Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman took a break from his heavy campaigning in New Hampshire to host a private fundraiser Wednesday morning in Virginia.
Huntsman met with wealthy donors at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond for a breakfast attended briefly by Gov. Bob McDonnell. The two also had a quick private meeting prior to the event, first reported by The Washington Post.
“The governor welcomed Gov. Huntsman to Virginia and wished him well in his campaign,” McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said. “He is always pleased to see candidates stopping by the commonwealth. It’s a recognition of the important role Virginia will play in 2012.”
McDonnell, popular in his state and the leader of the Republican Governors Association, is withholding his endorsement so far, but has long told reporters he would prefer someone with executive experience. Huntsman, a well-liked Utah governor before leaving the job to serve as President Obama’s ambassador to China, would fit that bill.
Huntsman has spent nearly the entire primary campaign in New Hampshire, hoping the one-state strategy will catapult his campaign after votes are tallied in the first primary state.
