Governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell
Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell (’89, Law and Government), was elected Virginia's 71st Governor in January 2010.
McDonnell is the school's first graduate to begin service in the highest office of any state.
At his inauguration, McDonnell's remarks provided a window into what Regent means by "Christian Leadership to Change the World."
"As Virginians, we believe that government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents in liberty to pursue the American dream," McDonnell said. "Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone."
In November 2005, Bob McDonnell was elected Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a position he held until February of 2009.
He ran on a strong law enforcement platform, promising to aggressively pursue policies and legislation to address the critical issues of Internet safety and child sexual predators.
It didn’t take long for his campaign promises to become a reality for the citizens of the Old Dominion.
In 2006, the Safe Kids Initiative was passed into law by the Virginia General Assembly. The Safe Kids Initiative is a comprehensive package that calls for harsher penalties for, and electronic tracking of, convicted sexual predators. It received strong bipartisan support and became law on July 1, 2006. “Combating child sexual predators and reducing Internet crime is an important focus of my term as Attorney General,” said McDonnell. “I can think of no objective more worthy of our time and commitment than safeguarding children.”
First elected to public office in 1992, McDonnell represented Virginia’s 84th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. There he served as chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee, which is responsible for crime bills and reviews judicial nominees.
While serving in the House of Delegates, he helped spearhead efforts to repeal the death tax, reform welfare, reduce taxation and fight crime. A former prosecutor, McDonnell was instrumental in abolishing parole and reforming the juvenile justice system. McDonnell also championed tougher laws, targeting drunk driving and drug dealers.
McDonnell believes the integration of faith and learning within the Regent curriculum makes it an important institution of higher learning. A member of the charter law school class, McDonnell says Regent gave him the legal training he needed to fight for the policies that have made America a great nation. “Regent is building on the values our Founders planned in Early American history,” he said.
