Is Virginia going to steal Lockheed's HQ from Maryland?

Believing that states ought to compete, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to lure Lockheed Martin to the Old Dominion and away from Maryland.

 Perhaps capitalizing on a recent dispute between the state of Maryland and Lockheed Martin Corp., Gov. Bob McDonnell (R.-Va.) may be trying to woo the defense contractor across state lines to Virginia, reports the Washington Post.

The incident occurred two weeks ago when the Montgomery County, Md., Council discussed a resolution asking Congress to spend less on wars, irritating the Bethesda, Md.-based defense contractor, the article said. Bethesda is in Montgomery County.

While McDonnell has not personally contacted Lockheed Martin, which provides 5,000 jobs in Montgomery County, he recently told the Post: “We are always talking to people [whose] governments are making them feel unwelcome.”

McDonnell last year successfully lured Northrop Grumman Corp. to establish its headquarters in Fairfax County after decades in Los Angeles.

Lockheed Martin, of Bethesda, Md., ranks No. 1 on Washington Technology’s 2011 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.

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