Virginia Republicans look to the future

Linwood Cobb and Eric Cantor

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It’s the Top 5 state offices: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, two U.S. senate seats. Add to that president.

Virginia Republicans saw all those offices turn over to Democrats the past few years including the back-to-back loss for president that marked the first time Virginia carried a Democrat for president since the 1960s.

Frustrated at the string of losses and looking at the 2016 presidential election looming right around the corner, more than 100 Republican activists gathered Saturday in Richmond from as far away as southwestern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Southern Virginia, and the Richmond area. Representing every congressional district and looking to the future during the day-long event, they met in a casual atmosphere to hear positive messages from respected leaders and to network with fellow activists.  The message was one of how to grow the party and work together, how to reach diverse communities, and how to move forward to once again win statewide and presidential elections.