BREAKING: Fairfax Chamber of Commerce endorses Bob McDonnell

Northern Virginia is the area of Virginia with the largest population and is the area of Virginia which is least like the rest of Virginia due to large ammounts of non-native Virginians taking residence there. Over recent years the differences between Northern Virginia and the rest of Virginia have stuck out specifically with who they have elected into public office. With these factors coming together it has become the most highly contested area in statewide elections year after year in recent history and was a huge battleground the the 2008 Presidential election garnering multiple visits from John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden and was also the location for the National HQ of the McCain campaign. Northern Virginia has continued to be a battleground area in the 2009 Virginia elections for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General as we have seen Bob McDonnell, Creigh Deeds, and their running mates hit NOVA hard throughout this campaign. Today the most prominant business group in Northern Virginia, the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, endorsed Bob McDonnell for Governor of Virginia. This is huge for McDonnell who has been doing much better in NOVA than Deeds has. Being a huge area that has seen tons of expansion as well as addition of a large number of new businesses due to Governor George Allen's policies as that allowed the area to grow at such a large rate, this endorsment should prove to business owners and employees at all levels of business in the NOVA area that Bob McDonnell will be a Governor who looks out for the interests of businesses including the businesses in the NOVA area. In addition to the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce other business advocacy groups that have endorsed McDonnell include the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the Virginia Credit Union League, and The Virginia Association of Realtors.

Chamber Press Release:

NOVABizPAC endorses Bob McDonnell for Governor of Virginia

Endorsement strictly based on McDonnell’s support for Fairfax County Chamber’s legislative priorities and policy agenda

Published Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:00 am

by Robby Demeria>

Vienna, VA – NOVABizPAC, the political action committee of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, today announced it has endorsed the candidacy of former Attorney General Bob McDonnell in his bid to become Virginia’s next Governor.

NOVABizPAC’s trustees voted to support Mr. McDonnell’s candidacy because during this campaign he demonstrated stronger, more consistent support for the pro-business policy agenda and legislative priorities of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.

The PAC trustees made their decision following an exhaustive research and interview process, during which the records, positions and statements of the two Virginia gubernatorial candidates were closely examined. The trustees conducted face-to-face interviews with both candidates and the Chamber hosted a Governor Debate marking a two decade long tradition as northern Virginia’s premier political event.

In the interviews conducted by PAC trustees, the two candidates were asked about the priority business competitiveness issues on the Chamber’s policy agenda: improved transportation infrastructure, economic development and tax policy.

“Mr. McDonnell earned the support of NOVABizPAC because of his overall stronger support for the Fairfax County Chamber’s priorities, specifically for identifying a plan for transportation. I commend the trustees for the hard work they put into examining the records and positions of these candidates, and for their commitment to making a decision that best supports the policies of this organization and the businesses it represents,” said NOVABizPAC Chair Fran Fisher.

“I also want to thank both McDonnell and Deeds for the time and effort they put into meeting with the PAC trustees and for their cooperation in helping us reach this decision,” Fisher concluded.

Established in 1925, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce is a privately operated, nonprofit membership organization that represents northern Virginia’s premier businesses. The Fairfax County Chamber leverages its access, influence and relationships to advance the economic vitality and quality of life in the northern Virginia region. For more information about the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, visit the Chamber’s Web site at www.fairfaxchamber.org.

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