Halifax County Republicans elected a new Chairman after a huge turnout at last Thursday night’s mass meeting. 307 qualified voters participated, in a room built to hold a maximum of 265, with South Boston pastor Todd McClure winning a 166-135 decision over incumbent Pat Barksdale.
Turnout far surpassed either side’s expectations, and overwhelmed check-in staff. Check-in began at 6:00 pm, and voters stood in line for over two hours before the meeting – scheduled for 7:00 – began just after 8:00.
Barksdale’s campaign emphasized her 10 years of experience as chairman, and endorsements from state senators Bill Stanley and Frank Ruff, Del. James Edmunds, former congressman Virgil Goode, and congressman Robert Hurt, who recorded a robocall that went out Thursday on Barksdale’s behalf.
Also present on Barksdale’s behalf were a number of supporters from out of town. County chairmen from Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Madison showed up to wear “Pat” stickers, as did Fifth District Treasurer Tinker Burkhardt, former Fifth District Chairman Jon Berkley, and former party official Gene Smith from Campbell County. McClure’s coalition included pastors and members of several local churches, and both candidates also enjoyed support from local community leaders.
Barksdale had never had a challenge to her leadership in her 10 years as Chairman. Her campaign went on the attack from the outset, suggesting that McClure, who was not a current member of the Halifax committee, should not seek the chairmanship, and that his support base was too heavily composed of members of local churches. Some Barksdale supporters argued that McClure, as a pastor, would run afoul of IRS rules by seeking elected office. McClure and supporters were personally accosted by some Barksdale supporters. One man even threatened to seek an IRS investigation of McClure’s church, claiming violations of IRS Code 501(c)(3) because McClure was seeking political office and had asked some church members to attend and support him.
Both sides arrived prepared to put forward a candidate for temporary chairman. Emotions were high, and a bruising floor fight appeared likely. But the sheer size of the crowd lengthened check-in time and strained the capacity of the room. Local law enforcement were concerned that the size of the crowd would force the Fire Marshal’s intervention.
In an effort to get the process moving and reduce the tension, Bill Stanley’s legislative aide Richard Crouse and I worked to bring the campaigns to an agreed-upon agenda. The McClure side agreed to allow Del. Edmunds, a Barksdale endorser, to chair the meeting. Two attorneys, John Marsden and I, were agreed upon as co-parliamentarians, representing the Barksdale and McClure camps respectively. The McClure forces conceded to a Barksdale majority on all mass meeting committees. Finally, the election began.
Edmunds relinquished the chair temporarily to make Barksdale’s nomination speech, in which he also spoke well of McClure. McClure opened his own speech with praise for Barksdale’s ten years of service as chairman. He rejected any attacks on Barksdale, instead laying out a strongly conservative vision, highlighting his strong support for the pro-life cause and traditional marriage. He urged party unity, and called for the “lawless” administration of Barack Obama to be reined in, “starting here tonight.” He was interrupted several times by applause.
If you elect me tonight, I promise you this: This campaign is not about subtraction. It is not about ‘us vs. them.’ No, this campaign is about addition, and multiplication. I will work hard to utilize the talents and experience of everyone in this room, and many more besides. It is not the chairman, but you, the grassroots, who make our party great. I will work hand in hand with you to fulfill our shared mission.”
Barksdale’s team had come prepared with 200 ballots for the chairman’s race. Fortunately, so had McClure’s team. The ballots were combined, and voting began. Each team deployed observers as the ballots were counted, and the two sides worked together in a process that, despite the crowd size, went relatively flawlessly.
After ballots were counted and recounted, the results were announced. Barksdale declined Edmunds’ invitation to make final comments, and McClure took a few moments to again thank Barksdale for her service and call on party members to unite to “defeat Hillary Clinton,” and the meeting was adjourned.
In its story on the mass meeting (the story had no byline and was not attributed to any reporter) the South Boston News & Record—which did not have a reporter present at the meeting—accused the McClure campaign of busing voters in on “five church buses,” and stated that many McClure supporters left as soon as their ballots were cast. In fact, the only bus present was the McKelvey for Congress RV, and the vast majority of both candidates’ supporters left upon casting their vote. After voters stood in line for two hours to check in, balloting was only completed around 10:00 p.m., and only perhaps 50-75 people, among whom were supporters of both candidates, stayed to hear the results announced. The News & Record also called McClure’s a “stealth campaign,” an interesting description for a broad-based effort that attracted 166 votes and support from many community leaders.
