State Senator Ralph Northam (D- Norfolk) is a soft spoken physician who doesn't appear to have the killer instinct that might be necessary to win state wide office.
But the respected legislator is taking a shot at the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor. He will face off against former Obama Technology Chief Aneesh Chopra on June 11th.
In a race that will more than likely have extremely low turnout, especially without a contested race at the top of the ticket, Northam is looking for anything to distinguish his campaign. He was boosted this weekend by an endorsement from the Washington Post editorial board.
In 2009, Sen. Creigh Deeds's campaign for Governor took off after the Post endorsement. He went on to secure the nomination ahead of Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran.
Much like the rest of the Democrats running statewide, Northam is looking to distinguish himself dramatically from the conservative Republican ticket, in particular Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Northam is using his medical expertise to tout his pro-choice position and believes the platform of the Lt. Governorship can provide him the opportunity fight to keep abortion legal and accessible in Virginia.
We recently conducted an extensive interview with Sen. Northam where we talked about his legislative career, his goals for the office of Lt. Governor and the minor controversy he was involved in a few years ago where it was rumored he was considering a switch to the Republican party.
You can see the full interview, uncut below.
You can learn more about Sen. Northram's campaign on his web site.
Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring (D) finds himself with an important responsibility leading into the 2013 election. It is a job he was given with the hope that he can review the situation without involving politics at all.
Herring, a Democrat, and a well respected prosecutor has been asked by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to review Governor Bob McDonnell's link to Star-Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. The Richmond Times-Dispatch discovered the request and this afternoon the AG's office confirmed that the request was made in November of 2012.
McDonnell has been under fire because of his connections to Williams and because of thousands of dollars in gifts the CEO gave to his family but that McDonnell never disclosed. State law requires public officials themselves to disclose when they recieve gifts, but it does not require an official's family to do so as well.
What remains a mystery is exactly what Herring is looking for and what could emerge from his investigations. Democrats have long implied and in some cases outright accused both the Governor and the Attorney General of providing Williams special treatment. The two have vehemently denied those charges.
It is also not clear when Herring will reveal his findings. Whatever the outcome it promises to play an important role in the 2013 gubernatorial election. If Herring finds unethical or even criminal behavior in either officials, it will double down the attacks Democrats have been making for several months. However, if the Democrat discovers that the two did nothing wrong it has the potential to mute the charges and take that weapon out of the campaign arsenal of the Terry McAuliffe campaign.
What everyone is hoping for is some degree of clarity. Did McDonnell and Cuccinelli do something wrong and if so what if any punishment should they get?
The answer could go a long way into deciding who Virginia's next governor will be.
The statement on the investigation from the Attorney General's office can be found after the jump:
Very few people expected E.W. Jackson to be the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, as a result it was difficult to predict how his roll out would go over. In the first 48 hours Democrats have worked hard to use Jackson and his many past statements as a way to double down on the narrative that the GOP has nominated a ticket to the far right of the political spectrum.
Republicans weren't expecting Jackson, but no one associated with the campaign is working to push him to the sidelines. All of his former Lt. Governor rivals have gotten behind his campaign. The candidate that he was down to the final two with, Pete Snyder, appeared with a Jackson sign in hand at an event with the new ticket in Fairfax.
Jackson is well liked by those who know him, but his powerful and often controversial speaking style is clearly going to be a problem for the Republican ticket. It is something only Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, the man jilted by the party, is willing to say publicly. In a statement provided to NBC12, Bolling called Jackson's past statements a problem.
"Bishop Jackson is certainly entitled to his
views, but you should be able to express your views without insulting people," Bolling said.
"And some of the things he has said are simply indefensible."
(Bolling's full statement can be found after the jump)
Meanwhile, the GOP ticket continues to move along as a united front. The impact the surprise nomination of Jackson will have, yet to be determined.
Here is my story for NBC12:
RICHMOND (WWBT)- Just two days after his surprise
nomination, the Republican Party of Virginia's candidate for Lt. Governor is
already steeped in controversy! Bishop E.W. Jackson was considered a long shot among a
field of seven candidates. Now some controversial
statements from his past are dominating the headlines.
