Earlier in the day, the campaign for Bob McDonnell, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, said it had a special announcement planned. The news is that McDonnell has been endorsed by Sheila Crump Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, local Middleburg business owner and noted philanthropist and entrepreneur.

Speaking about the endorsement, Johnson said, “Make no mistake, these are tough economic times for all Virginians. Unemployment is on the rise and families are struggling to stay in their homes. We need bold and innovative leadership to move our state forward and that’s why I’ve chosen to support Bob McDonnell for Governor. He has shown me that he has the right vision and the executive leadership skills that will guide Virginia through these challenging times. He understands that we have to help businesses in our state – both big and small – thrive so that we put Virginians back to work. I’m proud to endorse Bob McDonnell to be our next governor.”Bob McDonnell noted, “Sheila Johnson is known worldwide for her business acumen, artistic talent, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to helping others. Here in the Commonwealth she is one of our leading citizens as a businesswoman, employer, developer, charitable donor and passionate advocate for her many causes. I have gotten to know Sheila, and I know she takes her political endorsements very seriously. We share a mutual commitment to revitalizing Virginia’s economy, getting Virginians back to work and ensuring that the same opportunities that we have both been blessed by will still be there for future generations.”
McDonnell continued, “We are running a positive campaign dedicated to bringing people together to create new jobs and more opportunities in Virginia. Today’s announcement speaks to the growing support for our effort. I am tremendously honored to have received Sheila’s endorsement. I look forward to working with her in the years ahead as we get Virginia’s economy back on track and our citizens back to work.”

Sheila Crump Johnson is the first African-American female billionaire. Her history of previous political donations is almost exclusively to Democrats.

UPDATE: Over at Not Larry Sabato, probably the best left-leaning blog watching Virginia state politics, there’s no spinning; they’re calling it a “huge boost” for McDonnell among northern Virginians and African-Americans.