Bob McDonnell stops in Danville to thank area supporters

Fulfilling a promise to return to Southside, Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell stopped in Danville Saturday night to thank the local supporters that helped him win a landslide victory last month.

A crowd of about 50 supporters, including Delegates Danny Marshall, R-14th District, and Don Merricks, R-16th District, and Pittsylvania County GOP Chairman Ronnie Mayhew, applauded McDonnell at the Courtyard Marriott.

“Let me say a hearty ‘thank you,’” McDonnell said. “…This was the most organized grassroots effort in the history of Virginia. It was a first-class effort, and at the end of the day it was a good, solid conservative message.”

McDonnell said he was eager to get started in Richmond and invited his supporters to join him Jan. 16 for his inauguration.

“I’m looking forward to looking at new ways to do things,” he said of balancing Virginia’s looming budget. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to think big.”

McDonnell will return to Danville Wednesday with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and other staff members to fulfill another campaign promise — being on the ground in Southside once a month to begin discussing how to revitalize local economies and create jobs.

“This chronic double digit unemployment rate in Southside is unacceptable,” he said. “…It’s got to be reversed. We will begin to both listen to the citizens about what’s been going right, what’s been going wrong, and begin to outline some of the things that I plan to do during this session of the General Assembly.”

The Gov.-elect also weighed in on the seven-way Republican fight in the 5th District to challenge Democrat Rep. Tom Perriello in 2010, scoffing at the idea of a split between Republicans and conservatives.

“(The 2009 election) was a great example of how unified we really are,” McDonnell said. “…I don’t see any split. I see nothing but unity.”

McDonnell said he met with all seven candidates Saturday morning in Charlottesville and emphasized the need for “a better representative” in Congress.

“We’ve got some very good people, and I’m gonna let that process take its course,” he said. “Whoever wins the primary, I’ll be 110 percent behind … I think it’s important to take back the Congress.”