Republican activist accuses Bolling of 'political payback' in local endorsements

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) recently endorsed candidates in two Lynchburg area races for unit chairmen -- the lowest level Republican party post and one that a statewide officeholder would not normally involve himself with.

Bolling endorsed Gene Smith in Campbell County and Dolores Switzer in Bedford County --the only two contested unit chairmen races he involved himself with this year.

Tim Boyer, vice-chairman of the Campbell County Republicans, accused Bolling of endorsing in the local races to get back at him for working for Bolling's 2009 challenger Patrick Muldoon last year. Smith's and Switzer's opponents are close to Boyer.

"I find the lieutenant governor's involvement in a local contest for a party office to be an astounding display of vindictive political payback,'' Boyer said. "The fact is, I am only aware of two times out of hundreds of these contests that Mr. Bolling has ever gotten involved in a contest for unit chairman."

Randy Marcus, Bolling's chief of staff, said the lieutenant governor endorsed four unit chairmen candidates this year, though two of them -- including Anthony Bedell of Fairfax County -- ran unopposed.

Marcus said Bolling backs candidates whom he has known for a long time and whom he considers friends -- not because he opposes their challengers. He said the lieutenant governor endorsed those who asked, and that he would have endorsed others but they did not ask.

For the record, both candidates endorsed by Bolling in Campbell and Bedford lost. Will Kirk was elected chairman in Campbell last week and Nathan Boyer was elected chairman in Bedford Monday.