News Coverage

Check out the statewide news coverage of Mike's tour around the state: 

Candidate tours Red Birch, backs new green jobs
Kim Barto, Martinsville Bulletin, June 7, 2009

Lieutenant Governor Candidate: Michael Signer
Daily Press, June 7, 2009

Signer, Wagner vie for lieutenant governor nomination
Jim Nolan, Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 6, 2009

Democrats take shots at Bolling ahead of primary
Dena Potter, Associated Press, June 6, 2009

Lt. gov. hopeful Signer visits Valley
Bob Stuart, News Virginian, June 6, 2009

Signer Woos Primary Votes   
Jeff Mellott, Daily News Record, June 6, 2009

Candidates Focus on Economy: Signer and Wagner Tout Ideas for Brining Jobs to State
Michael Laris, Washington Post, June 4, 2009

Lt. governor hopeful Michael Signer makes stop in Lynchburg
Carrie J. Sidner,  Lynchburg News Advance,  June 4, 2009

Lt. Governor Candidate Confident Of His Nomination
David McGee, Bristol Herald Courier, June 4, 2009

Mike Signer spends afternoon with supporters in Campbell County
WDBJ-TV7, June 3, 2009

Signer’s Tour of Va. Begins in Bristol as Campaign Nears End
David McGee, Bristol Herald Courier, June 3, 2009
 

 Mike stopped by the Washington Post newsroom on Friday. Here's what he said: 

Mike had a chance to sit down with the staff at the Richmond Times-Dispatch yesterday, one of the largest papers in the state. Looks like they were impressed! From this morning's paper (emphasis is ours): 

April 22, 2009
Wow. The reaction occurred during a conversation yesterday between the Editorial staff and Mike Signer, candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. The night before, Signer attended the annual action meeting of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities (RISC). The commitment manifested by the approximately 1,000 attendees at a Good Shepherd Baptist Church impressed him. A veteran of think-tank conferences drawing a handful of experts and poseurs, Signer applauded a meeting in which real citizens joined community leaders in talking about public policy.

Richmonders often see themselves as parochial and lackluster. An outsider was wowed by the energy and intellect encountered here. The process regarding the downtown plan also reflected significant public engagement, as do hearings on attendance zones and other factors related to the schools.

Signer's comments came up during a discussion of issues of importance to Central Virginia. Signer cited the economy, of course, and agreed that the region lacks the transportation challenges of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The Good Shepherd meeting, he explained, showed what locals had on their minds. The topics included health care, education, and drug treatment for prisoners. Signer went to the RISC session to see, not to be seen. It is not often that candidates have so passionately described such scenes to us.

Signer has written extensively, and insightfully, on topics relating to defense and foreign policy -- two items that do not rank at the top of the lieutenant governor's job description. Yesterday, Signer cast his global views in the context of domestic policy. He included specific references to Virginia. The Times-Dispatch does not endorse in primaries when the general election promises a competitive race. The winner of the Democratic contest will take on Bill Bolling, the Republican incumbent and front-runner for re-election. Although we plan no endorsement in the Democratic primary, we happily nominate Mike Signer for secretary of state or national security adviser in a Democratic administration.

From the News & Record:

 The News & Record / April 13, 2009

One of the three Democrats vying to run for lieutenant governor this fall visited South Boston Friday with a self-proclaimed “playbook” for winning the office away from incumbent Bill Bolling, a Republican.

Mike Signer, former deputy counselor to Gov. Mark Warner and a national security consultant, told a crowd of about 20 local Democrats that he would focus his general election campaign around five themes: job creation, extending the legacy of Warner and current Gov. Tim Kaine, building on last year’s victory in Virginia by Barack Obama, strong national security and “staying on offense and knowing how to win.”

He dived straight into a political controversy that unfolded late last week — a vote by the Republican-led House of Delegates to reject $125 million in federal stimulus funds to expand unemployment benefits for idled part-time workers and individuals who are training for new jobs.