Del. Edmunds stayed to congratulate McClure, and to pledge to work with him to unite and broaden the Halifax GOP.
As the meeting concluded, McClure explained to a reporter from the Gazette Virginian his motivation for making his maiden run for office. “I want to see more people get involved in the political process and be heard,” McClure said, “And I look forward to that. … I want to see principled Republicans get in office. I want to see conservatives who have real nation needs help, and I want to see people get involved.”
In Halifax County, negative campaigning proved not to work. The voters rejected a campaign too dependent on endorsements from elected officials, and too busy fighting political turf wars and decrying the infusion of new blood. In the end, the final vote count was a testament to McClure’s ability to build coalitions, and the persuasive power of a positive, strongly conservative, values-focused message.
Judging from the enthusiastic response to McClure’s appeal, and the large crowd of excited conservatives he mobilized, some very good times are ahead for Halifax Republicans.
25 comments
Another house cleaning!
It’s good to see that the South Boston News & Record story has now been updated. Some of the inaccuracies have been removed, and others attributed as claims by the Barksdale campaign instead of stated as historical facts by the paper. And a reporter’s byline has now been added to the updated and (partially) corrected story.
It’s also good to see that the News & Record now has some actual quotes from Chairman McClure’s speech, which it must have obtained from The Bull Elephant story, to which I linked in a comment on the newspaper’s website – as it had no reporter there to record the quotes, and the only “quote” in the initial fictional story was nowhere to be found in the speech.
The News & Record was caught redhanded in complete fabrications. It’s sad that an outfit professing to be a newspaper has to be thoroughly embarrassed publicly before it will even live up to basic standards one would expect from a mediocre high school newspaper – but hey, better to make the changes in the updated story than to persist in reporting pure fiction as historical fact.
Glad the new Conservative guy won. Ten years is more than plenty for one person to serve in a leadership position. #TermLimits
The churches have taken control and none of their issues will change. Abortion will continue to remain legal. Gay marriage will remain legal.
Boyer takeovers last a few years hthen people realize that the puppets he leaves behind are empty suits.
Much to many peoples dismay they will find that the suit is not empty.
What more can this guy do, even if Boyer is telling him what to do? James Edmunds, Bill Stanley and Frank Ruff are all set for life in their districts and already Republicans. The county has been Republican in every state and national election that I can remember. The test will be to see how many of these new members come to the next few meetings. And if Rick Boyer comes with them.
If all of that is so why do we need any Chairman my republican brother? Why do we need Pat or Todd? The simple truth is no person is set for life, just ask Virgil and Eric Cantor.
Why all the hate on Rick Boyer who is a man that loves his country, state and party. He is of high character and simply has a strong set of beliefs in how this country was founded, it’s Constitution and the direction in which it is going.
Because he’s a demagogue who barrels into a new vulnerable area with no regard for what’s already there. He wants to expand his empire, and doesn’t mind one bit when it crumbles long after he’s gone.
Actually, Rick cares very much when county leadership crumples due to illegal abuse. Why, in Campbell, he fought like a bull dog against a man who won by openly swamping the mass meeting with democrats and anti-Republicans. After almost a year of appeals, hearings, rulings from RPV legal counsel, a lawsuit, etc., the SCC rightly recognized the wrong and decisively invalidated the “election.” Despite the legal victory, the imposter still would not yield, and so here we are, not one, but two years later, poised to duke it out in court against this man for open theft of Campbell Republican money. So, your accusation falls flat on its face.
But now, when a candidate wins fair and square, that’s a different story. What damage is done? Mrs. Barksdale repeatedly said she wasn’t in it for the title. McClure said in his campaign speech he wanted to add to the party, not subtract. He had nothing but kind words for Barksdale before, during, and after the meeting. She is free to continue her activism on behalf of Republicans.
I know you aren’t going to be swayed by my recounting of history; you have made your opinion of Rick clear for years. I answer for the benefit of other readers.
He also lost his ass when he tried to make Campbell County Clerk of Court into a partisan race for his brother.
Bottom line, he’s accomplished absolutely nothing in reality and his Religious Right candidates that he’s supported statewide have gone down in spectacular flames.
Your mention of his brother in relation to the Clerk’s race is confusing. His brother (which one?) never ran for Clerk.
Rather, it was Rick himself who ran for Clerk. You are correct he lost. He lost fair and square. So, instead of complaining, making unsubstantiated accusations, or questioning the faith or tactics of his opponent, he recognized the obvious: an election fairly lost caused him no harm, nor did it infringe on his freedom to continue to engage politically. He and his former opponent enjoy a friendly professional working relationship. She once left him a personal voicemail message, sincerely thanking him for his ensuing public support.
