Story by Chris Graham
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Here’s a sign of the role Virginia is playing on the national political scene – newly inaugurated Gov. Bob McDonnell will be delivering the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next week.
McDonnell won election to the governor’s job in November with a resounding 19-point victory over Democrat Creigh Deeds. The win by the Republican reversed a run of eight years of Democratic wins in major state races that was capped in 2008 with Obama becoming the first Democrat in 44 years to win in Virginia.
A news release sent out by the McDonnell administration this afternoon reports that McDonnell was chosen for the honor at the invitation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.