Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell was named chairman of the Republican Governors Association on Monday, giving him a greater platform to raise funds, network and garner national attention should he choose to run for higher office.
The new role will generate more attention for McDonnell, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate. He said he intends to complete his term as governor but that he would be willing to serve on a 2012 presidential ticket if asked.
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“I’m not campaigning for it. I’m not lobbying for it. I’m not asking for it. I’m not expecting it all,’’ McDonnell said during an interview in Richmond. “All I’ve said is, if any governor in America gets a call from a candidate [who] says, ‘Hey, I’d like you to help my ticket. Would you be on it?’ I’d say, sure, I’d think about it.”
McDonnell’s new post, which he is expected to hold through 2012, pits him against Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a rising star in Democratic circles who serves as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.
Their success will be tied not only to state budgets and legislative sessions but to the wins and losses in gubernatorial races across the nation. Four states — West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi — hold elections in November. Eleven states have elections in 2012.
During his tenure, O’Malley has sought to toughen up the association, using sharper rhetoric than his predecessors. He is critical of GOP gubernatorial candidates and regularly takes aim at what he calls “a new group of tea-partying, FDR-hating Republican governors.”
McDonnell said he plans to promote policies that have worked in Virginia — where the Senate is controlled by Democrats and the House is led by Republicans — and showcase examples of successes from the 29 Republican governors across the country.
“I see my style being the same that it has been for 20 years in office — being a spokesman for the conservative principles I hold dear,’’ said McDonnell, whose gubernatorial term runs through January 2014. “I’m going to be talking about problem-solving and examples of leadership, but I probably am not going to be much of an attack dog.”
The dominance of Democrats in Maryland has given O’Malley considerably more latitude than some of his association predecessors in making the case against Republicans. He has singled out several GOP governors during appearances around the country but has steered clear of deriding McDonnell. In fact, in February, when O’Malley delivered his first keynote speech as chairman to a Democratic dinner in Virginia, his most pointed criticism was of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
McDonnell said that he and O’Malley get along well — working together on everything from Metro and criminal-justice issues to the Chesapeake Bay — and he doesn’t expect that to change, although he said the two disagree on taxes, regulation and unions.
O’Malley aides also say the governors have forged a productive relationship. Although Maryland and Virginia compete for jobs, their markets are affected by many of the same regional issues, including federal government employment and contracting, so the two governors share some policy interests.
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