Bob McDonnell

Bob McDonnell
Governor of Virginia
Incumbent
In office
January 16, 2010 - Present
Term ends
2013
Years in position	3
Party	Republican
Predecessor	Tim Kaine (D)
Compensation
Base salary	$175,000
Elections and appointments
First elected	November 3, 2009
Campaign $	$29,850,503
Term limits	No consecutive terms
Prior offices
Attorney General of Virginia
2006-2009
Virginia House of Delegates
1992–2006
Education
High school	Bishop Ireton High School (1972)
Bachelor's	University of Notre Dame (1976)
Master's	Boston University (1981); Regent University (1989)
J.D.	Regent University (1989)
Personal
Birthday	June 15, 1954
Place of birth	Philadelphia, PA
Profession	Attorney
Websites
Office website
Personal website
Campaign website

Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell (born June 15, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is the 71st and current Governor of Virginia. McDonnell, a Republican, assumed office on January 16, 2010 after winning election on November 3, 2009. He defeated state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) to win the seat. McDonnell previously defeated Deeds for the post of Attorney General in 2005.

In mid-August, 2011, McDonnell was named chairman of the National Governors Association, replacing Texas Governor Rick Perry.

He has also served in the Virginia House of Delegates for the City of Virginia Beach from 1992 to 2005, and was Attorney General of Virginia from 2006-2009.

McDonnell was considered to be a possible candidate for Mitt Romney's choice of a vice-presidential candidate in 2012, but ultimately was not selected.

Virginia governors are barred from serving consecutive terms and thus McDonnell is not running for re-election in 2013.

Biography

Moving with his father's Air Force career, Bob McDonnell was born in Philadelphia, moved to Virginia a year later, and spent several years in Germany in his childhood. During his own time in the U.S. Army, McDonnell would again he stationed in Germany.

Bob McDonnell is a 1972 graduate from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He later received a B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1976, which he attended on a ROTC scholarship. He went on to receive a M.B.A. from Boston University in 1980, and a M.A./J.D. from Regent University. McDonnell served in the U.S. Army for twenty-one years, and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After leaving active duty in 1981, he joined American Hospital Supply Corporation.

McDonnell was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1992, and has held the positions of Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Courts of Justice Committee. In addition, he served on the Committees on Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the Rules Committee.

Education

• M.A./J.D., Regent University, 1989
• MSBA, Boston University, 1981
• B.B.A, Notre Dame, 1976
• Bishop Ireton High School, 1972

Political career

Governor of Virginia (2010-Present)

McDonnell was first elected Governor of Virginia in 2009 and assumed office on January 16, 2010. His current term ends in 2013 and he is prevented from running for a second term in office. The term limits Virginia imposes on its governors are more strict than any other state in the country: under the commonwealth's constitution, no governor may serve back-to-back terms. This means that McDonnell, unlike other governors in their first term, is ineligible to run for re-election until a full term has passed.

Bob McDonnell's swearing-in ceremony on January 16, 2010

Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")

McDonnell has opposed the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care overhaul known as Obamacare since its passage in December 2009. He supported efforts by Republican attorneys general (including his successor as attorney general Ken Cuccinelli) to have it repealed in the U.S. Supreme Court, and when the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the reform bill, McDonnell maintained his fighting stance in two ways: By pledging to forgo federal funding for Virginia in the short term to expand medicaid, and by reiterating his intentions to establish a Virginia-specific health care exchange system rather than participate in the federal health care exchange. (The exchange is "an online marketplace through which people can shop for health insurance provided by the law.") The results of the general election on November 6, 2012, however, induced McDonnell to give up the latter fight. In light of President Obama's re-election and Democrats control of the Senate, McDonnell conceded that since "the federal health-care law, it looks like now, it will go into effect,” his continued resistance to entering Virginia into the federal health care exchange program was no longer worthwhile. He said he would now support Virginia's participation in the federal exchange, adding that the law allowed for a two year window for retreating to a state-centric system. Despite pressure from liberal healthcare reform advocates to also reverse his position on the medicaid expansion, McDonnell remains unwilling to participate, believing that the federal government will ultimately have to renege on its promise to pay for the added recipients.

