From Prince William County to Washington, D.C., to Virginia, Sean T. Connaughton has followed a winding political path, but we are glad he is landing back in the Commonwealth.
Tuesday, Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell named Connaughton the new Secretary of Transportation for Virginia.
Connaughton should be familiar to county residents -- he served as chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors from 2000 until 2006. He left us when former President George W. Bush picked him to lead the U.S. Maritime Administration.
Now Connaughton returns with the skills, experience and temperament to tackle Virginia's traffic problems.
Cannaughton created Prince William County's transportation department -- responsible for having constructed $300 million worth of roads -- when he was chairman, and his federal post resided within the U.S. Department of Transportation, so we can feel confident that he has worked on some of the issues we face.
Also, as a county resident, Connaughton has direct experience with our frustration.
During his time in the Bush administration, he commuted to D.C. Now that he will work in Richmond, he plans to commute there. Transportation solutions will benefit him as much as anybody else, so we know he has a stake in making the right moves.
Also, as a moderate Republican, Connaughton will not be likely to act on partisan lines. Even Democratic state Senator Chuck Colgan has spoken well of him, going so far as to call him non-partisan.
Mid-January is when we can expect to see our new transportation secretary in action, and one of his first duties will be to get our state's 18 closed rest areas reopened. That was one of McDonnell's campaign promises and one on which we are keeping a close eye. It relieves us to know that a capable man is in charge of getting it done.
So, welcome back, Mr. Connaughton. We expect good things and wish you the best of luck.
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