Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will be running interference during next week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.
The Republican leader will spend Wednesday and Thursday in neighboring North Carolina near the convention site campaigning for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan. In that role, McDonnell will stump for the Republican ticket in an important battleground state while distracting media and attention away from the Democrats.
During last week’s Republican National Convention, McDonnell’s rival, Democratic Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley campaigned similarly in Tampa. The appearance, which was supposed to include Vice President Joe Biden, was part of a scaled-back counter-attack to the GOP gathering. McDonnell, a vice presidential contender and leader of the Republican Governors Association, is one of Romney’s top surrogates. He appeared alongside Ryan on Friday during a campaign stop in Richmond. He also spoke twice during the convention, including a primetime slot on Tuesday.
The Democratic convention begins Tuesday and runs through Thursday. President Obama is scheduled to speak Thursday night.