Abortion bill

In February 2012, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a controversial "informed consent" abortion bill that requires women to undergo an ultrasound before getting an abortion. The ultrasound would determine the fetus' gestational age. Del. David Englin strongly opposed the legislation, warning "this bill will require many women in Virginia to undergo vaginal penetration with an ultrasound probe against their consent in order to exercise their constitutional right to an abortion, even for nonsurgical, noninvasive, pharmaceutical abortions."

The bill, having passed the Virginia State Senate two weeks earlier, was sent to McDonnell who initially indicated he would sign the legislation into law. But the legislation captured the attention of the nation. It drew criticism from across the country, was satirized on the popular late night comedy show Saturday Night Live, and drew a large crowd to the state capitol in Richmond for an impromptu protest. Opponents sent a petition with 33,000 signatures urging the governor to veto the bill. McDonnell changed his position on the legislation, withdrawing his support and stating "Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. I am requesting that the Virginia General Assembly amend this bill to explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily."

McDonnell signed an amended version of the bill on March 7, 2012. According to the Washington Post, "the version McDonnell signed says invasive ultrasounds are voluntary and exempts women who have reported to law enforcement agencies that they are victims of rape or incest." The new legislation takes effect July 1, 2012.

Pension fund

McDonnell unveiled a plan in late December 2010 that would have all employees, new and current, contribute 5 percent of their pay to their retirement. At that time, McDonnell outlined that he would give them a 3 percent salary increase. “This is a start for fixing the pension system that has been out of whack for years and years. I will not pass on a broken system to another governor,” McDonnell said.

The governor's plan could leave employees with a cut in take-home pay. At least one employee group voiced concern. The Virginia Government Employees Association is pleased that McDonnell is making an effort to return the retirement system to sound financial footing, but it is not happy with what it perceives as a reduction in pay for members. “We have deep concerns about his proposal to have current state employees begin contributing 5 percent of their salary to the retirement system," VGEA said in a statement release after the governor's announcement. "While the governor is attempting to keep employee salaries whole in the proposal, he relies on a potential pay bonus using year-end savings in the state budget to do so. The net effect is that without the bonus, state employees could face a pay cut amounting to a little over 2 percent."

Virginia energy

Virginia was one of the states preparing to engage in offshore drilling and when President Obama put the moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill disaster in 2010, Gov. McDonnell was vocally upset. “We didn't give up when we had the Challenger disaster in the space program or when we had nuclear meltdowns on Three Mile Island. We did what Americans always do in making progress — we found solutions and moved forward. But this is probably going to slow us down,” the governor said.

McDonnell held a conference with nearly 800 leaders from the energy industry in October 2010, "The Governor's Conference on Energy," to tout his message that Virginia will be the energy capital of the East. “I’ve been a very strong proponent of using all of Virginia’s resources — coal, natural gas, oil, wind, nuclear, offshore-gas, oil, wind alternatives – all of these are a part of our quest for independence,” McDonnell told WTOP radio spring 2010. McDonnell has also indicated favor towards nuclear power; as of October 2010, Virginia has two nuclear power plants in Surry County and Louisa County. McDonnell says he wants to add more: “Lynchburg, Va. can be the nuclear capital of America,” McDonnell told Virginia Statehouse News. “It’s clean — very few environmental concerns. Since the meltdown at Three-Mile Island, there have been tremendous technological advancements made. I think it’s a huge part of America’s future."

Freezes and bonuses

McDonnell handed out a one-time bonus to state employees in 2010, but said they should not expect a permanent raise. State employees received a 3-percent bonus in late November 2010, their first pay boost of any kind in three years. The day before the bonus distribution, McDonnell applauded President Obama’s two-year freeze of federal worker’s wages and said the tough economic times call for austerity. “We got a $13.5 trillion national debt. Everybody understands now, federal spending is out of control. We’ve got to be able to rein things in,” McDonnel said on WTOP radio. "I think it’s a prudent step. It’s a good start, but they got to do a whole lot more than that if they want to get this budget deficit under control and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington.”

Transportation

One of Gov. McDonnell’s key issues has been Virginia transportation. In December 2010, McDonnell told the Governor’s Transportation Conference that he will spend $400 million on road construction immediately and ask to borrow nearly $3 billion more. “The more we build today, the better deal we provide to our citizens,” he told the gathering of lawmakers and highway industry representatives.

