Guest Post: I Support Del. Will Morefield

By Jerry Lester

Jerry Lester (left) and Delegate Will Morefield

I support Delegate Will Morefield.

I exercised my constitutional right in last year’s Republican primary and supported Ted Cruz. However, after President Trump received the nomination, I supported him in the General Election.

What happened to people who don’t support others’ rights to choose the candidate they support? It is very disturbing to be labeled “against coal” for not supporting a certain candidate.

I earned the right to vote for the candidate of my choice through many ways such as serving my country for three years in the military from 1962 to 1965. I can speak as a coal miner as I actually DID work in the coal mines and crawled on my knees working between two pieces of a rock.

For 10 years I served as the Buchanan County Republican Party Chairman, plus 10 years on the Republican State Central Committee, and 10 years as the Third Legislative District Republican Chairman that Will Morefield represents.

I do support Delegate Will Morefield because I remember that, while Chairman of the Buchanan County Republican Party and the 3rd Legislative District, Delegate Morefield was elected after 25 years or longer of Democratic rule. We had no voice as the Democrats did what they wanted to get votes and elect others to many different positions.

In Buchanan County we finally elected a Republican sheriff for the first time in 25 years, and along the way we also elected a Commonwealth’s Attorney for the first time in 40 years, and we elected the first Republican Commissioner of Revenue in 60 years, all while Will Morefield was in office.

Do we want to go back and give the General Election to the Democrats after all this hard work from so many Republican Party loyalists? I for one will not, and you can bet if we have a new person running for this position then Democrats could regain control.

I urge all my friends in Buchanan County to vote for Delegate Will Morefield and stop listening to outside people who have not earned that right.

The House of Delegates 3rd District mass meeting will be held Saturday, April 29, at 10:30 a.m. at Richlands High School. The district consists of the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Russell (part), and Tazewell in Virginia’s 9th Congressional District.

9th District Convention produces 1 Trump, 2 Cruz delegates for Cleveland

By Matt Colt Hall and Lynn R. Mitchell
Our observations and photos of Saturday’s 9th District Convention. Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

This past Saturday the 9th Congressional District Republican Committee, represented by Morgan Griffith, elected their State Central Committee members, Delegates and Alternates for the Republican National Convention, and the Presidential Elector. This election provided another loss to the Donald J. Trump delegate recruitment as two Delegates who pledged to support Senator Ted Cruz were elected to the Republican National Committee Delegate position.

The breakdown of Saturday’s elections:

Presidential Elector: John Rainero, 39, a civil engineer involved in sales, design, and construction with Permatile Concrete Products Company in Bristol. A Virginia Tech alumni, he attended the Sorensen Institute of Leadership at UVa in 2009.

State Central Committee:

1. Susan Edwards*
2. Michelle Jenkins*
3. Corey Scott
*Incumbent

Republican National Convention Delegate

1. Kyle Kilgore: Cruz. Kyle, 22, represents the next generation of Kilgores in politics and, on Saturday, he received by far the most votes. From Scott County, he is a student at East Tennessee State University.

2. Jordan Labiosa: Cruz. Jordan, 22, is one of the many millennials who are moving into party leadership. A member of New Castle town council, he is chairman of the Craig County Republican Committee and works with 6th Congressional District Representative Bob Goodlatte.

3. Tucker Davis: Trump. Tucker, who is from Grundy in Buchanan County, has worked various Republican campaigns and is currently on staff with the Trump campaign.

Republican National Convention Alternate Delegate

1. Robert Taconet: Cruz.
2. Flux Neo: Trump.
3. Tamara Neo: Trump.

From Matt….
This Convention was personal for me as an activist. It’s difficult to stay objective as a writer for this convention. My best friend from college Corey Scott and one of my political mentors Michelle Jenkins were on the ballot for State Central. I’ve known most of these candidates for years. The friendships made in the 9th District transcend the ideological differences that our party currently faces.

Jeb Bush has Thursday fundraiser in Bristol for Virginia GOP senate candidates

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Java With Jeb. Billed as coffee and conversation with Jeb Bush at Bristol’s Birthplace of Country Music Museum, it’s the kind of team effort from a top-tier presidential contender that is welcomed by Virginia Republicans.

