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Republicans weigh choices for Attorney General race

Brownlee quits, may seek nod

The resignation by the federal prosecutor in Roanoke this month heralds a clash over who will carry the banner as the Republican nominee for Attorney General in 2009.

Meeting reporters with his beaming family at his side, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee appeared to have much more on his mind than stepping aside from the appointed post he’s held for seven years. He acknowledged that he is giving serious consideration to challenging Sen. Ken Cuccinelli for the GOP AG nod.

Cuccinelli, a Fairfax patent attorney, is the only announced candidate for the AG nomination. Other names mentioned as possible Republican candidates include Sen. Ryan McDougle of Mechanicsville, a former prosecutor whose practice focuses on traffic cases; former Del. Paul C. Harris, a Charlottesville attorney, and Del. Terry Kilgore of Scott County.

Two Republicans who had been considering joining the fray – Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg and Del. Rob Bell of Albemarle County – stepped aside earlier this month, both citing family concerns.

Virginia Republicans point with satisfaction to the fact that the attorney general nomination is the only undecided slot on the 2009 GOP ticket. The rest of the slate is nailed down, with current Attorney General Bob McDonnell aiming for governor and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling running for a second term.

Dems up in air

For the Democrats, everything is up in the air. Two legislators – Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian Moran – are vying for the gubernatorial nomination. There has been little talk about Democratic contenders for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Republicans acknowledge that Brownlee would bring an impressive résumé to the attorney general contest. As the top federal prosecutor for the western part of the state, he apparently shrugged off political pressure from above and forced a major pharmaceutical company to cough up $630 million dollars in criminal fines. He won a conviction against ITT Night Vision for violations of military contracting rules. He took on public corruption cases involving the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and the mayor of Lynchburg.

Brownlee’s star rose late in his term. Earlier, he was criticized for what was seen as overzealous prosecution of fund-raising activities for the D-Day Memorial and a Roanoke pain clinic.

Cuccinelli, a two-term state senator, courts the conservative wing of the Republican party. “I am unapologetically pro-life and anti-tax, and I have been the biggest defender of the Second Amendment and property rights in the Virginia Senate since my arrival,” he said in a statement. Cuccinelli managed to win a tight reelection battle in 2006 in a Democratic-leaning district of Fairfax County.

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