Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling will not run for Governor this year as an Independent. Bolling announced his decision in an e-mail to supporters.
Bolling said an Independent’s greatest challenge is fundraising—and that even with a winning message, a win is not possible without the resources to effectively communicate that message. Bolling estimated that he would have had to raise at least $10 - $15 million —made more difficult without party resources and donors.
He said he was confident that he could raise enough money to run a competitive campaign, but not confident he could raise enough to run a winning campaign. Bolling added that his decision was influenced by a growing dissatisfaction with Virginia’s current political environment, where the process, he said, has become much more ideologically driven, hyper-partisan, and mean-spirited—with agendas placed ahead of sound public policy.
Bolling wished presumptive gubernatorial nominees, Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democratic Terry McAuliffe, well in their campaigns, and said he would return to the private sector.