Bishop Jackson is known
for his fiery speeches and rock ribbed conservatism. That combination is
leading to headaches for the Republican Party of Virginia.
E.W. Jackson is a man who quickly makes
an impression.
"Will you fight with
me?" Jackson asked to loud cheers at the Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
He convinced more than
half of the delegates in attendance he was worth fighting for.
Now, 48 hours into his
time on the ticket we are learning more about just who Jackson is. Back in
February he told me how he planned to use the office of Lt. Governor.
"It is a platform to
try and inspire and unify people to rally our citizens around some commonly
held beliefs," he said.
A Harvard educated lawyer,
Jackson is a pastor and an honorably discharged marine. But he has unvarnished
views many topics. For instance in appearance on former Saturday Night Live
star Victoria Jackson’s conservative talk show, Jackson questioned President Obama’s
faith.
"The idea that
president obama is a Christian is laughable," said Jackson, to which the
host responded
"Thank you! I keep
saying that!" He has been especially
critical of Planned Parenthood and in particular their work in black communities.
"Planned Parenthood
has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was," Jackson
said in a YouTube video.
He has also been
especially critical of homosexual lifestyles in his defense of same sex
marriage.
Lt. Governor Bill Bolling,
a Republican who holds the job Jackson wants, said in a statement to NBC12 that
many of Jackson's public statements were "insulting" and "simply
indefensible."
As news of his nomination
broke, national political web sites became flooded with old YouTube clips and
transcripts of Jackson's past statements. It became perfect fodder for bloggers
looking for clicks.
But Republicans plan to
stick by their choice, hoping he can overcome the negative press and re-create
the excitement he generated Saturday where he said to loud cheers:"I am not an
African-American, I am an American!"
And have it propel him to
victory in November.
One man who
hasn't wavered on Jackson's spot on the ticket is his running mate Ken Cuccinelli.
The GOP nominee for Governor called Jackson a "powerful voice" for
the Republican Party.
You can see Bill Bolling's entire statement on both Jackson and the RPV convention after the jump:
In an unlikely turn events, Bishop E.W. Jackson a Harvard educated honorably discharged Marine and pastor from the Hampton Roads area turned back six other candidates to become the GOP candidate for Lt. Governor.
He will run along side gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli and Attorney General nominee Mark Obenshain.
Jackson sprinted out to an early lead in the balloting after delivering an electrifying speech. But as the balloting went on, he seemed to be losing steam as Northern Virginia businessman Pete Snyder began to coalesce support from the delegates who had previously supported other candidates.
Snyder was the last man standing against Jackson going into the final ballot, but after a strange turn of events lost steam. A series of flyers were distributed throughout the building that said Snyder was endorsed by several people who he was apparently not supported by.
Jackson then marched around the Coliseum with Corey Stewart who made it into the final three, but did not make it on to the final ballot. From there Jackson overwhelmed the final vote to become the first African-American nominee by the Virginia Republican Party since they picked Maurice Dawkins in 1988. He eventually lost to Chuck Robb.
The Cuccinelli- Jackson- Obenshain ticket has the potential to be one of the most conservative in Virginia political history. While Jackson and Obenshein have their own records to present it starts at the top of the ticket. This afternoon Ken Cuccinelli did not run away from his conservative credentials but he made an effort in his speech this afternoon to step out from behind the sterotype democrats are ready to paint him with.
Here is my story for NBC12:
RICHMOND (WWBT)- Ken Cuccinelli took his critics head on, claiming those who call him extreme are ignoring a record of positive accomplishments. This crowd of 8 thousand agreed, and he is now the party's nominee for the state's top job.
It was just a formality, but it is now official.
"So I humbly stand before you this morning to accept your Republican nomination in the race to be the 72nd Governor of this great Commonwealth," said Cuccinelli to loud cheers.
He is a man who built his career by fighting for conservative causes. He stood by those convictions, but today made the pivot to a candidate ready to create jobs and grow the economy.
"A stronger economy that can produce new jobs for the thousands who are currently out of work,” he said. “And to be clear, we should be trying to create those jobs right here in Virginia. Not in Mississippi or in China."
