(Updated!) 12 Reasons Virginia Libertarians Should Support Ken Cuccinelli

Are you a Small-L "libertarian" in Virginia? Here are 12 reasons why you should vote FOR Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli for Governor on Tuesday, November 5.

1. NEW! Ron Paul endorsed Ken.

Former Congressman Ron Paul announced his support for Ken on October 11. In a statement released through Liberty PAC, Congressman Paul wrote:

"Ken Cuccinelli has always stood for smaller government and limited government, he has consistenly and unapologetically worked with the Liberty movement in Virginia. His stand against ObamaCare shows he is willing to stand up toWashington's continued abuses on our individual liberties.I am proud to endorse to Ken for Governor of Virginia."

2. Rand Paul endorsed Ken.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul endorsed Ken way back in September 2012 at the Liberty Political Action Conference (LPAC), a gathering of hundreds of liberty activists held in Chantilly, Virginia.

Senator Paul, who picked up his father's mantle on many issues important to libertarians in Washington, said, “Ken has been a key leader nationally in the fight against unconstitutional overreaches of the federal government. He has been a true and consistent champion of liberty and as Governor will work to preserve and protect the principles our nation was founded on.”

Other Paul-aligned supporters include Chris Stearns, Ron Paul's 2012 Virginia State Coordinator, and Donna Holt, former Chairman of Virginia Campaign for Liberty.

Many libertarian voters are choosing to "Stand with Rand" by voting for Ken Cuccinelli on Tuesday, November 5.

3. Ken believes strongly in federalism and opposes federal government overreach.

As Virginia’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli has pushed back against the federal government when their policies overstep their Constitutional limitations. He was the first AG to sue over ObamaCare; he has fought back against the Environmental Protection Agency -- and won; and he’s been a strong voice for the 10th Amendment.

4. Ken opposes eminent domain and strongly supports property rights.

Cuccinelli worked in the State Senate for 8 years to put eminent domain restrictions in the Virginia Constitution. This passed on the ballot in 2012 with 74% support--a majority of people that voted for either Romney or Obama voted to affirm our right to private property. Virginians believe these fundamental rights should be enumerated in our foundational document

(Pictured: Susette Kelo of Kelo v. City of New London, CT fame.)

5. “Personnel is policy.”

As Virginia Republican National Committeeman Morton Blackwell says, "Personnel is policy." The daily interactions elected officials have with their staff sometimes influences their policy decisions.

Ken has surrounded himself with former Ron Paul staffers and Paul supporters as well as small government conservatives and pro-life libertarians both on his campaign and AG staff.

6. Ken has made expansion of school choice a top priority on his campaign.

Educational opportunity benefits the most vulnerable in our society, and Ken Cuccinelli unveiled a massive overhaul that would extend new opportunities to children. One prominent political blog called Ken's plan a "game changer."

You can read Ken's complete plan here and watch Ken's education video here.

7. Ken’s tax plan closes loopholes and lowers rates for families and businesses.

Ken's tax plan lowers state income tax rates on families (from 5.75% to 5%) and small businesses (from 6% to 4%) and caps the rate of government growth. Check out more on his plan here.

8. Unlike many Republicans, Ken opposes cronyism and won’t use the Governor’s Mansion to dole out political favors to Big Business.

Ken has never used his political influence to benefit Big Business and won't sell access to the Governor's Mansion. That's a stark contrast between Ken and his Democrat opponent.

9. Ken believes states, not Washington, should decide whether or not to legalize marijuana.

(...his response regarding gay marriage in this video might surprise you, too!)

10. As Attorney General, Ken used the power of the state to pursue justice rather than convictions.

As Attorney General, Ken went to court to argue a case involving Thomas Haynesworth, a man that was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 27 years. Cuccinelli personally argued this case in court.

The difficult part was that there was no hard scientific evidence exonerating Haynesworth. It was only a couple years prior to this court battle that Ken was battling on the floor of the Senate to pass a bill that would even allow this sort of exoneration without scientific evidence to be possible. When was the last time you saw a Republican AG use his time, effort, and political capital to fight for the wrongfully-accused, rather than blindly trust the system?

Ken also joined Governor McDonnell in supporting the restoration of rights for most non-violent felons.

11. Like us, Ken can sometimes be an awkwardtarian.

Watch this video of Ken introducing voters to his sweet RV, where he awkwardly describes the accommodations of his “rolling office.” Describing the inside, Ken says he “can bump around and sleep in back” and “cook if we’re aggressive enough.” He also claims to be a “big fan” of the refrigerator. When talking about hitting the campaign trail, Ken says, “We’ll be coming to a community near you. We may be cooking on the way...when we come.” It’s awkward, funny, and endearing.

12. Ken's non-interventionist position on Syria.

I know the Virginia Governor has little-to-no involvement in the foreign policy discussion, but Ken’s position is part of a growing chorus of non-interventionist Republicans who are drowning out the John McCains and Lindsey Grahams within the Republican Party.

Wouldn't it be great to have a Governor from a state with a sizable military population talking about a reserved foreign policy?

The author of this post was a Ron Paul-supporting, Mitt Romney-bound at-large delegate from Virginia to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa. He believes the leaders of the Republican Party of Virginia are welcoming libertarians into their ranks and adopting many of the policies libertarians support. Follow him on Twitter: @matthewhurtt