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Bob McDonnell
Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell (born June 15, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the 71st 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 had previously defeated Deeds for the post of attorney general in 2005.[1]
In mid-August 2011, McDonnell was named chairman of the National Governors Association, replacing Texas Governor Rick Perry.[2]
He has also served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2005 and was Attorney General of Virginia from 2006 to 2009.
An analysis of Republican governors by Nate Silver of the New York Times in April 2013 ranked McDonnell as the eighth-most conservative governor in the country.[3]
Virginia governors are barred from serving consecutive terms; thus, McDonnell did not run for re-election in 2013. Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe won the election against Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R).[4]
Biography
McDonnell graduated 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 an ROTC scholarship. He went on to receive an M.B.A. from Boston University and an M.A. and J.D. from Regent University. McDonnell served in the U.S. Army for 21 years and he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After leaving active duty in 1981, he joined American Hospital Supply Corp.[1]
Noteworthy events
Star Scientific
In 2014, a jury found McDonnell guilty of conspiring to take cash and gifts from the owner of Star Scientific in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement. On August 28, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court granted McDonnell's request to remain out of prison while his lawyers appealed his guilty verdict and two-year prison sentence for corruption. The justices overruled, without comment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit order that McDonnell report to prison during the appeal process.[5]
The high court began hearing the case in April 2016.[6] On June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed with McDonnell's assertion that the jury was given incorrect instructions regarding what constituted an "official action," and accordingly vacated the charges against the former governor. The case was remanded to the Fourth Circuit Court to consider McDonnell's conviction in light of the new definition of an official act provided by the Supreme Court in the opinion.[7][8]
The U.S. Justice Department announced on September 8, 2016, that they would not re-try the case. "After carefully considering the Supreme Court’s recent decision and the principles of federal prosecution, we have made the decision not to pursue the case further," said a statement from the department.[9]
Political career
Governor of Virginia (2010-2014)
McDonnell was first elected Governor of Virginia in 2009 and assumed office on January 16, 2010. His term ended on January 11, 2014. He was prevented from running for a second term in 2013 by term limits: under the commonwealth's constitution, no governor may serve back-to-back terms.
Issues
Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")
McDonnell opposed the Affordable Care Act (also 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. When the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the reform bill, McDonnell pledged to forgo federal funding for Virginia in the short term to expand Medicaid and reiterated his intentions to establish a Virginia-specific health care exchange system rather than participate in the federal health care exchange.[10])
However, after President Obama's re-election in 2012 and with the Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, McDonnell conceded that since "the federal health-care law, it looks like now, it will go into effect,” his resistance to entering Virginia into the federal health care exchange program was no longer worthwhile. He said he would 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.[10]
Abortion bill
In February 2012, the Virginia House of Delegates passed an informed consent abortion bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion. The ultrasound would determine the baby's gestational age. Delegate David Englin 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."[11]
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.[12] Opponents of the bill sent a petition with 33,000 signatures urging the governor to veto the bill.[13] 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."[13]
McDonnell signed an amended version of the bill on March 7, 2012. According to the Washington Post, "the version McDonnell signed said invasive ultrasounds were voluntary and exempted women who have reported to law enforcement agencies that they are victims of rape or incest." The new legislation took effect July 1, 2012.[14]
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. McDonnell was ranked number 31. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[15][16]
Attorney General of Virginia (2006-2009)
McDonnell won the election for Attorney General of Virginia in 2005, defeating state Sen. Creigh Deeds by just 360 votes.[17]
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.
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 years prior, the Chamber had given $400,000 towards Republican Jerry Kilgore’s failed bid for governor.[18]
| 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.[19]
| Attorney General of Virginia, 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Robert F. McDonnell |
50% | 970,886 | |
| Democratic | R. Creigh Deeds | 49.9% | 970,563 | |
| Write-In | Various | 0.1% | 1,801 | |
| Total Votes | 1,943,250 | |||
| Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have had five children.
See also
- Governor of Virginia
- Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
- Former Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling
- Portal:Elections
- Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Executive actions:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Governor Bob McDonnell, " Biography," accessed May 6, 2013
- ↑ Politico.com, "McDonnell takes to national stage," August 15, 2011
- ↑ New York Times, "In State Governments, Signs of a Healthier G.O.P.," April 16, 2013
- ↑ Politico, Terry McAuliffe edges Ken Cuccinelli; Chris Christie coasts, November 6, 2013
- ↑ Governing.com, "Court Grants Ex-Gov. McDonnell Freedom While Corruption Case Continues," September 1, 2015
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Scalia's death could affect McDonnell's prospects, Va. congressional map," February 14, 2016
- ↑ VirginiaBusiness.com, "Supreme Court reverses federal corruption convictions of former Gov. Bob McDonnell," June 27, 2016
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, McDonnell v. United States, decided June 27, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Justice Department dropping corruption case against Bob McDonnell," September 8, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Washington Post, "Virginia Gov. McDonnell favors federal health care exchange for Obamacare," November 9, 2012
- ↑ David Englin.org, "Englin statement on legislation requiring vaginal penetration ultrasound prior to many abortions," February 13, 2012
- ↑ The Guardian, "Virginia governor Bob McDonnell in U-turn over controversial abortion bill," February 22, 2012
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 PublicBroadcasting.net, "Virginia Gov. shifts on abortion bill; revised measure," February 22, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post, "McDonnell signs bill requiring ultrasounds before abortions," March 7, 2012
- ↑ The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Historical Elections Database," accessed June 11, 2021
- ↑ Old Dominion Watchdog: "Out-of-state donors pour into Virginia," June 28th, 2010
- ↑ NYTimes.com: "A Virginia Recount Would Not Come Soon," November 8th, 2006
| 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 2010-2014 |
Succeeded by Terry McAuliffe |
 |
State of Virginia Richmond (capital) |
|---|---|
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