The Chairman of the 4th district Republican Committee, Jack Wilson, will take over the leadership of the Republican Party of Virginia at the next meeting of the State Central Committee in September.
Wilson is the choice of the Vice Chairman (now acting Chairman) of the party Mike Thomas. Wilson has also secured the support of 52 members (two-thirds) of the committee. Party leaders in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 9th districts and finance chair Jerry Kilgore are also in support of Wilson.
Previous RPV chair John Whitbeck resigned effective July 21st. Wilson will be voted in as chair at the SCC meeting on September 8th.
Wilson is aware that our candidate for Senate, Corey Stewart, does not have the full support of many Republicans. Some of our Congressional candidates will not appear with Stewart. Wilson recognizes the problem. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
“Each of our nominees is going to run the campaign that suits their congressional district.”
“None of us is under the illusion that the next few months or years will be easy in Virginia,” Wilson wrote. “The Democrat trend in Virginia was built over many years, due to a variety of factors, and the political landscape will not change overnight.
“But, we must start here and now not only to stop the trend, but to reverse it. While I can’t guarantee we will always be victorious, I can guarantee that we will work together with maximum effort for our nominees.”
I don’t expect to see Corey Stewart campaigning with Barbara Comstock in the 10th district. Many other districts are just as unlikely to see our candidate for Senate campaigning alongside their Congressional candidate. However, as you would expect, Jack Wilson is calling for party unity.
Chuck Smith, Virginia Beach attorney, also sought the Chairman of RPV but was not supported by the leadership of RPV, Mike Thomas. However, Smith was supported by many in the grassroots. Also from the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Smith said he has reached out to members of the State Central Committee and many have not returned his calls. He faulted what he called “the good old boy system.”
Without speaking to him and reading his credentials, Smith said, “how do you know which candidate is the best?”
Smith is correct but RPV leadership (the good old boy system) runs this show.
