Two days from now we will have a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General.
If Sen. Jill Vogel wins the Lieutenant Governor’s race, the campaign for the Republican nomination to fill her seat will be short and furious, starting with a filing deadline just a day after the General Election and culminating in a firehouse primary on November 18th. If the last few weeks are any indication, the campaign will also become nasty thanks to former 10th Congressional District GOP Chairman, Mr. Jim Rich, and his allies.
The only declared Republican candidate so far is Martha Boneta. For those who may not know her, Martha is a resident of the town of Paris in northern Fauquier County, where she owns and operates Liberty Farm. She is well known in Republican circles as a champion for freedom in the battle over land use rights, and because of this she is widely despised by some in Fauquier due to her long running battle with the Piedmont Environmental Council and two of their members. This battle is too complicated to explain fully here, but if you search the internet for Martha Boneta you can learn all about it.
Jim Rich and his allies are looking to use trumped up charges and innuendo to prevent Martha Boneta from ever getting on the ballot to run for Senate should Jill Vogel win tomorrow. One way they are doing this is by accusing Martha of donating to a non-Republican candidate running against a Republican. No proof of this allegation has ever been produced, yet they are hoping to use this lie, combined with improperly removing her from the Fauquier County Committee, in a pitiful attempt to derail Martha Boneta’s candidacy before it begins.
They are also spreading another lie that Martha is not registered to vote in Fauquier County, and rumor has it they may even try to prevent her from voting for Governor tomorrow. This is a matter of public record, and is not disputable: Martha Boneta is registered to vote in Leeds precinct in Fauquier county which is where Paris is located; period. Unfortunately, that may not stop a corrupt machine in a small county from trying to railroad an honest, private citizen.
Suffice it to say, PEC surrogates have been trying to destroy Martha Boneta for a very long time, and this is where Mr. Rich comes in.
For those unfamiliar with Fauquier Republican politics, Mr. Rich has controlled the Fauquier County Republican Committee (FCRC) for many years, and the primary reason the committee leadership does everything they can to maintain iron fisted control over the membership is to protect the interests of the PEC. In a largely Republican county, the person with the “R” after their name wins; the FCRC controls who gets to run as a Republican, and therefore they control who sits on the Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint the heads of all the committees and commissions that run the county, and so having PEC friendly supervisors ensures the no growth policies of the PEC are protected through the county government.
Mr. Rich uses any means he can to keep the committee as small as possible, and stacked with PEC cronies, some of them undeniable Democrats such as Leslie Cheek III who is the founder of, a board member of, and a donor to, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters who donates millions of dollars to Democrats, including Northam, Herring, and Fairfax this year.
He is also not adverse to working with, and using Democrats to win elections; whether it is a Party canvass or local election for Board of Supervisors.
A perfect example of Mr. Rich’s idea of the “The Big Tent” occurred in 2014 when Mr. Rich and his friends actively recruited Democrats to vote in the Biannual Canvass; a clear violation of the Republican Party of Virginia’s Party Plan.
There was an appeal that went all the way to the State Central Committee, and when Mr. Rich lost by two thirds vote of the SCC, the SCC mandated a new Canvass to be run by the RPV.
Mr. Rich and three of his fellow FCRC members promptly sued the 1st District Committee and Chairman Herr personally, the RPV and Chairman Mullins personally, and the FCRC.
In the end, they delayed the new canvass for nearly two years, cost the RPV over $70,000 when the RPV was already nearly bankrupt, and then dropped the suit the day before it was to go to court where they would have lost.
Part of his strategy for keeping the FCRC small is to eject anyone who disagrees with him. This is exactly what happened in 2015 to Martha Boneta, Rick Buchanan, and former Supervisor Lee Sherbeyn. All three are good Republicans, but because they oppose Mr. Rich and his tactics, they were summarily removed from the committee on trumped up charges, without the required hearing in front of the committee and without a chance to refute the charges.
Supervisor Sherbeyn had been an ex officio member of the FCRC until he lost in a primary that saw Mr. Rich working with known Democrats to recruit Democrat voters to defeat Sherbeyn. Sherbeyn had been the only Supervisor who stood up to the PEC, and Jim Rich’s mission was to take Sherbeyn out in favor of a PEC member whom they recruited to run for Supervisor.
