Romney Names Del. Dave Albo to Campaign's Virginia Leadership Team

Del. Dave Albo (R-42nd District) has been named by Republican presidential candidate front-runner Mitt Romney to a state leadership team to lay the groundwork for the Romney campaign in Virginia.  Albo, whose district includes Springfield, graduated from .

“The team Mitt Romney has assembled in Virginia has been working hard to spread his pro-growth message, reaching out to voters and laying the groundwork for victory in November," said Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, chairman of Romney for President Virginia, in a news release from the Romney campaign.

"These additional members of our team will strengthen our efforts in the state," Bolling said. "Virginians expect our next president to reverse the failed policies of Barack Obama and enact policies that will get our economy growing again. Mitt Romney has demonstrated throughout this campaign that he understands how the real economy works, and he has put forth a detailed plan to create jobs. That's the kind of leadership our nation desperately needs, and we are proud to support him.”

Albo will be one of eight state co-chairs for the campaign. In addition to Albo and Bolling, others serving as Virginia campaign chairs for Romney are:

• State Co-Chair Delegate Chris Peace
• State Co-Chair Delegate Barbara Comstock
• State Co-Chair Delegate Tag Greason
• State Co-Chair Delegate Jackson Miller
• State Co-Chair Delegate John Cosgrove
• State Co-Chair Delegate-elect Mark Dudenhefer

Mike Ginsberg, chairman of the 8th District Republican Committee, is among those on Romney's Virginia steering committee.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, won the first battle for the Republican presidential nomination this week in Iowa Tuesday, just eight votes ahead of Rick Santorum, a former U.S. representative and senator from Pennsylvania. 

Virginians will vote in the state Republican presidential primary on March 6. Romney and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas are the only two GOP candidates that will be on the ballot. Other Republicans in the race, including former Speaker Newt Gingrich who lives in McLean, failed to gather enough signatures—10,000—to be on the ballot.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is challenging Virginia's ballot access law. Gingrich, Santorum, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman have joined in the lawsuit.

As of Sept. 30, Virginia ranks #8 in the nation in donations to presidential campaigns, forking over $2,759,594 as of Sept. 30, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Of that, Virginians have donated $894,838 to the Romney campaign. Perry ranks second in the amount gathered from Virginians, among GOP hopefuls, coming in at $207,116.