Ag Secretary Matt Lohr heading to Farm Credit of the Virginias

Virginia's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services <a href="http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about/commissioner.shtml">Matt Lohr</a> of Rockingham County, who was appointed by Governor Bob McDonnell in 2010, announced today that he <a href="http://augustafreepress.com/matt-lohr-leaving-state-post-farm-credit-virginias/">would be leaving the administration</a> in December to take a job with Farm Credit of the Virginias.<br /><br />Lohr, 42, who served in the House of Delegates for the 26th House District from 2005 until his appointment as Ag Secretary, operates a 250-acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley. On Tuesday, he announced the career change on Facebook:<br /><blockquote>Serving as Virginia’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services these past four years has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life. After much prayerful consideration, I announced today that I will be stepping down in December as Governor Bob McDonnell’s administration draws to a close. I am very excited to be joining the good folks at Farm Credit of the Virginias as director of the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. Here I will have the opportunity to build relationships and serve as a resource for all types of farmers. I will also be able to work from Harrisonburg, which will allow me the chance to be at home much more for my two children.<br /><br />It has been a wonderful opportunity working in state government over the last eight years. I will always be grateful for the experiences I have been given and I look forward to working hard for Virginia agriculture in the private sector!</blockquote>Best wishes to Secretary Lohr.

26th House District Augusta Free Press Bob McDonnell Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Farm Credit of the Virginias House of Delegates Lynn R. Mitchell Matt Lohr Republican Virginia Ag Secretary Matt Lohr heading to Farm Credit of the Virginias

Virginia's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr of Rockingham County, who was appointed by Governor Bob McDonnel...

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Bolling's Va Mainstream Project PAC taps 6 candidates for HoD support

In the second wave of flexing his political muscle, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling's <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/2013/05/15/bolling-announces-formation-of-the-virginia-mainstream-project/">"Virginia Mainstream Project"</a> (VMP) has made six more political endorsements backed with financial support and radio campaign ads leading into contested primaries on June 11.<br /><br />With the goal of electing mainstream, conservative Republicans to public office, <span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">VMP announced it had endorsed </span></span></span>the following candidates for their Virginia House of Delegates races, some who are being challenged by tea party or Ron Paul candidates and are in particularly contentious contests:<br /><blockquote>- House District 15 – <a href="http://www.delegatetoddgilbert.com/">Delegate Todd Gilbert</a><br />- House District 28 – <a href="http://www.williamjhowell.org/">Speaker Bill Howell</a><br />- House District 29 – <a href="http://www.beverlysherwood.com/">Delegate Beverly Sherwood</a><br />- House District 33 – <a href="http://www.joetmay.com/">Delegate Joe May</a><br />- House District 54 – <a href="http://bobbyorrock.net/">Delegate Bobby Orrock</a><br />- House District 85 – <a href="http://www.scotttaylorva.com/">Mr. Scott Taylor</a></blockquote>In addition to financial support, 60-second radio ads have been purchased and are airing for <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/2013/06/05/radio-ad-for-delegate-bobby-orrock/">Orrock</a> and <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/2013/06/05/radio-ad-for-delegate-beverly-sherwood/">Sherwood</a>.<br /><br />This is on the heels of VMP's endorsement and financial support to <a href="http://johncosgrove.org/">Delegate John Cosgrove</a> who was successful in his May 9 firehouse primary seeking the Republican nomination for the 14th Senate District.<br /><br />Bolling has stepped to the plate with his PAC, his experience, his reputation, and his willingness to endorse candidates interested in effective, common sense governing. That includes a pro-business attitude, fiscal responsibility, and a willingness to work toward searching for bi-partisan, pragmatic solutions. Reinforcing that commitment, Bolling noted:<br /><blockquote>"If we are going to win elections in Virginia, we must nominate candidates who will appeal to Republicans and Independents and attract new people to our party.  I believe these candidates will help us accomplish that goal, but they need your help to win."</blockquote>The two-term lieutenant governor, who had been very involved and inviting with the grassroots of the party and conservative bloggers during his years in Richmond, unexpectedly found himself in his new leadership role as senior statesman after stepping away from the 2013 gubernatorial race. A series of maneuverings within RPV led to the takeover of the state central committee by the tea party and Libertarian activists who then reversed an earlier vote for a 2013 primary to a much more controlled convention, the one that recently took place in Richmond. <br /><br />Because of that change, Bolling briefly flirted with the idea of running as an independent but decided against it in March, prompting the <a href="http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/editorials/article_39056fa4-8ce7-11e2-af11-001a4bcf6878.html">Lynchburg News and Advance</a> to editorialize:<br /><blockquote>Bill Bolling is no tax-and-spend liberal, no R(epublican) I(n) N(ame) O(nly) as uber-conservative activists have tried to portray him. He’s a traditional Virginia conservative, a public servant who labored for his constituents as a Hanover County supervisor, then state senator and finally lieutenant governor for almost eight years.<br /><br />But the type of public servant Bolling is just isn’t what’s in fashion with the Republicans right today. An elected official who actually believes government has a role in society but who wants it to operate efficiently, leanly and unobtrusively is not the politician the tea party loves who sees government as a beast to be starved.</blockquote>In May, Bolling reflected on his new role in Virginia Republican politics with reporter Errin Whack at the <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-05-15/local/39270093_1_bill-bolling-pac-bob-holsworth">Washington Post</a>:<br /><blockquote>“I found myself in a position of being the voice of a lot of mainstream Republicans across the state who were trying to call our party back to a more mainstream approach to politics and policy,” Bolling said in an interview. “It’s not a role I envisioned playing, but it’s a role I was thrust into because of the way things have evolved, and it’s a role I’m comfortable playing.”</blockquote>It all led to the <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/2013/05/30/virginia-mainstream-project-seeks-a-wider-gop-current-which-would-benefit-us-all/">Virginia Mainstream Project</a>. As the News and Advance wrote in the conclusion of their editorial:<br /><blockquote>In announcing his decision earlier this week, Bolling lamented what he — and we — see as the “Washingtonization” of Virginia politics. Political battles, achieving the label of most ideologically pure, hyper-partisanship and just plain meanspiritedness seem to be oozing their way into the halls of the state Capitol.<br /><br />That’s not Bill Bolling’s way of leading. That’s not “The Virginia Way” of governing, or at least it hasn’t been.</blockquote>

Bill Bolling House of Delegates Lieutenant Governor Lynchburg News and Advance radio campaign ads Ron Paul Libertarians tea party Virginia Mainstream Project Washington Post Bolling's Va Mainstream Project PAC taps 6 candidates for HoD support

In the second wave of flexing his political muscle, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling's "Virginia Mainstream Project" (VMP) ha...

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