The two men running for governor of Virginia each spent nearly an hour talking about jobs and economic development issues in Roanoke this morning.

In post-speech sessions with reporters neither Democrat Creigh Deeds nor Republican Bob McDonnell could escape questions that have dogged them the last few weeks about tax increases and a 20-year-old thesis paper.

Deeds and McDonnell made separate, back-to-back speeches and answered questions from the Virginia Economic Developers Association at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. Both touted increasing the governor’s opportunity fund, embracing a variety of energy sources such as nuclear power and offshore oil drilling, and finding new ways to fund transportation as keys to creating jobs and boosting economic development.

Deeds said he was open to any new revenue stream for transportation except for transfers from the general fund or raising taxes that go to the general fund. When questioned after his speech, he said that included tolls and the gas tax.

Deeds said he would not change the transportation funding formula for current revenue — which favors more rural parts of the state — but that new revenue needed to be focused largely in highly congested regions of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

McDonnell’s speech largely focused on his policy proposals. He said he’d focus more funding to tourism and the film industry. He also touted his transportation plan, which includes a $4 billion bond package, the privatization of liquor sales, the dedication of offshore drilling revenues and the use of general fund revenues.

In discussions with reporters, however, McDonnell again found himself questioned on a thesis he wrote as a graduate and law student at Regent University. He grew testy when he was repeatedly asked if his core values have changed since he wrote the paper. McDonnell said that he still believes that strong families are the cornerstone of society, but when asked whether he considers single mothers or gay parents who’ve adopted a child to fall under that definition, he declined to answer directly.

McDonnell said he finds it "insulting" that Deeds and the reporter have continued to press on the issue, which he said he addressed at length weeks ago.