He spent plenty of time knocking his opponent Terry McAuliffe and his business record and his career as a political operator. Outside of the Richmond coliseum, McAuliffe's defenders like Democratic Party Chair Charniele Herring said that Cuccinelli can talk jobs all he wants, but she fears it is not the kind of governor he will really be.
"Ken Cuccinelli has an extreme ideological agenda when it comes to women's reproductive health care," she said.
After his speech, Cuccinelli told me one on one that he would not pursue any new legislation as governor when it comes to abortion, but instead protect the laws the currently exist. He said he has nothing to hide.
"They (voters) will have very clear idea of what to expect from a Cuccinelli governorship. Just like my last four races,” he said. “What you see is what you get."
And now Virginia voters will be the ones who get to take that information and make their decision.
Virginia Republicans chose to decide their nominees through this convention which drew a little more than 8 thousand voters, instead of a primary which had the potential to draw from tens of thousands. That decision is what ultimately pushed Lt. Governor Bill Bolling out of the race, and left Cuccinelli unopposed this afternoon.
The 2013 campaign for governor of Virginia has been as much about the candidates defining their opponents as it has about creating an image for themselves.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli spent much of his 2013 convention nomination speech talking about his goal of making life easier for businesses to grow and thrive. He also compared that promise to his opponent Terry McAuliffe's business record and in particular his decision to open a green car company in Mississippi.
"He dropped us like a hot
brick for Mississippi moola - Mississippi tax money," Cuccinelli said of McAuliffe. "And now he can't keep his story straight about why he
abandoned Virginia."
But while Cuccinelli talked jobs and the economy protestors outside the Richmond Coliseum worked to paint the GOP nominee as an extremist, hellbent and rolling back access to abortion.
“Ken Cuccinelli’s
extreme Tea Party rhetoric should remind Virginians of the singular focus of
his career: outlawing a woman’s right to make her own decisions,” said Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Charniele Herring.
But backstage after his acceptance speech concluded, Cuccinelli, who only briefly mentioned abortion in his speech, said his administration won't make abortion a central focus of his administration.
"I am not going to persue anything new," Cuccinelli said. "Our focus is going to be on jobs and the economy."
I specifically asked about personhood, the controversial legislation that came close to passing the General Assembly in 2012. If it were to become law, it would designate human life as beginning at conception. Democrats have pointed to personhood as a something Cuccinelli would advance from the Governor's mansion.
Cuccinelli told me that he won't propose new laws related to abortion.
"It will be important to protect what we have," he said.
In the past two years in the General Assembly has passed several laws related to abortion. One set new stricter standards for abortion clinics, another required women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound before getting the procedure.
It is clear this won't end the debate over abortion, but it shows the position the GOP nominee hopes to stake out leading into November.
It has been a slow drip of attacks for the last several weeks, fueled by stories Terry McAuliffe wrote about his life in politics in is book "What A Party."
Sites like BuzzFeed have posted several of the anecdotes like the one where McAuliffe talks about leaving his wife in the delivery room after the birth of one of their children and other stories that show the former DNC Chair's drive to raise money for his team at all costs.
BuzzFeed even went as far as to take excerpts of his audio book and turn them into short clips for people to listen to McAuliffe himself telling the story.
Republicans have had a field day with the material, sending it around to anyone who might be interested.
For the most part the McAuliffe campaign has remained quiet in the face of the onslaught, but tonight McAuliffe's wife Dorothy, who is at the center of much of the controversy, released a statement that was a powerful defense of her husband.
Mrs. McAuliffe said that she helped her husband write the book and that the stories show his sense of humor.
She also compares his record to the GOP nominee Ken Cuccinelli when it comes to women and claims that Cuccinelli is the candidate women should fear.
Here is her full statement:
"I am surprised that Ken Cuccinelli and his
spokespeople have latched on to a few anecdotes from Terry's book in response
to the incredible support Terry is getting from women across party lines in his
campaign for governor. Terry and I had a lot of fun writing the book; it was a
great opportunity to relive some of the experiences we’ve had in our over 25
years together. While politics has become a negative and cynical business
for some, Terry has used his humor, good cheer and innate optimism over many
years to find ways to work with others to get things done.