McDonnell said he would take advantage of the low highway-construction costs in late 2010 to early 2011. He planned to ask the General Assembly to pour money into the state’s transportation funding. The governor said the state has dropped the ball on transportation funding and indicated he intends to make that up with several measures. The transportation budget has been cut multiple times in the years before McDonnell was inaugurated, totaling $6 billion in cuts, McDonnell said.

“Over the past two decades, state support for transportation has not kept up with our growth as a Commonwealth. This has led to more congestion, longer commutes and missed economic opportunities, McDonnell said. McDonnell intends to infuse a transportation infrastructure bank with cash, specifically $150 million from the budget surplus and $250 million from an audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation.

$3 billion proposal

As part of his budget amendments, McDonnell said he wanted to help pay for $4 billion in new transportation spending by issuing $3 billion in bonds. A majority of the new bonds McDonnell suggested were already approved in 2007, but had yet to be sold. He hope was to raise $1.8 billion within three years by selling those bonds at twice the speed: $600 million per year instead of the original $300 million per year. “I don’t think that selling bonds that are already authorized, and are already built into our existing debt capacity models, getting the best deals in modern Virginia history and putting thousands of Virginians to work while doing it, should be that controversial,” McDonnell said.

Most legislators seemed to agree, but they were confused about the governor's wish to raise $1.1 billion by issuing a type of bonds called GARVEE bonds that are paid by the federal government to help fund pre-approved transportation projects.

Controversies

Star Scientific

It was reported in April 2013 that the FBI was investigating whether McDonnell violated any laws by allowing Star Scientific to pay $15,000 for food and flowers at his daughter's 2011 wedding, which was held at the governor's mansion. When asked why he did not report the spending on his finance reports, McDonnell said the donation was a gift to his daughter, and per state law only gifts to officeholders have to be reported.

The investigation of McDonnell is an offshoot of an investigation of securities transactions involving Star Scientific. The company, run by Jonnie R. Williams Sr, produces a dietary supplement called Anatabloc. Williams and Star Scientific have donated over $120,000 to McDonnell and his political action committee, along with other perks including allowing McDonnell to stay at Williams's lake house.

Meanwhile, McDonnell and his wife have promoted Anatabloc and other products made by the company. According to Todd Schneider, former chef to the governor, McDonnell "[promoted] Star Scientific products, including the introduction of Anatabloc (a food supplement) to MCV doctors at a lunch Todd Schneider cooked at the mansion on Aug. 30, 2012." (Schneider, it should be noted, is currently facing charges of stealing food from the governor's mansion.) Additionally, McDonnell's wife Maureen spoke at a seminar for scientists and investors in Florida three days before her daughter's wedding, where she spoke in support of Anatabloc.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who also has ties to Williams, appointed the Richmond commonwealth's attorney, Mike Herring, to act as special prosecutor in the case.

Taxpayer money for personal items

In June 2013, The Washington Post reported on their Freedom of Information Act request detailing records of personal expenses covered by the state of Virginia for McDonnell and his wife during their 3 1/2 years living in the executive mansion. The records show that during their first six months the couple billed numerous items to taxpayers that they shouldn't have, including deodorant, shoe repairs and dry cleaning for their children. They were asked to pay back the state $317.27, which they did, and reminded what is and is not covered. Since then, however, the couple has continued to charge personal items to taxpayers. The extent is unclear as the state only released 16 sales receipts, mostly from 2011. Along with this, records show that they also used state employees to run personal errands for them and their children.

Attorney General of Virginia (2006-2009)

McDonnell won election as the Attorney General of Virginia in 2005, narrowly defeating state Senator Creigh Deeds by just 323 votes.

Virginia House of Delegates (1992-2006)

McDonnell was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1992 and served seven terms representing the 84th District. He served as chair of the Courts of Justice Committee, co-chair of the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, and as Assistant Majority Leader.

Issues

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Bob McDonnell endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2009

In 2009, McDonnell defeated state Sen. Creigh Deeds to win Virginia's gubernatorial election. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave McDonnell substantial support, giving $972,877 to his campaign. Four year prior, the Chamber had given $400,000 towards Republican Jerry Kilgore’s failed bid for governor.

