Well that didn’t take long — good ol’ Brandon Bell decided that his soul was worth about $202,500.
From the campaign of State Senator Ralph Smith:
“It is great that Brandon Bell has at long last acknowledged his true partisan affiliation,” said Senator Ralph K. Smith (R-Roanoke County). “For months, Brandon Bell has tried to say he was a conservative independent, despite his liberal record and consistent support for tax increases and more government spending. With this announcement, Brandon is finally practicing ‘truth-in-advertising'”
Bell made four previous bids for office as a Republican. After his defeat to Smith in 2007, Bell was appointed to a university board by a Democratic Governor, supported the Democratic nominee for Governor for part of the 2009 campaign, and campaigned this year with a Democratic U.S. Senator and the Democratic Leader in the House of Delegates.”
“Brandon Bell is a perfect ideological match for the Democrats today, but he is a gifted political chameleon,” said Ralph Smith’s Campaign Manager Steve Mabry. “For $200,000, the Democrats should hope Bell stands with them longer than he did in 2009,” a reference to Bell’s support for both the Democratic and Republican nominees during the 2009 gubernatorial race.
Well played, gentlemen.
This should be the final nail in the coffin for ol’ Brandon Bell. Meanwhile, both Ralph Smith and Bill Stanley seem to be extremely well positioned for victory in 8 days. A great ending to two outstanding campaigns and great conservatives.