"The truth about Terry is that he is a wonderful husband and a great
father -- he is supportive, devoted, and caring. I have always stood beside
him, and he has always stood beside me.
"Anyone who knows Terry knows he is someone who respects women and the
role we play in today's world -- and nobody knows that better than me. My
husband's opponent is underestimating the women of Virginia if he thinks he can
distract us from the real issues that affect our lives and the lives of our
daughters. While Terry has always been there for me, I can stand on my
own two feet and say that Mr. Cuccinelli should know that he will have me to
answer to if he wants to intrude on our family life for political
attacks." - Dorothy McAuliffe wife of Terry McAuliffe
The statement from Mrs. McAuliffe comes on the heels of a big roll out by the Democratic campaign zeroing in on McAuliffe's support by women. A rescent poll has McAuliffe in the lead with women, but several others have shown the women vote up for grab. McAuliffe and his team are continuing to push Cuccinelli's position on abortion in the hopes it will fire the female vote up come November.
Cuccinelli senior advisor Chris LaCivita responded to Mrs. McAuliffe's statement. "With all due respect, those aren't our
words," he said. "Those are Terry's words in his own voice."
It all comes down to this for the seven candidates vying for Lt. Governor on the Republican side of the ticket. A diverse and eclectic group, the only consensus about what could happen on Saturday at the Richmond Convention Center is that no one really knows.
If you are headed to Richmond and like most, somewhat undecided, here is a look back at my interviews with several of the candidates. I talked to four of the seven candidates at various times during the past year. For the other three I wasn't able to track down, I provided links to their web sites.
Time is ticking away for the candidates for Lt. Governor and each is working to find the edge that will help push them to the top of the heap.
With a field that most voters are not intimately familiar with, few Republicans in the know seem willing to venture a guess as to who could come out on top. It has the air of a Papal election. A huge crowd of potential nominees, but not one person with the best chance of winning.
With jobs and the economy the top issue, Pete Snyder the well funded, well connected candidate could benefit from a well timed business announcement. Snyder, who sold his successful New Media Strategies social media marketing firm, has now gone into the investment business. His Disruptor Capital firm is designed to inject cash into emerging companies and Snyder believes he found one in Russel County, VA.
On Tuesday, Snyder announced a major investment into Bills Khakis, an American company with a manufacturing operation in Virginia. Snyder's investment will help to support 160 jobs in Russell County where LACorp, a cut and sew operation, manufactures more than 100 thousand pairs of Bills Khaki pants a year.
As part of his investment, Snyder will sit on the company's board of directors.
Snyder said the announcement on convention week was a "coincidence", the conclusion of something he had been working on for some time. But it was clear that he saw the political opportunities in presenting himself as a do-something businessman leading up to the important vote. Snyder appeared with company CEO Bill Thomas behind a podium that featured his campaign slogan "real world experience, real Virginia jobs."
Snyder has worked hard to paint himself as the alternative to Terry McAuliffe. He has gone out of his way to virtually ignore his fellow primary opponents and focus any fire he has on the Democratic nominee for governor. He set up his investment in Southwest Virginia several weeks ago with a lengthy web video that asked why McAuliffe chose to move his Greentech car company to Mississippi when high unemployment rates and need existed in parts of Virginia.
Snyder is counting on the economy being the central focus for convention voters who are largely strong social conservatives. Snyder checks all the important boxes in those categories, but is certainly positioning himself as a mainstream candidate who can compete in a general election in a very purple state.
It has led some of his detractors to question if Snyder has the passion to pursue a strong social issues agenda that many convention goers crave.
Former Del. Tom Gear (R-Poquoson) sent out a mass email to a large group of Virginia politicos and media members comparing Snyder to Mark Warner. Gear was upset that Snyder refused to answer a questionnaire he sent to the candidates and said his lack of participation was evidence that Snyder is not as conservative as he seems. Gear received responses from only three of the seven people standing for the GOP nomination. (Lingamfelter, Davis & Stimpson)
Snyder though has racked up endorsements from important and influential conservative leaders like one time U.S. Senate Candidate Oliver North and Former Reagan Education Secretary Bill Bennett. He doesn't run from his conservative record but seems confident that jobs and the economy will continue to be the top issue, even with the far right of his own party.