Governor of Virginia, 2009
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bob McDonnell	58.6%	1,163,651
	Democratic	R. Creigh Deeds	41.3%	818,950
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	2,502
Total Votes				1,985,103

2005

In 2005, McDonnell ran for Attorney General of Virginia. The first result showed him with a victory of 323 votes, out of over 1.9 million votes cast, over opponent Creigh Deeds. Deeds went on to file for a recount, which began on December 20, 2005. After preliminary figures revealed 37 additional votes for McDonnell, Deeds conceded, giving McDonnell a 360 vote margin of victory.

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for McDonnell is available dating back to 1999. Based on available campaign finance records, McDonnell raised a total of $29,850,503 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 8, 2013.

Bob McDonnell's Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2011	Governor of Virginia		$18,705
2009	Governor of Virginia		$24,049,371
2005	Virginia Attorney General		$5,527,568
2003	VA House of Delegates		$141,067
2001	VA House of Delegates		$113,792
1999	VA House of Delegates		$0
Grand Total Raised			$29,850,503

2001-2009

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Bob McDonnell's donors each year. Click [show] for more information.

Bob McDonnell's Campaign Contributions
	2009 Governor of Virginia		2005 Attorney General of Virginia		2003 Virginia House of Delegates District 84		2001 Virginia House of Delegates Distroct 84
Total Raised	$24,049,371		$5,527,568		$141,067		$113,792
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$17,087,760		$3,020,413		n/a		n/a
Top 5 contributors	Virginia Republican Party	$2,704,349	Republican State Leadership Committee	$2,083,500	Virginia Bankers Association	$3,500	Lindl Corp	$6,500
	Republican National Committee	$2,253,500	Virginia Conservative Action PAC	$252,609	Tidewater Builders Association	$3,500	Davis Wetlands Bank LLC	$4,500
	Republican Governors Association	$1,984,339	Republican National Committee	$96,537	Dominion	$3,000	Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association	$2,500
	US Chamber of Commerce	$972,877	M. G. Pat Robertson	$55,000	Virginia Dental Association	$3,000	Virginia Bankers Association	$2,500
	McDonnell for Virginia	$484,443	Virginia Republican Party	$51,101	Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association	$3,000	Homebuilders PAC and Reeves Mahoney	$2,250 each
Individuals	$9,489,806		$1,279,341		$18,403		$24,537
Institutions	$7,962,143		$3,678,163		$122,005		$88,875
In-state donations	$14,313,289		$3,017,798		$121,417		$102,782
Out-of-state donations	$8,850,159		$2,479,760		$19,650		$11,010

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "Bob + McDonnell + Virginia + Governor"

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Bob McDonnell News Feed

• Bob McDonnell, Virginia Gov., Billed Taxpayers For Sunscreen, Dog Vitamins ... - Huffington Post
• Virginia governor billed taxpayers for sunscreen, dog vitamins -report - Reuters
• Bob McDonnell: Virginia Governor Illegally Charges Deodorant to Taxpayers - PolicyMic
• Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's Spending Scandal Gets Worse - Opposing Views
• Virginia Governor Spent Tax Payer Dollars on Body Wash and Dog Vitamins - In The Capital
• Report: Va. Gov. McDonnell, wife billed taxpayers for personal items - WTOP
• Energy Drinks for Breakfast? Governor Bob McDonnell Says Yes - Washingtonian.com (blog)
• Virginia Gov. Uses Taxpayer Dollars To Pay For Detox Cleanses, Dry Cleaning - TPM
• Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell Used Taxpayer Dollars For Personal Use - RTT News
• Gov. Bob McDonnell Refuses To Comment On Grand Jury Probe - TPM

Personal

McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have five children.

See also

• Governor of Virginia
• Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
• Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling
• Portal:Elections
• Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

External links

Suggest a link

• Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell Official state site
• Official campaign website
• Profile at Facebook
• Profile at Twitter
• Biography at the National Governors Association
• Summary, biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Campaign contributions at Follow The Money
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Appearances on Charlie Rose
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal
• Profile at Notable Names Database
• Profile at Wikipedia

References

Political offices
Preceded by '	Virginia House of Delegates 1991-2005	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by '	Attorney General of Virginia 2005-2009	Succeeded by Bill Mims
Preceded by Tim Kaine (D)	Governor of Virginia 2010-present	Succeeded by NA