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'''Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell''' (born June 15, 1954) is the 71st Governor of [[Virginia]], having won the 2009 election by a 59%-41% landslide. Previously he served as a [[Lieutenant Colonel]] in the [[United States Army]], and a U.S. prosecutor. He was state [[Attorney General]] from 2006-2009, before resigning to focus full time on his gubernatorial campaign. McDonnell's Democratic opponent was state Senator [[Creigh Deeds]], whom he defeated in 2005 for attorney general. McDonnell had consistently led Deeds in the polls by wide margins. <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=9db323a1-0c9c-4a39-887c-c504bc80fb06</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2009/virginia/toplines/toplines_virginia_governor_election_september_29_2009/</ref> <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=10fe2317-36a6-4429-86ce-1d154fb33c58%26c=18/</ref><ref>http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_101909_gov._selection_poll.231bdeef9.html</ref>

'''Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell''' (born June 15, 1954) is the current 71st Governor of [[Virginia]], having won the 2009 election by a 59%-41% landslide. McDonnell's Democratic opponent was state Senator [[Creigh Deeds]], whom he defeated in 2005 for attorney general. He had consistently led Deeds in the polls by wide margins. <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=9db323a1-0c9c-4a39-887c-c504bc80fb06</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2009/virginia/toplines/toplines_virginia_governor_election_september_29_2009/</ref> <ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=10fe2317-36a6-4429-86ce-1d154fb33c58%26c=18/</ref><ref>http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_101909_gov._selection_poll.231bdeef9.html</ref>Previously McDonnell served as a [[Lieutenant Colonel]] in the [[United States Army]], and a U.S. prosecutor. He was state [[Attorney General]] from 2006-2009, before resigning to focus full time on his gubernatorial campaign.

 

==Career==

==Career==

Born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] and raised in northern Virginia, he attended the [[University of Notre Dame]] on an [[ROTC]] scholarship. During his twenty-one years in the Army, McDonnell spent four years running a medical clinic in Germany. After marrying and raising a family, he graduated from Regent University in Virginia Beach in 1989 with a law degree and became a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. McDonnell was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1992, defeating a twenty-year incumbent. He would go on to be reelected seven times, and would rise to the position of Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee. During his tenure he passed parental notification law for abortions, drunk driving laws and legislation to abolish the death tax.  

Born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] and raised in northern Virginia, he attended the [[University of Notre Dame]] on an [[ROTC]] scholarship. During his twenty-one years in the Army, McDonnell spent four years running a medical clinic in Germany. After marrying and raising a family, he graduated from Regent University in Virginia Beach in 1989 with a law degree and became a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. McDonnell was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1992, defeating a twenty-year incumbent. He would go on to be reelected seven times, and would rise to the position of Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee. During his tenure he passed parental notification law for abortions, drunk driving laws and legislation to abolish the death tax.