The Republican party’s broom swept victors into the state’s three top offices and a new face into the House of Delegates
Published: November 11, 2009
By Melody Kinser
The Republican party’s broom swept victors into the state’s three top offices and a new face into the House of Delegates.
Bob McDonnell led his party on Tuesday, Nov. 3, by overwhelmingly defeating Creigh Deeds 1,163,499 to 818,876 to become the 71st governor of Virginia. Statewide, 2,513 write-in votes were cast. Unofficial results were posted on the Virginia State Board of Elections Web site, http://www.sbe.virginia.gov.
Mechanicsville’s own Bill Bolling returns to the office of lieutenant governor with a convincing win — 1,106,648 to 850,072 — over Jody Wagner. Write-in votes totaled 1,580. In January, Bolling will start his second term in the state’s second highest office.
Ken Cuccinelli makes his way into the attorney general’s post McDonnell left to seek the commonwealth’s top office by beating Steve Shannon 1,123,991 to 828,668. There were 1,771 write-in votes..
In the 55th District House of Delegates race, Ashland businessman John Cox handily bested Democrat Robert Barnette 20,622 to 6,597 to replace outgoing Del. Frank D. Hargrove Sr. Eighty-six write-in votes were tallied in that race.
Christopher K. Peace, R-97, who ran unopposed, received 20,910 votes, while 460 write-in votes were submitted.
Unofficial results for Hanover County from the Virginia State Board of Elections were:
Governor — McDonnell, 26,401; Deeds, 8,180; write-in, 46.
Lieutenant Governor — Bolling, 25,402; Wagner, 9,014; write-in, 45.
Attorney General — Cuccinelli, 26,038; Shannon, 8,304; write-in, 43.
House of Delegates, 55th District — Cox, 20,622; Barnette, 6,597; write-in, 86.
House of Delegates, 97th District — Peace, 6,026; write-in, 123.
Last Wednesday morning, Bolling said he was “very pleased with the outcome of the election. It is very gratifying to see how the people of Virginia responded to our positive message and our issues oriented vision for the future of Virginia.”
Saying that residents “know that these are challenging times in Virginia,” Bolling said “they are looking for leaders that offer solutions to the challenges facing our state. That’s what we did. We didn’t try to tear our opponents down. Rather, we talked about what we were going to do to get the economy moving again and create jobs, restore fiscal responsibility to state government, and solve other important issues liked education, transportation and health care. That’s the kind of leadership the people of Virginia were looking for, and that’s the kind of leadership we offered.”
He said he has enjoyed serving as lieutenant governor the past four years, but is “really looking forward to the next four years. Working with a Republican governor will give me a greater opportunity to be directly involved in the executive management of the state. The governor-elect has already said that my primary responsibility will be to oversee Virginia’s economic development and job creation efforts, and I think I am uniquely suited to do that.”
“Getting the economy moving again is clearly the most important issues facing our state today,” Bolling said, “and I’m looking forward to playing a leadership role in that effort.”
He also extended a thank you to “all of my friends in Hanover County for their strong support. They gave me about 73 percent of the vote on Tuesday, and I appreciate that very much. If it hadn’t been for the support of my Hanover friends I would never have had the opportunity to serve in state government. I’m very grateful to them for the confidence they have placed in me over the years.”
An elated Cox said last Wednesday that he was “very humbled and extremely proud to accept the will of the people of Hanover County who have entrusted me with their representation in Virginia’s House of Delegates.
“I am grateful for their faith in my ability to represent their wishes and I will be forever mindful that this is the seat of all of the people of Hanover County and I sincerely thank each of those that have endowed me with their trust. Those that did not, I would only hope that they now will give me an opportunity to earn their confidence going forward,” he said.
Cox talked about the support he received throughout the campaign and election, saying, “Obviously, this win would not have been possible without the strong support of those local leaders that gave their endorsements, their time, and particularly those that have lead and served on my Campaign Committee. I have truly been blessed with broad based support throughout the 55th District in which after all of the votes were tallied, I won every precinct with a substantial margin. What an honor.”
When he was considering a run for the delegate’s seat, Cox said he sought input from his family. Daughters Holly and Natalie, he said, “were quick to lend their support. But, it simply wouldn’t have been possible without my teammate, my bride of 30 years. I am so proud of my family and Dottie and the sacrifices they all made in order to make this a reality.”
Cox said he views the victory “as a win for prudent, principled and limited government for the citizens of our Commonwealth. Even larger than that, this win with a statewide Republican sweep is a loud message to those inside the Washington beltway that the ]change’ being forced upon us at the federal level is not the change we want here in Virginia.
We are not socialists, we seek to continue self-government by the people, for the people.
“Citizens in Virginia cry out for limited government, not big government and higher taxes. Virginians need jobs, not federal handouts of borrowed billions of dollars that our children and grandchildren will be left to pay for in years to come. It’s inexcusable to shift this tremendous debt onto the backs our kids of today and, yes, even those yet to be born.”
The newly-elected delegate plans to use his business experience in Richmond to work on what he calls the difficult problems. He said he will work with McDonnell, Bolling and Cuccinelli “and all of those regardless of party affiliation that want a return to government by the people and for the people.”
Hanover County Voter Registrar Robert Ostergren said on Wednesday that the General Election went off without any significant problems or issues.
“Considering the fact we used electronic poll books for the very first time, overall, it worked OK. Election officials ere new to it, but it still worked relatively well.”
“Overall,” Ostergren said, “it worked pretty fair.”