The former Florida governor will headline a Thursday fundraiser for the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus. As Shaun Kenney noted at Bearing Drift, “[GOP 21st senate district candidate] Nancy Dye has to be pleased. More to the point, this is the sort of team rally that candidates ought to be doing, especially in states where early support matters.” Dr. Dye is in a three-way race with Democratic incumbent John Edwards and independent Don Caldwell.

Governor Bush is paying attention to Virginia and has ties that make those connections even more important in this battleground state that has gone blue the past two presidential elections. President Barack Obama won by 6.3 percent of the vote in 2008 only to see that margin shrink to 3.88 percent in 2012. A Republican could win in 2016.

Bush has friends in high places in the Commonwealth — former Lieutenant Governor John Hager whose son Henry is married to George W’s daughter Jenna, Ed Gillespie who was right-hand man to President George W. Bush and former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, Kay James who was a member of the George Allen and George W. Bush administrations, and Eric Cantor whose influence and connections run throughout not only Virginia but to the highest levels in D.C. and beyond.

Jeb Bush to fundraise for Virginia state senate candidates at ‘Java with Jeb’ event

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Demonstrating the team spirit that will be necessary for Republican wins in 2015 and 2016, former Florida Jeb Bush is heading to southwest Virginia to fund raise for the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus and their candidates who include Nancy Dye who is running against  incumbent Democratic candidate John Edwards and independent candidate Don Caldwell.

Billed as Java with Jeb, an opportunity for coffee and conversation with the presidential candidate, the event will be held on Thursday, September 24, at the Birthplace of Country Music museum in Bristol at 11:45 a.m. Dye will attend, and others expected to be there include Senators Bill Carrico, Ben Chafin, Ralph Smith, and Ryan McDougle.

Republicans currently hold a 21-19 majority in the Virginia State Senate, a lead they are trying to retain in the upcoming November elections. Jeb’s appearance will help pull in funds for campaigns and increase his profile in our battleground state.

 

 

9th Congressional District leadership seminar photos

By Matt Colt Hall

Morgan Griffith offers background on Nov. 13th Speaker vote

By Lynn R. Mitchell

On the eve of a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives for Speaker of the House, Virginia Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-9th CD) issued a press release related to the upcoming vote:

Brat voted for Boehner before he voted against him

Speaker John Boehner

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Virginia freshman Congressman Dave Brat (R-7th CD) authored a column in Monday’s Breitbart News that said he has no intentions of voting for John Boehner for Speaker of the House: “While I like Speaker Boehner personally, he will not have my support for Speaker.”

However, Mr. Brat already voted for John Boehner because the vote for Speaker took place in November and it was unanimous (see No, there’s no race for Speaker of the House by Brian Schoeneman at Bearing Drift):

The elections for the House Republican Leadership were held on November 13 in the Conference and there were no surprises. The Conference meeting included all of the new members, who were in town for orientation and these meetings.  The new members chose their Freshman Class representative, Congresswoman-elect Mimi Walters (R-CA), as well.

Here’s the press conference they held after the leadership elections.

Keep in mind what I already wrote: nobody ran against Boehner.

So Mr. Brat was for Mr. Boehner before he was against him.

Congressman Goodlatte, please vote for Speaker John Boehner

By Lynn R. Mitchell

On Sunday afternoon, there was yet another email that urged everyone to contact our congressman, Bob Goodlatte, to instruct him to not vote for Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday.  I totally support Speaker Boehner and have relayed that to Congressman Goodlatte. Did the anti-Boehner forces not read the post by Brian Schoeneman at Bearing Drift that they are being duped (see No, there’s no race for Speaker of the House)?

Here’s the email that came from Roanoke City Republican Committee chairman John Brill:

Speaker Howell, others congratulate Todd Pillion on election to the Virginia House of Delegates

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Republican Todd Pillion won the special election held Tuesday for Virginia’s 4th House of Delegates District due to the election of Ben Chafin to the State Senate. Unofficial results showed Pillion won with 66 percent of the vote over Democrat Donnie Rife’s 34 percent.

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) congratulated Delegate-elect Pillion:

Be careful of those you trust

By Jerry Lester

Why family or friends back-stab: trying to understand why some people “back-stab” or double-cross …

A backstabber is someone who pretends to be your friend, or to be on your side, and then turns around and does or says things that lead to you being harmed, exposed, or treated badly as a result of things they suggest or reveal.

Backstabbing is a form of manipulation and reveals a person who is disloyal, insecure, and very unsure of their own place.