The Northern Virginia Technology Council’s political arm on Monday formally announced its endorsement of Ken Cuccinelli II in the Virginia governor’s race despite an aggressive behind-the-scenes attempt by supporters of his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, to wrest the prize away.
In addition to backing the Republican nominee for governor, NVTC’s TechPAC also voted to endorse the Democratic nominee for attorney general, Sen. Mark R. Herring (Loudoun), over Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the formal announcement is to be made later this week. The TechPAC has not generally weighed in on lieutenant governor races.
NVTC’s TechPAC, whose 25-member bipartisan board includes top executives from many sectors of the technology industry, voted to endorse Cuccinelli on Thursday after conducting lengthy interviews of both candidates. Several board members said Cuccinelli, the commonwealth’s attorney general, came off as serious and even wonky while discussing policies of importance to the group, while McAuliffe seemed flippant and uninformed.
But the formal announcement was delayed until Monday after McAuliffe supporters and some NVTC officials who have not made up their minds in the race pushed for the council’s executive committee to reconsider the endorsement. Several said they were most concerned about backing Cuccinelli because some of his positions on social issues, such as his hostility to gay rights, could send a message that Virginia is not a welcoming place to do business.
The decision to endorse Cuccinelli touched off an intense lobbying campaign, with some state Democratic lawmakers sending outraged e-mails to TechPAC members that warned their legislative initiatives could be blocked. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) urged the NVTC to reconsider, and so did Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who had said previously he would remain neutral in the campaign after Cuccinelli outmaneuvered him to gain the nomination.
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