All three of these members; Boneta, Buchanan, and Sherbeyn simply received a letter in the mail saying they had been “deemed to resign” from the committee on the say so of Chairman Kay Hayes alone.
Because the next Biannual canvass was just a couple of months away, there was no opportunity for them to refute the charges through the appeal process, and no doubt Mr. Rich will try to make a case out of this in the upcoming primary for Jill Vogel’s seat.
There was a short period of time after she had been ejected from the FCRC when Martha changed her registration to Fairfax County. Martha was born and raised in Vienna, and she wanted to be a member of the Republican committee there while she was caring for her father and ailing mother, but she has since changed her registration back to Fauquier where she has voted for years.
There are whispers that Mr. Rich has other tales to tell, and it is unclear who he is working for at this time. Whoever it turns out to be, make no mistake; Mr. Rich will make this race into a nasty affair as he always does.
57 comments
Just getting to know you, but this is already a classic TBE piece, an internal war over a non-existent election! With this sort of Republican unity, who needs an opposition? The craziest part: Threats to toss those with whom you merely disagree while shredding the party from within. You cannot make this stuff up!
Cam,
I read you article and I have to ask, where is your evidence? You state Jim Rich and his allies are using “trumped up charges and innuendo to prevent Martha Boneta from ever getting on the ballot to run for Senate.” What are the charges? Where have they attempted to to use these charges? Has anyone actually attempted to stop Martha from voting? If so, who? Where is the evidence that they accused Martha of donating to a Democrat? Who improperly removed her from the Fauquier County Republican Committee? How did they improperly remove her?
You use a lot of supposition and innuendo, but you don’t provide anything in the way of hard facts to support your hypothesis. Your claims may very well be right, but it seems like you are slinging mud, using unseemly things that happened in the past, the exact think you are accusing Jim Rich and his allies of.
It isn’t enough that we have to fight the democrats; now we have to fight the republicans too? I know nothing about the political machine in Fauquer County, but I do know Martha Boneta, and she would be an asset in Jill Vogel’s seat.
Why does the AC/DC song, “Dirty Deeds, done dirt cheap” always remind me of Jim Rich?
Wow, she has got the establishment running scared, when they stoop to these tactics you know they fear the results. I think Martha will be a superb Senator who will represent her constituents faithfully under the Constitution. Mary aspect of the state government are over reaching the proper role of government and she will bring great legislation that will restrain government. Join Martha’s Movement and show the establishment that the people are the boss. Let the Pitchfork Rebellion part II begin.
Jim Rich needs a stake and some holy water. Rinos like that need to join the democratic committee where he will fit right in. November 8th is time to fuck some shit up for that democrat. Until then drive friends and neighbors to the polls.
Martha is a great lady and will be a great Senator when Jill wins.
Sounds to me like Jim Rich is a horrible person. He’s arrogant, and somehow entitled to his position? It’s high time we drain that swamp too!
Yes, it’s way past time to drain the swamp in Fauquier.
So says the woman who doesn’t live in Fauquier County…
This describes way too many Republican committees in VA. They are think they are entitled. They act like Democrats and that is probably what they are, but pretending to be Republicans. Just an observation.
Jim Rich dug his own grave evidently.
Martha’s residency has gone back and forth from Fairfax to Fauquier to Fairfax, depending on what she is trying to accomplish. She is not allowed a residential use at her Liberty Farm, so she has lived in Fairfax County with her husband who is a Fairfax attorney (criminal law, I think.) She did buy a house in Paris, supposedly, but then she leased it… So she leaves herself open to the accusation of opportunism. Does she still own a primary home in Fairfax County? I think she does, and this is where her husband lives. Correct me if wrong. Rich Buchanan is a long time Fauquie resident who would be an excellent candidate, without MB’s issues of residency, which look sketchy to any objective voter … hate to side with Rich here…
There is nothing wrong with people having multiple homes. Martha is registered in Fauquier. As far as I know there is no such thing as a ‘primary home’. People who live in Florida for 7 months of the year can still vote from their home in NY.
Jim Rich will never allow Rick Buchanan to run for the seat. Rich has already chosen who will run for the seat as well as who will run for that candidate’s seat in the HOD.
In Virginia, you need to be a resident for 6 months, or intend that a new residence be your primary home. You cannot live in Florida for 7 months out of the year and legally continue to vote in Virginia, unless you have a residence here and state you intend to make it your residence for more than 6 months out of the year ~ You cannot avoid paying Virginia property and income taxes by claiming you live in Florida for 7 months, and then come here and vote…
You do not have to live in a home for any amount of time to register to vote there. ‘Primary residence’ is about taxes, not voting or running for office.
