Cline, Bell, Bell endorsement suggests passive support for 24th District anti-primary lawsuit

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Three Virginia House of Delegates members — Dickie Bell, Rob Bell, and Ben Cline — appear to have passively endorsed a lawsuit that was brought against the 24th Senate District (represented by State Senator Emmett Hanger) by endorsing the re-election of the tea party-leaning GOP chairman who voted for the lawsuit.

The endorsement was announced in an email distributed on Friday, five days before the filing deadline for others who may have been interested in the chair position.

The lawsuit, changing the statute to require a convention, thus removing the incumbents’ choice of re-election nomination (primary, firehouse primary, caucus, etc), was struck down by the courts in 2015 but is now under appeal.

If the delegates like the idea of having only conventions and doing away with primaries for the state party, perhaps they should step to the plate and write a bill to have it passed in the General Assembly instead of tacitly supporting renegade groups like the 24th legislative committee, and allowing them to tie up the Republican Party with lawsuits.

More precisely, why are the three delegates supporting Staunton Chairman Matt Fitzgerald, who voted to move the lawsuit forward and runs with Waynesboro Chairman Ken Adams who spearheaded the entire thing that was backed by anonymous consultants and financiers from other areas of the Commonwealth? This lawsuit, filed in the tumultuous 6th Congressional District represented by Bob Goodlatte, may hurt future elections and the Republican Party. By always requiring conventions, there would be no primaries, thus disenfranchising other voters such as military members, the elderly, families with small children, long distances to travel, and employees who cannot get a day off work. (Absentee ballots are not allowed for conventions but are allowed for primaries.)

Fitzgerald was also part of an anti-Goodlatte group who secretly met to plan the hijacking of the hours-long, hostile 6th District meeting in December. Yet he received the endorsement of not only the delegates but others. See the Fitzgerald endorsement email here.

For those who wish to participate in the Staunton Republican Committee mass meeting to be held on February 18 at 7:00pm at the Staunton Public Library, a prefile form is required and must be received by February 15. The Staunton Republican Committee website has not been updated since March 2015 but the information was found at the 6th District website.

UPDATE: On February 12 and 17, 2016, emails were sent to all three delegates to ask about their endorsements. As of February 23, no answers have been received. We realize they are in session in RVA so will send a follow-up email to the first two.

Delegates’ endorsements suggest passive support for convention lawsuit

Three Virginia House of Delegates members — Dickie Bell, Rob Bell, and Ben Cline — appear to have passively endorsed a lawsuit that was brought against the 24th Senate District (represented by State Senator Emmett Hanger) by endorsing the re-election of the tea party-leaning GOP chairman who voted for the lawsuit. The endorsement was announced in an email distributed on Friday.

The lawsuit, changing the statute to require a convention, thus removing the incumbents’ choice of re-election nomination (primary, firehouse primary, caucus, etc), was struck down by the courts in 2015 but is now under appeal.

If the delegates like the idea of having only conventions and doing away with primaries for the state party, perhaps they should step to the plate and write a bill to have it passed in the General Assembly instead of tacitly supporting renegade groups like the 24th legislative committee, and allowing them to tie up the Republican Party with lawsuits.

More precisely, why are the three delegates supporting Staunton Chairman Matt Fitzgerald, who voted to move the lawsuit forward and runs with Waynesboro Chairman Ken Adams who spearheaded the entire thing that was backed by anonymous consultants and financiers from other areas of the Commonwealth? This lawsuit, filed in the tumultuous 6th Congressional District represented by Bob Goodlatte, may hurt future elections and the Republican Party. By always requiring conventions, there would be no primaries, thus disenfranchising other voters such as military members, the elderly, families with small children, long distances to travel, and employees who cannot get a day off work. (Absentee ballots are not allowed for conventions but are allowed for primaries.)

Fitzgerald was also part of an anti-Goodlatte group who secretly met to plan the hijacking of the hours-long, hostile 6th District meeting in December. Yet he received the endorsement of not only the delegates but others. See the Fitzgerald endorsement email here.

For those who wish to participate in the mass meeting to be held on February 18 at 7:00pm at the Staunton Public Library, a prefile form is being required and must be received by February 15. The Staunton Republican Committee website has not been updated since March 2015 but the information was found at the 6th District website.

Cline, Obenshain draw opponents

By Lynn R. Michell

Word came this week that two more Republicans in the 6th District will be challenged by Democrats.

24th House District:

Ellen Arthur, an attorney who practiced law for 35 years in Lexington, announced that she will run for the 24th House District seat that is currently held by Ben Cline (see Lexington attorney Ellen Arthur to challenge Del. Ben Cline in the Roanoke Times). Ms. Arthur, who will kick off her campaign on April 2 in Lexington, Staunton, Amherst, and Bath County, is particularly driven by Cline’s opposition to the expansion of Medicaid in Virginia.

Town hall meetings for 25th House District

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Town hall meetings will be held in the 25th House District by Delegate Steve Landes (R-Weyers Cave) in preparation of the upcoming 2015 General Assembly session.

The first town meeting will be held in Crozet on Saturday, January 3, 2015, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Crozet Library, 2020 Library Lane, Crozet.

Augusta elected officials support Linda Jones for J&DR judgeship

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Linda Schorsch Jones, a Waynesboro attorney and school board member, has the support of local Republican elected officials to fill a vacant Juvenile and Domestic Relations judgeship, according to a press release from Senator Emmett Hanger’s office:

Breaking: Jon Berkley wins 5th Congressional District chair – UPDATED

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Jon Berkley, who was attacked at the eleventh hour by a rumor pushed out by a far-right blog, was voted in Saturday as chairman of the 5th Congressional District over Mark Lloyd who was supported by the tea party and endorsed by Delegate Ben Cline and Senator Tom Garrett. The convention, which started at 10:00 a.m., was still going at 3:30 after contentious battles over credentials, rules, and other issues. Stay tuned as we hear more developments. Congratulations to Jon Berkley and his supporters.

UPDATE #1: We’re hearing Jon Berkley won with 59 percent of the vote.

UPDATE #2: Justin Higgins has more from the convention.

UPDATE #3: Rick Sincere has additional details of the convention.

 

Photos 2 … Sixth Congressional District Convention faces in the crowd

Delegate Terry Austin of Botetourt

Medicaid expansion … looking for solutions instead of just saying no

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It’s an interesting stand-off in Augusta County with the discussion (or lack of for some) about Medicaid expansion and what to do about those who fall through the cracks of coverage. If I listen to those to the political right of me, the solution is that we should do nothing, shut down, just say no.