Money, Endorsements Old Pals in Va. Politics

RICHMOND -- When Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. endorsed Jon Bowerbank for Virginia lieutenant governor in the 2009 elections, the news release said just what such announcements are supposed to say: Spruill called Bowerbank the "best Democrat" to take on the incumbent. Bowerbank said he was "humbled."

Neither disclosed another aspect of their political partnership. Bowerbank, a southwest Virginia businessman, had just agreed to hire Spruill (D-Chesapeake) as a campaign consultant.

As candidates gear up for an unprecedented number of statewide Democratic primary campaigns in Virginia this year, they are in feverish pursuit of endorsements. A nod from a well-known political patron can provide important validation, especially to those who have not run statewide and are unknown in large swaths of the commonwealth.

The negotiations that surround endorsements are private affairs, and the details are generally known only to the participants. But political experts say a range of factors can help attract support -- shared views on major issues, a common political outlook, mutual friends. Another consideration, one not so often acknowledged, is money, and it has made an appearance in several of this year's Virginia races.

Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics, which studies the role of money in the political process, said a simple principle is in play: "It is the you scratch my back, I will scratch your back approach."

Money and endorsements have often mingled in politics. In Virginia, U.S. Sen.-elect Mark R. Warner, a Democrat, donated about $100,000 to state legislative candidates between 1996 and his successful campaign for governor in 2001. Former U.S. representative Tom Davis, a Republican, handed out more than $800,000 in the 10 years before his aborted bid for the U.S. Senate last year.

Businessman Paul Jost, one of the biggest GOP donors in the state, has distributed nearly $1 million to Virginia candidates since the late 1990s. When Jost ran for a vacant U.S. House seat in a special election last year, several of his beneficiaries endorsed him.

"It is not a quid pro quo," said Jost, who lost the GOP nomination. "I never gave money to someone and said, 'Hey, I will give you money if you endorse me.' But certainly life is about doing favors for people and them doing favors for you."

Bowerbank's arrangement with Spruill was not a cold monetary transaction, Bowerbank's campaign manager said. "Did Jon pay Spruill to endorse him? No," said John Paul Lupo. Lupo said Spruill was hired to help energize voters for the campaign. The campaign would not say how much Spruill will be paid.

Spruill declined to comment. But in an interview this summer, he defended the consulting venture, saying his services have value because he has "contacts all over the state."

Politicians who have sought endorsements from prominent local officials have many opportunities to open their wallets.

Bowerbank, who is making his first bid for statewide office, was not well known as a donor or fundraiser before last year. Then he began raising money for Leslie L. Byrne, who was running for Congress in Northern Virginia. Bowerbank raised $32,700 for Byrne in three months. The donations made an impression: When Bowerbank announced his bid for lieutenant governor, Byrne became the first high-profile politician to endorse him.