If you pay personal property taxes and income taxes in a location other than where you try to run as a candidate, then you have legal issues as to your ability to be a candidate. You can change residences, but you have to declare you intend to be a permanent resident of the locale, and that means that you intend to permanently live there… I don’t think she lives there permanently, but is using that location opportunistically, and as much as Martha is a nice, friendly, pretty woman, I think she should run for office where she lives (Fairfax County) with her husband, if she is interested… and not run in Fauquier, where she is well known for her fight over her farm ~ which is restricted to only ag uses, and she cannot live there ~ that was her problem all along, she put a kitchen and bathroom in the “barn” and was alleged to have slept there, and to use it as a residence, which was (and still is) illegal.
Definitely Jim….
Straight from the VA Board of Elections website on the qualifications to be a candidate in VA:
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/candidatepac-info/becoming-a-candidate/
Candidates for office must meet certain qualifications and are required to file specific documents in order to qualify to appear on the ballot. These qualifications and requirements may vary slightly depending on whether the office sought is a local office, a general assembly seat, a statewide office, or a federal office.
Generally, all candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Be qualified to vote for and hold the office sought, and
Be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia for one year immediately preceding the election.
The Declaration of Candidacy simply asks if you have been a VA resident for the year preceding your candidacy (check!) and; I am registered to vote at the above address in the precinct in which I reside. (Check!!)
Conclusion: You don’t know what you’re talking about Jim.
We are talking about running for office, not just registering to vote. The requirements are different. For example, to run for any office in Virginia, you must have lived her (not in Florida) for the last 12 months.
Good. Martha has lived in Virginia for whole life.
Who said anything about avoiding taxes?
You’re getting poor legal counsel.
My family and I were at Martha’s home in Paris for most of the day yesterday, talking about her campaign and helping her prepare for the race should Jill become Lt. Governor. It was a wonderfully quaint home that was well lived in. In fact, you should be able to see a picture of Martha with my two youngest kids sitting in front of her porch on Martha’s Facebook page.
Martha is a fantastic candidate that has been fighting for liberty for years. She would be a strong advocate for Conservative values in Richmond which is why good patriots like Rick Buchanan are endorsing her.
Mick, your father in law faced the same legal issues, when he rented a home in the district he wanted to run in before he sold his “primary” residence in another district, less favorable to Republicans … Martha, has issues with her residency… does her husband live there now? I would bet you anything he still sleeps in their Fairfax County home. It is a second home, that she routinely rents out to helpers and “interns” … We have had one too many candidates who misuse residency requirements opportunistically… and it reflects poorly on our party. Better to nominate someone who has consistently lived in Fauquier and does not have these issues, in my opinion….
Better to nominate Jim Rich’s candidate because someone might point out that Martha has more than one home? Ridiculous. As I recall Mick’s FIL is now SENATOR Black.
Too much drama, and not enough substance, with Martha as the candidate, in my opinion…. she throws nice parties and gives a lot of money to other candidates, but that does not make her qualified to run for office from Fauquier… in my opinion
No one values your opinion Jim.
hahaha
Somebody call me? I thought the Republican mud slinging was not scheduled to start until Wednesday? And the mud was going to get dumped on Stewart?
This is hillarious. Fairfax is maybe the strongest of the 3 tomorrow, and you are all assuming a victory for Vogel. Amazing. What do you know that I do not?
As most folks know, Justin Fairfax is the weakest of the democrat candidates. Where have you been?
“What do you know that I do not?”
LOL! That Jill will win, of course!
Martha has lived in Fauquier for a long time. Her residency should not be an issue, unless someone is desperately looking for a way to keep her off the ballot. I can’t help but wonder what would motivate someone to do that.
Anonymous internet person, given that my father in law won his primary and the general election in 2011, was re-elected, is a sitting Senator to this day, and faced no challenges to his residency, I am at a loss as to the “legal issues” you are referring to. In fact, in 2006 our current Attorney General, Mark Herring, rented a house in the 33rd Senate District less than one month before the election was held so he could run in the special election to defeat me. I don’t seem to recall any challenges to his residency either.