“They just took money out of this economy when we needed it most,” said Signer, who called the vote “disgusting.” “They do a lot of things that have nothing to do with improving the lives of ordinary people,” he said of Republican delegates, noting that all but two — Donald Merricks of Pittsylvania and Danny Marshall of Danville — voted against the unemployment benefit expasion.

Bolling, Signer said, refused to take a stance on the issue until the debate was almost settled. The State Senate, over which Bolling presides as lieutenant governor, approved the expanded benefits by a party-line 21-19 vote with Democrats voting yes and Republicans no.

Read the rest of the article.

On his statewide Barnstorm Tour, the Martinsville Bulletin had a chance to catch up with Mike and talk about how to stimulate the Southside economy and create jobs in the area.

Republicans who voted against a proposed expansion of state unemployment benefits and $125 million in federal stimulus funds that would have come with it drew sharp criticism Thursday from a Democratic contender for lieutenant governor.

Mike Signer, campaigning in Martinsville, said Wednesday’s 46-53 House vote defeating the expansion, which fell mainly along party lines, was “a shocking abandonment of their (Republican legislators’) duty.”

The amendments, proposed by Gov. Tim Kaine, would have qualified Virginia to receive the additional $125 million. Lawmakers who voted against them effectively were “stepping on the neck of families” they were duty-bound to help, Signer said.

“I don’t know where (incumbent Lt. Gov.) Bill Bolling is on this issue, but he’s not helping,” Signer said. He accused the Republican-controlled House of “choosing their own twisted ideology” over helping those in dire need.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Bolling’s spokesman, Randy Marcus, said Bolling would like to try to work out a compromise with the governor and legislative leaders on the issue. Bolling was concerned that the costs eventually would be passed on to employers, which could lead to more job losses, Marcus said.

Signer, who hopes to win his party’s nomination to run for lieutenant governor during the June 9 primary, also unveiled a seven-step plan that he said would create at least 50,000 new jobs in Virginia by 2011. The first step, he said, would generate 20,000 new infrastructure jobs over the next two years through the creation of a “Jobs Now” task force and by bringing more federal funds to the state.

An expansion of energy efficiency would create 5,000 new jobs in the same time frame, he said, as would his plan to create 5,000 jobs by building a “Smart Grid” to transmit renewable energy through transmission lines such as those used for electricity, and advocating the development of new energy sources, such as wind and solar.

Other points of the plan include creating 5,000 health information and technology (IT) jobs using part of the $19 million in federal stimulus funds earmarked to make health records into electronic documents nationwide and building 5,000 rural jobs through tourism, rural broadband and other measures.

Signer’s plan also proposes a 5,000-job increase in military construction by kick-starting long-term reconstruction of military housing and offices.

The plan also would promote a new “Virginia GreenWorks” program to clean up and restore the state’s parks, forests, mountains, bodies of water and shores. The program would create 5,000 low-wage short-term jobs for recent college graduates by 2011.

Later Thursday at the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Lunch, Signer said he is pro-labor and supports the proposed check card, in which a plant can be unionized when workers sign cards rather than hold an election. “If the majority of workers want a union, they should be allowed to,” he added.

Signer, an Arlington native and former deputy counselor to former Gov. Mark Warner, also served as a senior strategist in U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s 2008 congressional campaign.

Signer holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley, a law degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Princeton University.

Check this out from WHSV in Harrisonburg:

Signer Launches LG Campaign

Michael Signer, an attorney who worked for former governor Mark R. Warner, officially launched his campaign for lieutenant governor today in Arlington.

Signer began a statewide tour of every region of Virginia, which will include more than 20 stops.

"Mike is quickly emerging as the net-roots and grassroots candidate," his spokesman Christian Rickers said. "The number of investors in his campaign represents the strength of his organization and the power of his message."

Signer of Arlington was a senior strategist to U.S. Rep Tom Perriello and a deputy counselor to Warner. He is currently a senior national security policy fellow at the think tank Third Way and a principal of the Truman National Security Project.

Three other Democrats are running: Jon Bowerbank, a businessman from Russell County, Pat Edmonson, a member of the Virginia Beach School Board and former Finance Secretary Jody Wagner.