Endorsed: McDonnell for governor

Virginians will have an important choice to make in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election — and we believe the best choice is Republican Bob McDonnell.

McDonnell has built his campaign around two big issues — one that’s constantly on the minds of voters here in the Dan River Region, and a second issue that ought to be.

On economic development, McDonnell wants to do more to lure businesses to Virginia.

To make sure that’s not an empty campaign promise, McDonnell has pledged that either he or Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling would make a trip here at least once every 30 days, and that a deputy secretary of commerce would focus solely on rural economic development.

McDonnell wants a $1,000 per job tax credit for companies that create at least 50 new jobs — or 25 new jobs in economically distressed areas. That’s the kind of thinking this economically distressed community needs in Richmond.

It’s true that the Dan River Region’s leadership has worked hard to attract new jobs in manufacturing, technology, research and retail. But Danville has never matched or beaten the state’s jobless rate. That tells us that we’re dealing with a long-term problem that’s finally being addressed. It also tells us we need a strong partner in the Executive Mansion.

We’ll have that partner with Bob McDonnell.

Transportation doesn’t get the attention that it deserves here because we don’t have the traffic congestion that motorists in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads suffer through every day. But what we do have are big, uncompleted projects like improvements to U.S. 58 and U.S. 29.

If Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads don’t get the new roads and bridges they need, they could take away road construction dollars from rural Virginia. If that happens, we’ll probably never see another new road built here — and they still won’t have enough money to fix their problems.

McDonnell has proposed a detailed transportation plan that begins with making an unbreakable promise to Virginians that money used for transportation will be spent for just that purpose. All the talks, studies, debates and audits haven’t changed the fact that some money collected for transportation isn’t spent for that purpose. McDonnell understands that has to change.

We need a governor with the ability to break the legislative logjam on transportation, before it’s too late. McDonnell is the right person to do just that.

Like far too many political races, this year’s gubernatorial contest has had its share of mudslinging. Negative campaigning has a way of dulling the interest of voters who want a more focused, issues-orientated discussion. Both campaigns have done their share.

This election has also become entangled into the national political discussion. It doesn’t belong there. This is a Virginia election about Virginia issues — and Virginia’s future.

Bob McDonnell has run for governor at a pivotal time. The recession appears to be lifting, and with it comes opportunities to find new solutions to old problems. We urge the Dan River Region’s voters to put Bob McDonnell to work on those problems by electing him governor on Tuesday.