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Romney gets into Virginia fight

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 23, 2009 06:59 PM

President Obama returns Tuesday to Virginia, the state he carried for Democrats for the first time since 1964, in hopes of boosting Democrat Creigh Deeds in a tight race for governor with Republican Bob McDonnell.

The very next day, Mitt Romney, a potential Obama rival in 2012, will be in the state to campaign for McDonnell.

Virginia Republicans announced today that Romney will appear with the entire GOP ticket in a series of three events Wednesday across the state designed as a final push to victory before the Nov. 3 election.

Romney, who supports GOP candidates through his Free and Strong America PAC, endorsed McDonnell and the Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, praising their "pro-growth" economic policies. The former Massachusetts governor has already visited Virginia several times this year to help Republicans raise money. If McDonnell and Bolling win, they can be expected to return the favor if Romney runs in 2012 for the GOP nomination, as he did last year.

Along with the governor's race in New Jersey and a New York congressional election, the Virginia result will be seen as a referendum on Obama.

tags Mitt Romney, Obama, Virginia

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