Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling today announced the endorsement of his re-election campaign by The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Virginia's leading small business association. NFIB/Virginia also today endorsed Bob McDonnell for governor.
In recent weeks, Bolling has also received endorsements from the Virginia Credit Union League, the Virginia Association of Realtors PAC and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
McDonnell and Bolling received the grassroots endorsement of small business owners at Bill's Barbecue, an NFIB member business in Richmond. NFIB is Virginia's leading small business association.
"Small business is the heart and soul of Virginia's economy, and our members appreciate Bill Bolling's commitment to helping Virginia's entrepreneurs and small, family-run businesses grow and create jobs in this tough economic climate," said Julia Ciarlo Hammond, state director of NFIB/Virginia.
"Bill Bolling believes in creating real and lasting tax relief," said Rhoda Elliot, owner of Bill's Barbecue. "They believe in finding ways to reduce lawsuit abuse and eliminate frivolous claims. And they believe in helping small business owners and their employees get affordable health insurance.
"We need a governor and lieutenant governor who will not marginalize small business and who will work to make things better for entrepreneurs and small business owners, not worse," Elliot said. "Bill Bolling has promised to address our priorities."
Small business accounts for 98 percent of all Virginia employers and half of the state's private-sector jobs, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Bolling said,"I am delighted to receive the endorsement of the NFIB. NFIB is the leading voice for business in Virginia, and that is very important to me. I have spent my entire professional career in business, and I know firsthand how important it is for us to maintain a pro-business environment in Virginia.
"I have worked to do that throughout my 18 years of public service, and I will remain committed to that goal during my second term as Virginia's lieutenant governor," he said. "As Virginia's first jobs creation officer, I will work with Bob McDonnell, the NFIB and other business organizations to get our economy moving again and create the jobs Virginia families need to restore their financial security."
NFIB's political support is based on the candidate's position and record on small-business issues. The endorsements come from the NFIB/Virginia SAFE (Save America's Free Enterprise) Trust, the political action committee for NFIB/Virginia's membership.
Today's endorsements put the considerable grassroots support of the state's small businesses behind McDonnell's and Bolling's campaigns. Small business owners and their employees vote in high numbers and are known for actively recruiting friends, family members and acquaintances to go to the polls.
According to NFIB polling data, small business owners and their employees make up about 43 percent of registered voters in America. NFIB will encourage its 5,300 members in Virginia to help turn out the influential small business voting bloc on Election Day.
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