Ding, ding, ding - we have a thread winnah!
The guy made his rep as Dick Armey’s chief staffer. Knew the ropes, worked for Bush, was the Republican National Chair for a while. Not a lot of elective service, but certainly a known quantity. Recent years been a lobbyist.
If the more conservative side of the Republican party in Virginia has no one powerful enough to have beat him in the Primaries, we end up with fellows like him half the time.