Cuccinelli says he will run

Ending months of speculation, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Thursday that he will run for governor in 2013.

The decision — unveiled in an email to employees of his office and confirmed by top deputies — sets up a potential contested GOP gubernatorial primary battle with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who stepped aside and ran for a second term in 2009 to make way for then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell's successful run for governor.

"Although I originally expected to serve as attorney general for another term, my job is that of public servant, and I feel that two years from now, I can best serve the people of Virginia from the governor's office," Cuccinelli said in the letter.

He said he does not plan to resign as attorney general while he runs for governor.

Bolling released a statement Thursday night saying he was "very disappointed" with Cuccinelli's decision to run for governor, despite previous suggestions by Cuccinelli that he instead would run for re-election as attorney general.

"Unfortunately, he has now decided to put his own personal ambition ahead of the best interests of the commonwealth and the Republican Party," Bolling said, remarking that in 2009 when he deferred to McDonnell, "I set aside my personal ambition and did what was right for the commonwealth and our party."

On Thursday night, in a brief interview from New York, Cuccinelli said: "I'm very content with the decision and with the course we're on, and we're looking forward to it."

Cuccinelli is in New York to prepare for his appearance as a panelist on a GOP presidential forum being broadcast Saturday on Fox News.

The attorney general said he understands that there are some in the party who support both him and Bolling and "who do feel conflicted" over his announcement. But he said he anticipates running a positive campaign aimed at bettering Virginia and "protecting liberty."

Cuccinelli called his work as attorney general "the best job in my life" and said his decision was based on "my love for the commonwealth and to further the principles on which this country was founded."

The former state senator from Northern Virginia was elected attorney general in 2009 as part of a Republican sweep of statewide offices.

In less than two years, the 43-year-old father of seven has become a darling of the GOP's right wing and the tea party movement, shooting to national prominence with high-profile lawsuits challenging the power of the federal government in areas such as health care and environmental regulation.

Bolling has drawn less notice but has risen to greater recognition around the state as McDonnell's designated chief job-creation officer, responsible for the governor's push to lift Virginia's employment and economic prospects.

Bolling also stands to garner a great deal of attention in the upcoming legislative session, in which he will have the tie-breaking vote on legislative issues that come before the Virginia Senate, where Republicans and Democrats each have 20 members.

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McDonnell on Thursday reiterated his support for Bolling's gubernatorial bid but shied away from criticizing Cuccinelli for entering the fray, calling both men "dedicated public servants."

"While I do prefer a scenario in which both men continue to serve in statewide office together going forward, I certainly respect the right of the attorney general to make his own decision regarding future races," McDonnell said. He also called Bolling "a trusted adviser and a close, personal friend."

As word of the impending announcement surfaced Wednesday, the prospect of a contested primary sent shockwaves across the GOP political landscape.

"It's like a lightning bolt," said Larry Sabato, University of Virginia political science professor and director of the Center for Politics.

"It's got to be very upsetting, not just to Bolling but to McDonnell. They had everything nicely set up and ready to go, and it's not going to work out that way," Sabato added. "We'll have to see how nasty the race gets, and that certainly opens up the possibility that the other party can win."

On Thursday, Democrats were quick to jump into the fray.

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Brian Moran sent a fundraising email to supporters with the subject heading: "Keep Ken Cuccinelli out of the Governor's Mansion."

"Our next governor will be faced with enormous challenges: creating jobs, fixing transportation and cleaning up after years of Bob McDonnell's borrowing, budget gimmicks and broken promises," he writes. "We need real leadership to solve tough problems, not Ken Cuccinelli's mean-spirited brand of limelight-seeking and tea party pandering."

Bolling's chief of staff, Randy Marcus, said Thursday that Bolling — who is in Florida at a conference for lieutenant governors — would not do anything differently if Cuccinelli entered the race, that Bolling would continue to run the way he has been running, spreading his job-creation message across the state.

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen, a former Virginia governor who is endorsed by Bolling in his current bid, declined to comment on a potential Cuccinelli-Bolling primary battle.

"I'm focused obviously on our race," he said Thursday at a Virginia Chamber of Commerce event in McLean.

Like Allen, former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race, also avoided commenting directly on either Bolling or Cuccinelli as potential governors. "Competition is good. I don't see any harm in it," Kaine said at the same chamber event.

Sabato said the timing is right for Cuccinelli, who has made a name for himself as a conservative willing to go against the grain of traditional party politics, and as someone who is unafraid to take a chance.

This weekend, for instance, nearly all top Virginia Republicans — including McDonnell and Bolling — will be at the Homestead Resort for the annual Republican Advance meeting to prepare for the upcoming legislative session and busy political year.

Cuccinelli instead will be at the New York presidential forum, where he and two other attorneys general will question GOP candidates on issues such as health care and government regulation.

"It's just a ripe opportunity for him," Sabato said. "He leads a high-wire existence — this is not a play-it-safe politician. Every day presents a danger to him," continued Sabato, who taught Cuccinelli when the attorney general was an undergraduate at U.Va.

"It's a long time until (the governor's race in) 2017, and clearly he's got a decent and good shot of winning, so why would you wait?" Sabato asked.