By Susan Jones

In his victory speech Tuesday night, Virginia’s conservative Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell spoke of the Founding Fathers, the American dream, free enterprise, liberty, hard work and opportunity. He also thanked God for “His grace and His divine providence in my life.”

McDonnell reminded his supporters that he grew up in Fairfax County, in the shadow of Mt. Vernon, George Washington’s home. “As a young kid, I never dreamed that I would have a chance to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry” (both of whom served as governor of Virginia). “And it just tells me that with hard work and faith in God, in America you can still be anything you want to be.”

McDonnell, elected Tuesday to a four-year term, thanked independents and Democrats who crossed party lines to support him, and he singled out Sheila Johnson, an African-American businesswomen, who taped ads for McDonnell.

He spoke of the many people he met during the campaign – people seeking a brighter future, he said.

“Leading Virginia will require innovation and cooperation. My promise to you as governor is the same as my promise to you as candidate for governor — and that is to strengthen the free enterprise system, to create more jobs and opportunity, so that every Virginian can use their God-given talents to pursue the American dream and liberty here in this Commonwealth.