U.S. senator. "I think he was a pro-business governor."
Jared Leopold, a spokesman for Deeds, said in an e-mail that Warner and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine are examples of bipartisan, pro-business governors Deeds would emulate.
McDonnell, who has ruled out tax increases and championed his support of right-to-work laws, has won the backing of a legion of business groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business, Virginia Realtors and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce's political action committee.
The top donors list in Hampton Roads encompasses a who's who of local power brokers, including CBN founder Pat Robertson and son Timothy; Virginia Beach developer Bruce Thompson; Stihl Inc.; Amerigroup Corp. and Amerigroup's former CEO, and current state Senate candidate, Jeff McWaters. All backed McDonnell.
Among the leading Deeds supporters: Norfolk businessman Joshua Darden Jr.; Tommy Johnson Jr., chairman of the Willcox & Savage law firm; John Malbon, president of Papco Oil Co.; and Louis Haddad, president of the Armada Hoffler real estate company.
Some companies hedged their bets: Northrop Grumman donated $25,500 to McDonnell and $25,000 to Deeds.
"When we support two candidates for the same office," spokesman Bryan Moore said in an e-mail, "we do so because we believe both are running on important issues and have something valuable to offer if elected." Both "have taken time to visit and learn about our operations and meet our shipbuilders," Moore wrote.
Likewise, Wick Moorman, the CEO of Norfolk Southern Corp., gave $8,500 to Deeds and $5,000 to McDonnell. His company, however, gave overwhelmingly to McDonnell - $15,000, versus $1,000 to Deeds.
Bucking the business trend, nine of the 10 biggest legal contributors - either attorneys or firms - gave to Deeds.
Deeds "gets along with people on both sides of the aisle" and would more likely replicate the policies of Warner and his successor, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, said Norfolk attorney Peter Decker III.
Citing Virginia's top rankings in recent business surveys, Decker said, "Even though the entire country is suffering, this is the best state for business. Why mess with that?"
Decker, who said his $10,000 contribution was personal and didn't necessarily reflect the viewpoints of his law firm, scorned McDonnell's "trickle-down" economic philosophy: "People are tired of giving big tax breaks to big business in hope that working folks are going to benefit eventually down the road. It just doesn't work that way."
The campaign contribution data were gathered by Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan group in Richmond that tracks money in state politics. The statistics include donations made between Jan. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009.
Pilot news researcher Jakon Hays contributed to this story.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270,carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com
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Well, money helps to get the
Well, money helps to get the word out, but it doesn't necessarily mean a victory. I am voting for Bob McDonnell simply because I am tired of democrat governors vetoing legislation I support. Everyone has their own issues. Apparently Bob is more likely to vote in their favor by NOT raising taxes on them and letting these business KEEP the hard earned money they worked for.
DEEDS FOR GOV
Good Old Bob - If he elected not only will he close ABC stores, pollute our oceans with oil and natural gas, make us pay tolls on Interstates, but now he will be a puppet for rich people and leave us middle income and below folks paying out of our ying yang. Didn't you people learn that BUSHnomics does not work. Gee I wish there was an Independent running for Governor but I will settle for Deeds.
Define "rich"
Half of the United States population pays no income tax whatsoever. And have you ever worked for a poor person? Increase their taxes and guess where they will have to make cuts in their businesses? That's right, labor. The very people you think you are protecting are the ones that will be in the employment line. Your "trickle up" economics that Obama, Kane, and the left don't work! Just take a look at Michigan.
Who are you kidding?
You are a die-hard democrat, stop acting like you are some high-minded independent. LOL
just goes to show ya...
ya can't fool all the people all of the time. The real problem is both parties and most of all......lobbyists.
Paper Tiger
It is absolutely appalling that the HRCC business PAC endorsed and sent checks to incumbents and to some challengers who have worked against the interests of business and the citizens in regard to transportation. The Legislative arm of the Chamber of Commerce has made Transportation improvements the number one priority in its annual Legislative Package for over a decade, in concert with a similar position of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, yet the PAC gave checks to McDonnell, Purkey, Cosgrove, Stolle, and others who have absolutely refused to increase the taxes and fees necessary to resolve our transportation crisis. By supporting Chris Stolle, the challenger to Joe Bouchard, Stolle uses those funds to bash Bouchard for doing exactly what the HRCC says it wants. McDonnell pledges revenue we don't have, or is programmed for education, yet the Chamber endorses him. It is absolutely enough to make one sick of the hypocrisy.
lots of hot air
Have you finished ranting, that cut and paste anti-Repub rant of yours. Once again I fell asleep reading it. For someone so relatively small (compared to me anyway), you sure put out a huge volume of words. Yawn
Not a fanatic
I am just giving you the facts.
*Before Bush, we had cheap oil and Iran was scared of Iraq.
*9-11 happened, We still haven't caught bin laden even with the $50M price tag on his head, $2Trillion spent and 4000+ dead servicemembers.
* The same congress that impeached clinton lifted the restrictions on derviatives meant to keep us from financial ruin.
* Look at CDC and Jones institute data, abortions fell more during clinton years than bush years, in fact in 2003, they spiked up a tad. Abortion has more to do with economics than ramming religion down people's throat. Almost all women want to keep their babies, abortions are generally a last ditch decision. What I don't get about the evangelical right is that they don't adopt all these kids themselves. It seems only the white ones get adopted.
*After Bush, we still have expensive oil. The expensive oil & getting rid of Saddam helped Iran get the Bomb faster.
* we need to question everything we are told. The republicans, esp Bush seem to be helping the terrorists, (get rid of saddam, raise oil prices helps, this financial debacle helps not hurts the terrorists)
In fact, I am not brainwashed at all, I read the facts.
political wannabe
Alex, by your massive number of posts, you must be one of those politican wannabes like HenryR and little Mike Barrett. Your tediously long diatribes do not make you right.
How things change yet they remain the same!
Bush...and his crew screwed up the Middle East. Now Obama is following in his foot steps. One would think before you go to war or continue a war you would have a strategy in place! The more things change the more the remain the same!