6:38 PM Joe May speaks, thanks everyone and talks about how much work needs to be done between now and January 8th. Meeting adjourned.
6:37 Pm Joe May 36 votes, Arash Embrahimi 33 votes. May wins
6:34 PM Voting completed and very, very close. Recess while campaigns confer.
6:28 PM Voting about to begin. Joe May’s voters will be called first.
6:14 PM recess before the vote count.
6:10 PM Candidate Joe May speaks. Has lived in Loudoun county 37 years. He’s still a practicing electrical engineering. He has 28 patents. He says he’s a ‘moderate conservative’. Has been in public service for 50 years. Transportation was his big issue in the HOD. (Where he voted for the biggest tax increase in the history of the Commonwealth. Been in Richmond and can work across the aisle.
5:57 PM Candidate Arash Embrahimi speaks. Talks about Liberty, the Constitution and the Constitution. Strong fiscal and constitutional conservative. Life, Liberty and private Property. Inspired by Ronald Reagan. No tax increases!
5:53 PM Amendment fails on a voice vote.
5:49 PM Move to prevent any candidate who has run against a Republican in the last 10 years be prohibited from running tonight. This refers to Joe May.
5:46 PM Voting will be a standing vote. Alarm finally off. Move to amend the rules.
5:40 PM Credential, Rules, and teller’s committees’ reports. 72 registered to vote. (Many more in attendance.) Standard rules from the RPV handbook. Only voters in the 33rd district can vote. Candidates will have three minutes to speak. Fire alarm has been pulled. There must be a Democrat in the house. Paul Prados says “whoever thinks they’re going to lose pulled the fire alarm”. No one is leaving the room despite the screeching from the alarm.
5:20 PM Another recess for committees to write their reports. Reports to be presented after this recess.
5:17 PM Whitbeck introducing various committees. Meeting and voting will follow Roberts’ Rules of order.
5:14 PM Whitbeck elected temporary chair. Good crowd for meeting that only had 3 days noticed.
5:05 PM John Whitbeck calls the meeting to order and immediately calls a recess so more people can register to vote. Joe May just entered.
Beginning at 5:00 we will be live blogging the Republican mass meeting today in the 33rd Senate District. Voters in the district will choose their candidate to run in a special election against Jennifer Boysko on January 8, 2019. The winner will fill the state Senate seat held by Jennifer Wexton who has been elected to Congress in the 10th district.
We have previously written about the three candidates in the race, Arash Ebrahimi, Joe May, and Pete Godston. Godston was running earlier in the week and then dropped out and then was rumored to be back in the race. On Saturday he said, “I will run if nominated, but cannot attend the convention tomorrow”.
John Whitbeck the legislative district chair for the 33rd district will preside over the meeting.
More candidates could emerge at the mass meeting. Check back in at 5:00 as we cover this exciting meeting.
