The great news today is that Sen. Russell Potts (RINO-27) is retiring. He is quitting in the face of two primary challengers.
Which leads us to His Lordship Sir John Chichester (RINO-28). He has from Feb. 27th to March 27th to declare how he wants to be re-nominated. Except the recent court decision said the Party can select the means (not a direct quote) if there is a disagreement. So, the all politics is local adage boils down to one person at the meeting of the Republican 28th Senate Legislative District meeting on Monday in Stafford.
The Legislative Committee, consisting of the unit chairs for every city and county in the 28th District, is considering the Resolution shown below. If they vote ‘Yes’, then His Lordship will face whatever they like – probably a convention. If they vote ‘No’ then Chichester gets to see how many Democrats and Independents he can get to an open primary.
Since Stafford is 58% of the district, the Stafford Chairman, Bob Hunt, has 58% of the vote. His yea or nay will determine if the RPV in the 28th District holds its elected officials accountable for violating the Virginia Republican Creed and betraying the trust of the People and Party of his nomination and caucus, or not.
If you are a Stafford Republican, you might want to chat with Bob Hunt about his vote.
RESOLUTION OF THE
28TH SENATORIAL DISTRICT REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, despite substantial disagreement between this Committee and the incumbent State Senator representing the District on matters of fundamental Republican principles, the Committee prefers not to remove the Senator from the Party; and
WHEREAS, the Committee has been advised that the State Board of Elections has adopted the position in pending federal litigation that disassociation by the Party of an incumbent legislator of the Party is the only means by which the Committee can avoid being forced by operation of Virginia statutes to have an open primary in which Democrats and others obviously hostile to the Party’s principles, goals and policies are allowed to participate; and
WHEREAS, an open primary is prohibited under the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia and would infringe upon the First Amendment right of free association guaranteed by the United States Constitution enjoyed by both the Party and its individual members and adherents.
WHEREAS, the Chairman of the Committee has asked the incumbent State Senator to advise the Committee whether he will foreswear his statutory prerogative under Va. Code § 24.2-509(B) to select the method of Party nomination in 2007 and allow the Party to select the nomination method, thereby avoiding any further reason for Committee consideration of the disassociation option; and
WHEREAS, the incumbent State Senator has not provided that commitment; and
WHEREAS, the only course available to the Committee by which it can comply with the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia and protect the First Amendment rights of the Party and its members is disassociation of the incumbent State Senator; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 28th Senatorial District Republican Committee reluctantly and regretfully disassociates itself from the incumbent State Senator in the District and also disassociates the incumbent State Senator from the Republican Party; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Committee adopts as a rule and regulation that any candidate for the Republican nomination must adhere to Section A.1. of the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia and assure, to the extent he is legally able, that the Party and its committees, including this Committee, are not forced by operation of Virginia statute to accept in Republican Party nomination processes voters who are not in accord with the principles of the Republican Party of Virginia; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Secretary of this Committee is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to the incumbent State Senator, the State Board of Election and the Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.