See? There was no carnage. Mrs. Barksdale need not magnify her loss. If she wants, she can do everything she did before, just minus the title. Rick has been doing that for decades, sometimes with a title, most of the time without.
It is true, statewide candidates have not fared well recently. To pin that on Rick, though, grossly exaggerates his influence. Thanks for the compliment, though.
Locally, the situation is far different. 4 out of the 7 Board members are now Republican. All won in hotly contested races. Two of the 4 defeated entrenched incumbents. The other 2 defeated the illegitimate, ousted “Republican Chairman” and his likewise illegitimate treasurer.
Campbell’s voting averages for our statewide candidates also attest to the effectiveness of our Republican Committee. Campbell consistently delivers some of the highest Republican outcomes in district and state elections, even for Robert Hurt and even during the years when Hurt openly did all he could to undermine our committee, courting the local political party founded for the sole purpose of defeating Campbell Republicans. I recall this not to complain, but to establish how remarkable the influence was; Campbell’s Republicans have effectively promoted Republicanism and have won heated, contested elections, all while fighting virulent local factions and even our own Congressman. And, until recently, we did all this with no support at all from RPV, whose leadership only recently changed enough that the SCC will now no longer look the other way.
Again, I know there is probably nothing I could say that would sway you; I answer your points with other readers in mind. Nevertheless, I wish you well and hope you have a nice night.
Bruce obviously has a longstanding animosity against the religious right, but to each there own that is why we are a Representative Republic, have a Constitution and a standing army. So that people can support left wing candidates, right wing candidates or fence sitting candidates. Got to love freedom 🙂
Although it is not evident on this thread, Bruce also has quite the sense of humor, and sometimes the banter in the comments section is downright funny. 🙂
if this gentleman can do a better job than Pat Barksdale, then have at it. wait, there is already a Republican Delegate & State Senator & Congressman. Will he be able to elect all Republican Supervisors? not in Halifax. what are this gentleman’s goals to increase participation? further, how is it a “platform” to advocate policies that are against current law–in fact, unconstitutional?
What platform do you speak of as being unconstitutional?
oh, I thought abortion was a right defined, with limits, by the Supreme Court. would this gentleman seek to deny this right? do his followers understand that overturning Roe & progeny would be next to impossible? if he has convinced his followers that SC decisions can be overturned willy-nilly, then he: 1: very persuasive or 2: has very gullible followers.
Oh, dear Kelley, the setting for this noble fight to return the right (not to be killed) to unborn human babies is the Halifax County that resides in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia, not SC.
getting a case before the Supreme Court is a very expensive & time consuming process. Many kudos to you to have just that case from Halifax to overturn the right to abortion. I will watch for it
Abortion is a right? No, it’s a con disguised as a right. The mother has rights as an individual with a body of her own, so does the baby.
Hence why people started turning against abortion once the technology to see the infant became cheaper. The whole “Whoops, that’s a person!” thing is an argument that abortion supporters can’t refute.
Possibly because killing another person like that is murder.
Perfect response and totally accurate.
Thanks.
I think you are confusing the Constitution with Supreme Court rulings, which are interpretations of the Constitution, but not the Constitution itself.
In case anyone is wondering, but is not inclined to read through McClure’s speech, here is the relevant text:
“I believe deeply in the values in our party platform. I believe life begins at conception, and I believe our government should respect
and protect all human life. I believe marriage is between one man and one woman, no matter what five unelected lawyers on the Supreme Court may say.”
For comparison, here are portions of the Republican Creed:
“That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice…” and
“That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.”
No where does he “advocate policies that are against current law.”
Many other things have been deemed Constitutional in the past that were overturned (such as slavery and a woman’s right to vote). How can a chairman in Halifax County deny anything (this is silly to be certain). His followers are realists and know that it would take the entire country for such a thing to be made right, but does that mean we just forget about what we believe? Do we simply turn and look the other way? No we fight every step of the way for what we as a party believes. If your a Republican that is what you believe if you believe the creed!
As far as “increasing participation,” he seems to be off to a pretty good start! That was probably the biggest Mass Meeting in Halifax in the past 10 years. From what I hear, many of the newcomers were excited about becoming more involved. It seemed that some of the stalwarts were less enthusiastic about the prospect.
Great Article. Thank you Rick!