High profile gig for possible GOP running mate

This piece was co-authored by Mark Preston

Washington (CNN) - The Republican Governors Association Monday named Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell as the group's new chairman, succeeding Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who announced Saturday that he was running for president.

McDonnell had been serving as vice chairman of the organization.

"It is a tremendous honor to lead the RGA," McDonnell said in a statement put out by the group. "Thanks to the strong leadership of Governor Perry and the nation's twenty-nine Republican governors, the RGA is in position to have an unprecedented impact this election cycle."