As much as the GOP cares about abortion and gay marriage Snyder feels the story of an American company defying the odds will resonate with convention delegates.
"At a time when many manufacturing jobs flocked to Southeast Asia, Bills
bet on the talented and hardworking people of Southwest Virginia—and the
quality shows," Snyder said. "We're excited to
announce this investment in a great American business and good Virginia
manufacturing jobs."
With nine candidates and an unpredictable electorate it is virtually impossible to tell who has the edge going into this weekend's Republican convention.
We know Ken Cuccinelli will end up as the nominee for Governor, but both the Attorney General's race with two established legislators competing, and the Lt. Governor's race featuring seven candidates of various stripes, will make for an interesting if not volatile Saturday in Richmond.
There is no candidate, or campaign that demonstrates that potential unpredictability better than Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart.
Stewart entered the race as an early front runner, simply based on his experience and his effort to build a statewide brand. He has flirted with statewide runs in the past. However as the field got crowded his campaign has worked hard to stand out from the crowd. In some instances that has led to positive attention, in other areas it has led to controversy.
Late last week, Stewart told me that heading into Saturday he considers himself to be the one to beat.
"I'm clearly the front runner," Stewart said and he points to two specific examples of what has pushed him to the front of the pack.
The first is his support from The Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation and the Middle Resolution PAC, a Tea-Party related activist group based out of Richmond. The Tea Party Patriots Federation is a loosely based organizational structure of the various Tea Party groups throughout Virginia. While the Federation leadership expressed support for Stewart, each individual Tea Party group can choose to support a separate candidate if they see fit and several have.
However Stewart believes that the endorsement of this large association demonstrates his commitment to smaller government and fiscal restraint.
"People know that we have to return some fiscal sanity to the Commonwealth's budget and the Nation's," he said.
But Stewart's campaign has also had it's stumbles. The past several weeks he has been forced to beat back accusations that he was either directly or implicitly connected to a series of web attack ads against opponents Pete Snyder and Scott Lingamfelter. The source of the ads is not clear and the rumors have caught fire in the conservative blogosphere, even reaching the popular national site Breitbart.com.
Stewart emphatically denied any connection at all to the ads and said it was just another example of his detractors working to de-rail his campaign.
"We haven't attacked any of our opponents," Stewart said flatly. He went on to say that "Talk about personal attacks? The personal attacks have been more against me than anyone else."
He made it clear that he has nothing to do with the ads.
"We are not behind those ads, We wouldn't support them and at the same time I'd ask my opponents to kinda lay off me as well."
But while Stewart has denied that connection, and any connection to the mysterious group behind the ads, his story changed a bit during a candidate forum in Henrico Friday night.
Breitbart columnist Michael Patrick Leahyrecounted an exchange between Stewart and Richmond Tea Party member Larry Nordvig.
Nordvig Question: "Do you agree with these
ads and did you have any connection to them whatsoever for the record?"
Corey Stewart Answer: "Am I connected? Yes. I have donated money to that
organization."
Nordvig Question. "At least a couple of these candidates fought against
these budget increases, specifically Steve Martin...The information on the
flyer is not correct so this information is misleading. Will you do the right
thing and publicly condemn these ads as false?"
Corey Stewart Answer: “No, I’m not going to do it. I play hardball. This is
politics.”
Leahy has statements from several people at the meeting who confirmed the exchange. Nordviq was holding up mail pieces attacking several candidates paid for by "Virginians for Limited Government". Stewart said he donated to the group, but denied having any direct connection with the production of the mail pieces or web ads.
The candidate told me the accusations and innuendo are byproducts of his momentum going into Saturday.
"This is why I have been the subject of so many accusations and so many attacks," Stewart said. "As soon as the Tea Party endorsed me last week the knives came out. I got attacked from every sector and have been called every name in the book."
The source of the ads remains a mystery but many Republicans privately are convinced Stewart had some hand in their production. The candidate continues to deny any connection.
What the delegates believe could determine if Stewart is the actual front runner he thinks he is.
Our full interview with Stewart, including his thoughts on the future of immigration reform can be found below.
