Paul Goldman Announces 2021 Campaign for Lt. Governor of Virginia

One thing’s for sure, things are always interesting when Paul Goldman is around. For more information on Goldman, see The Man Behind the Curtain (“Paul Goldman has spent 25 yearsbehind the scenes creating change. Maybe he’s ready to step out on his own.”):

In the early 1970s, a young, longhaired Goldman spent a year and a half working in the infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago with VISTA, a federally funded organization that sent volunteers to improve the lives of the poor…

…Goldman proved to be a brilliant strategist, despite his perceived lack of organization. He adroitly crafted Wilder’s image, deflected attacks and accompanied Wilder on a station-wagon tour of the state. And it was during this campaign that Goldman demonstrated his talent for misdirecting the press and public.

…Four years later, Goldman would again help Wilder make history, directing his successful campaign to become the first black governor of Virginia — and the country’s first elected black governor…

…Goldman later worked on the successful gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Mark Warner. He re-emerged into the public spotlight in 2003 when he led the petition drive for a voter referendum that would restore Richmond’s elected-mayor system. People saw him everywhere collecting signatures himself.

Also, check out some of his writings here at Blue Virginia, such as:

• Virginia Polls Agree: 2013 a Watershed Election. Time to Go All in for Herring and the Sweep.
• Terry McAuliffe’s Gutsy Call Defines 2013 Election
• Looming Shutdown Underscores Cuccinelli’s Strategy Guy’s Mistake

And much, much more. So clearly, Goldman knows his way around Virginia politics, having been in this particular “arena” for decades now. Whether he can be a viable candidate for Lt. Governor in 2021, we’ll see (I’m highly skeptical), but having him on debate stages, at candidate events, etc. will reduce the chances that things will ever be boring! LOL

With that, see here and below for his statement, declaring his candidacy for Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2021.

P.S. According to VPAP, there are no candidates filed for Lt. Governor at the moment.

May 15, 2020

Statement from Paul Goldman as regards 2021:

The experience of doing a nightly radio show these past several months has required me to study previous government response to pandemics in general and SARS-CoV-2 specifically. In order to carefully review the response of the Governor, the GA, and local officials, it likewise required review my roles in various situations involving government policy, communication strategy, all in the political environment accompanying public sector situations. I had to review this history for lessons. It dawned on me my good fortune in many respects. I was both the legendary Henry Howell’s campaign manager and the same for history maker Doug Wilder or, as I like to say, chief cook and bottle washer. Doug has been very generous in pointing out my singular contributions to many of the fiscal policies, such as the creation of the Rainy-Day Fund, which helped win Virginia its first recognition as the best fiscally managed state. We first met helping Lt. Governor Chuck Robb become the first non-segregationist Democratic Governor. Candidate Mark Warner asked me to edit his campaign platform in general and develop the fiscal plank. As Governor and Senator, Tim Kaine has been most kind in praising my work on the school modernization issue at the federal level, indeed we have worked with Warner over the years to get federal legislation to establish a way to dramatically cut local modernization costs for many projects by incentivizing the private sector as is done for other historic building renovations. Even Mayor Stoney reluctantly acknowledged how the effort of the Richmond Crusade for Voters and myself forced City Hall and City Council to finally address the need to come up with a citywide plan to address RVA’s dilapidated, unequal school buildings, the oldest in the state, and in violation of the 1955 Supreme Court decision.

Any former Democratic Party Chair on the radio is naturally going to be accused by the usual suspects of being too biased to be fair in his analysis. Thus, it made by think back about my long bipartisan work on so many matters in our state. I worked with Republican Attorney General Mark Earley to successfully get the General Assembly to reverse an illegal pay increase and help expose the scheme used by state legislators to inflate their pension. I worked with Republican Governor Bob McDonnell on school modernization, indeed wrote a seminal New York Times column with former GOP Senator George Allen to bring the need to fix a IRS legal glitch dramatically driving up local school construction costs to national attention in 2009. When other Democrats were just giving lip service, I worked with GOP Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on the issue of restoring voting rights to those who had completed their prison sentences. I thought then it was the right thing to do if possible. Later, Governor McAuliffe picked up on the issue. In recent years, I worked with Republican State Senator Bill Stanley on the school modernization issue. I could not get any real help from Democrats at the time but that did not stop me from fighting for the children whose education is being damaged by dysfunctional facilities as Virginia Tech experts have proven.

The long and short of it: It got me thinking about how best to stop any sliding back from progress. I am concerned this is happening today. There have been three different books written where the authors decided to include a discussion of my lead role in helping to change America for the better despite tough odds in the area in terms of the politics of race relations, a key women’s health and empowerment issue and finally as someone who was willing to challenge the big money crony politics in Richmond. A reading of the book When Hell Froze Over demonstrates that when it comes to fighting for political rights of minorities and successfully standing up for the people, I can be counted on to do the right thing. I am proud to know President Barack Obama and others have said Wilder’s political success at making history inspired them to expand what they thought was possible in their lifetimes. Indeed, the truth is: the women’s groups opposed my strategy for Wilder on the choice issue. NOW actually came into the state to criticize Wilder’s position. But as history now shows, our strategy worked, we helped show what could be done and you can ask one of Joe Biden’s top strategists about it since he worked with me to craft the strategy. When the VA political establishment thought most rural residents unwilling to give Wilder a chance, I knew better and proved it.

All of which led me to this conclusion: Since once again circumstances show that while much as changed much remains the same, I decided the best way to help my city and state, and use my experience to help those long left out, locked out and denied equality, is to seek to join Henry and Doug as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. They are icons of the effort to make Virginia what it can and must be, so in that respect, I am not in their league. But in terms of knowing how to use the position to better the state, knowing how to be a fearless advocate for change and to reject the failed status quo, my work for them and others demonstrates that I am eminently qualified for the position, and be trusted to Stay the course.

Given my successes over the years – and losses too, I have had my share of ups and downs in the political arena – the Lt. Governor’s post fits my experience given what will be required of the office in the years ahead. It is true that I did write the original Elected Mayor Law and so there is a natural inclination to want to see the job done as I had envisioned it.

But given my involvement in politics and policy from Henry thru Doug to Senators Warner and Kaine convinces me the Lt. Governor’s position is the right one at this time. I will likely be the first Lt. Governor in state history who is not interested in being Governor. So be it. I am an advocate for those who need such a fearless voice.

I understand there may be those who do not believe I have any chance of winning. Needless to say, I have heard that before about a campaign for LG.
The odds did not bother me then: nothing has changed.

So, let me start the campaign with a few announcements. Having done this before, I will be setting up an exploratory committee. This will allow me to get certain things in line so I can formally begin my campaign on July 4 of this year. In that regard, I intend to be the first statewide candidate in Virginia history to reject the state’s “anything goes campaign money” rules.

I will not accept any corporate money, whether direct or thru a PAC. I will voluntarily become the first statewide candidate to adopt the federal campaign limits which grew from the Watergate reforms. Allowing $50000, $100,000, $500,000 contributions is no longer in the public interest.

Accordingly, and being ready to match my credentials with any competitor, I am starting today down the path to join Henry and Doug as a Lt. Governor of Virginia.

PG