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Sixty campaign stops for Gov. McDonnell in one big election year

Posted at 12:23 AM, Oct 16, 2012
and last updated 2012-10-16 10:57:34-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)--Governor Bob McDonnell is on the road again.

He’s headed to Hofstra University to support Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is his second presidential debate.

"I'm going to New York for this debate," McDonnell said Monday. 

McDonnell has been keeping a hectic campaign schedule this political season and it seems to be getting more so as election day draws near, making campaign stops across the country.

"He's in demand not just by people of the Commonwealth but he has a national audience,” said conservative writer Norm Leahy.

McDonnell’s national audience has included stops in South Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Washington, Illinois, Colorado and Missouri. From January 2012 through September 2012, the Governor has attended about 60 campaign stops for other candidates.

About thirty percent of those stops have been for Romney. Some challenge the time spent on the campaign trail and claim the days away could be damaging for McDonnell if his picks don’t win the race.   

"I think if Romney doesn't win or Allen doesn't win a lot of Republicans and a lot of Virginians are going to say the Governor's priorities were all wrong," democratic strategist Paul Goldman said.

McDonnell’s office responds by noting that the Governor is currently serving as head of the Republican Governor’s Association, an organization which requires him to travel a fair amount and lend support to other Governor’s in contested races across the country.

Conservatives claim it’s simply part of the job.  

"It's not new to Virginia to have a Governor that's in high demand nationally and it's actually a good thing for Virginia to have a governor that it's high demand nationally,” said Leahy, “It shows that Virginia counts." 

But Monday the Governor indicated his work this political season isn’t done yet. He says he’s confident his bets on candidates this season will be good ones.  

"I'm going to advocate Governor Romney the next three and a half weeks and I think he'll win Virginia," said McDonnell.