Could it be that you are one of the people who are looking for ways to participate in the attempt to keep Martha off the ballot? Would you care to start using your real name?
Maybe no one challenged your father in law, and he obviously crossed his t’s and dotted his i’s. David Ramadan did get a challenge, and the challenge failed in the Circuit Court. There have been other challenges that have succeeded… You can bet that Rich will challenge Martha on this issue, and from what I have seen, she is at risk for failing at the “residency” requirement to run for office in Fauquier. I wish her well, but would have preferred a more solid Fauquier citizen, who without a doubt lives in Fauquier. Best of luck on her campaign…
Right now I am rooting for our Republican ticket to sweep tomorrow. Once that happens I have no doubt that Martha Boneta will be on the ballot in the firehouse primary on Nov. 18th to fill Jill Vogel’s seat, and I have no doubt she will make a fantastic Senator.
Pretty sure Mr Rich will attempt a legal action of some type; it will fail. Maybe we should look into his other house in Loudon?
No one cares about where a candidate lives. That’s been made obvious over the last several election cycles.
Does your spouse sleep in your home? Is that a residency requirement for voting? She is registered in Fauquier; period. Why is that a problem for you?
In addition to the farm, she also owns a house in the village of Paris where she lives.
Ignore the Fauquier mafia, no one cares which house in Fauquier Martha lives in.
And has lived since 2004 intermittently.
Anon you ignorant slut… Share a name, Jim, or own the title.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z6ch4
The Fauquier Machine is notorious, and there is no low to which they will not stoop in service of their own power. I fully expect that crowd will trump up anything they can to rig the election of Jill’s successor. The fact that they’re in such a rush to do it (with a 1 day filing window!!!!) when the seat technically won’t be vacated until January shows you the fix is in.
Why hasn’t Jim Rich been kicked out of the Republican Party? We need to be fighting the Socialist Democrats, not a divisive idot when nothing but disruption on his mind. His corrosive ego has no place in the Party of Lincoln.
We need to be first concerned that Jill Vogel is elected Lt. Governor before we worry about her replacement in the legislature.
So why is Martha better then the cronies?
Seriously?
Ones money is also their property. Vogel voted for SB 1349, which allows Domion Power to take more of our money just because they can. Boneta supports Vogel. End of story.
Is or has Martha Boneta ever been a registed DC lobbyist? Yes or No. If so, who did she lobby for, and what were the issues? Let’s talk about the issues for a change.
Jim, I’m losing my patience with you and the constant stream of ignorant invective about literally everything. It’s not just me…we’ve gotten complaints about you and another commenter recently. Please stay focused, topical, and say something that contributes to the dialogue, or your time here is nearing an end.
Jim is why we have the block feature. Well Jim and Sd
And we will have to make good use of it!
Whatever happened to BE doesn’t ban people? Let me guess, “Swamp John”, and his Dominion advertising dollars are pissed? And then there are the candidates who refuse to run on their records, they are pissed also. Ask them this Steve, do they want me in here where I somewhat contained? Or, do they want me to start my own unrestricted media outlet? Name one single thing I have written that is not 100% true?
Just so you will know, McAuliffe signed SB1349. I was allowed to question him at length about that live on WRVA radio during his monthly appearance. I think he was surprised, but he took it like a professional politician. Why can’t all politicians who are in the power company’s pocket do likewise?
Anybody else could just do as I do and use the block feature.
do they want me in here where I somewhat contained? Or, do they want me to start my own unrestricted media outlet?
Yes, please do, Jim. If you start your own unrestricted media outlet, it will keep you too occupied to come here.
Steve, please vote him off the island.
I just voted for the only Republican on the ballot in the 97th District, Del. Chris Peace.
You see Steve, Del. Peace didn’t vote for HB 2313, the biggest lie in Virginia history, and the largest tax increase in Virginia history. Also, Del. Peace didn’t vote for the biggest Dominion Power con job in Virginia history, SB 1349.
So, go ahead, give me the boot for voting for a real Republican.
Because she is not a crony, she supports liberty, and she has been through the fire of abuse by the Fauquier County mafia. If anyone knows how individual citizens are being abused, it is her. Also, she is incredibly sincere and has a good heart – she cares for people and in my experience always makes herself available to help others in a similar predicament. These are obviously things one would learn be knowing a person directly; you can take my word or go get to know her yourself … as I am sure she would be happy to meet you.