McDonnell tours shops in Staunton

STAUNTON — Following a weekend surge in the polls, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell on Monday reaffirmed his support for small businesses by visiting a host of them on Staunton’s Beverley Street.

A poll by The Washington Post gave McDonnell a 7-point lead over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds among Virginia registered voters and 15 percent among those certain to vote.

A former House delegate and attorney general from Virginia Beach, McDonnell downplayed his cushion, saying, “I’m running like I’m 10 points behind.”

Citing statistics that say small business accounts for three-fourths of jobs created in the state, McDonnell said his goal Monday was to listen. During his recent tour of the commonwealth, McDonnell said small-business owners told him they are having to make tough decisions about their employees.

“They feel government is doing very little for small business and the entrepreneur,” he said. “They think government is too often a roadblock not a partner.”

McDonnell vows he would keep taxes and regulation low, and would promote a right-to-work environment.

While McDonnell toured about 10 Beverley Street businesses before heading to Charlottesville on Monday afternoon, the Democratic Party of Virginia questioned McDonnell’s support for small business.

Democrats said McDonnell had voted to cut funds for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund when he served in the Virginia General Assembly. The fund is used to recruit business and industry to Virginia.

The Democratic Party also criticized McDonnell’s support of President George W. Bush’s economic policies, and his plan to give a tax credit for every 50 jobs created. Deeds has said he will offer a tax credit for each job created.

McDonnell has praised Bush for tax cuts that he thinks helped revive the U.S. economy and for keeping the country safe.

“Democrats are in a tough spot,” McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said. “Their candidate, Creigh Deeds, is far, far behind in the polls. And last week Creigh made clear he will raise the gas tax on Virginians if elected. While Creigh was talking about raising taxes, Bob McDonnell was getting the endorsement of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, with over 147,000 members statewide. When you step back and look at the race it’s really not hard to understand why Democrats have to resort to tired old attacks. They don’t have anything positive to say about their own candidate.”

Deeds spokesman Jared Leopold said Deeds “has the best vision of moving Virginia forward and the best record of supporting Virginia businesses.” He also said Deeds supports Virginia’s right-to-work law.

Virginia is one of 22 states where right-to-work laws bar agreements between unions and employers that make union membership or payment of union dues a condition of employment.

While the Shenandoah Valley has traditionally been a red area, McDonnell is taking nothing for granted in this fall’s gubernatorial race, said James Madison University political scientist Bob Roberts.

“He has a substantial lead and he wants to hold it,” said Roberts, who is surprised Deeds has not spent more time in the Shenandoah Valley.

Deeds has spent time in both Southwest and Southside Virginia, but has yet to make a campaign push through the Valley.

“Expect to see Creigh in the Valley shortly,” Leopold said.

McDonnell was accompanied on his Beverley Street tour Monday by 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., House 20 Del. Chris Saxman and Republican House 20 candidate Dickie Bell.