Culpepper county Republican Chairman Nick Freitas announced on Thursday evening that he will not challenge Senator Emmet Hanger next year for the Republican party nomination in Virginia’s conservative 24th Senate District.[read_more] Freitas is throwing his support behind former Augusta County Republican Chairman Dan Moxley. Moxley resigned as Chairman in September 2014.
Also in this race is conservative Marshall Pattie , a popular Supervisor representing the North River District of Augusta County. Marshall Pattie grew up in Fairfax County, the son of Kenton Pattie who was a very active volunteer in Fairfax County Public Schools and President of Fairfax County Council of PTAs. While Marshall Pattie grew up in Fairfax he spent much of his time on his grandparents’ farm in Stanton. Pattie family roots are deep in Augusta county, back to the 1700’s. Marshall Pattie was raised in a democrat family with a deep commitment to public service. Pattie spent a short time in the democrat party in Augusta before realizing that his views were quite conservative and much more aligned with republicans. He is pro life and pro traditional marriage as well as a fiscal conservative. The Bull Elephant previously reported on Mr. Pattie’s candidacy in the 24th district here. More on Marshall Pattie here.
Many Repubican voters in the conservative 24th district are looking forward to nominating a candidate other than Emmet Hanger in 2015. Emmet Hanger has represented the district since 1996 but has not been the conservative that many hoped for. He was one three Senate republicans supporting Governor McAuliffe’s plan for medicaid expansion in Virginia.
39 comments
By the way, you spelled Staunton wrong. Sounds like “Stanton” but it’s spelled Staunton.
Also, it’s Culpeper not “Culpepper”
Ms.Martin, I would be happy to discuss my decision and endorsement if there is any interest.
My wife and I committed a great deal of time, energy and prayer to both the prospect of entering the race as well as my eventual decision to endorse Dan Moxley.
Personally I have been an active conservative Republican since I was 14. Having served on active duty in the Army for 11 years much of my work for conservative principles was conducted through writing and advocacy for candidates in the various places we lived. After leaving active duty and settling in Virginia I was a very early supporter of Ken Cuccinelli for Governor and have been very proud to serve as the Culpeper County Campaign lead for Bryce Reeves and Mark Obenshain. I have also served as the Precinct Coordinator and now as the Chairman of the committee.
I have decided to endorse Dan Moxley because I believe that protecting and advancing conservative principles must begin with a thorough understanding of them. Anyone can memorize the RPV Creed and select talking points, but Dan understands the importance of the principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited constitutional government in a very fundamental way. His history demonstrates that he is a man of conviction and action, who we can depend upon to represent us in an honorable and consistent way.
With respect to Marshall Pattie, I am very encouraged that a life long Democrat and recent Democratic Chairman has decided to become a Republican. But I temper this encouragement with a healthy dose of caution for a man who not 3 years ago was fighting against the very principles he now presumes to defend. Marshall has a great deal of political acumen and charisma and I hope one day he will combine with these assets a genuine passion for conservative principles which may very well make him a formidable advocate for our values. Had Marshall left the Democrat Party and then spent the next several years fighting for conservative candidates and policies I doubt I would have the concerns I currently do over his political ambitions. As it stands the only Republican Marshall has ever seriously fought for has been himself.
Ultimately this decision is based on a question of substance. On one hand we have a candidate whose record clearly speaks for itself with respect to a deep understanding and commitment to conservative principles. On the other we have a new comer to our shared values who after spending most of his life opposing us, now presumes to lead us. Such a decision is not a difficult one for me. The people who support Dan do so because of his history and values. The people who support Marshall appear to do so because of his charisma. I watched from Iraq in 2008 the last time my countrymen choose charisma over substance. We do not have to make such a compromise in this primary. Allow Marshall the time he needs to truly determine where he stands and the opportunity to prove his commitment before he aspires to leadership. As for Mr. Moxley, I believe we have in him a candidate who has already proven himself.
Thank you for sharing your background in the party with our readers. I look forward to learning about Mr. Moxley’s history in Augusta, how he has advanced our conservative principles and served the people of Augusta County. Sounds like he has quite a history and record in the county. Where might we learn more about Mr. Moxley’s record?
Ms. Martin, this will be the last time I respond to this thread before Nov 4th, as we are focused on the current campaign for Ed Gillespie and our congressional candidates rather than next Junes Primary.
You are always welcome to engage with Mr. Moxley himself or his supporters. His website is not fully up and running as of yet as Dan shares my concern over the current election and maintaining focus there. My email is nick.freitas.7@gmail.com
But I think you fundamentally misunderstand the frustration of your readers with regard to your first article. The structure, picture, content, essentially everything except the title is a plug for Marshall Pattie. The title suggests perhaps an objective and informative piece about the decision of a potential candidate and unit chairman dropping out of the race and the endorsement of Mr. Moxley. The content is little more than a advertisement for Marshall Pattie dressed up as objective and disinterested reporting.
Your readers are not low information voters, and are adept at distinguishing between informative reporting and blatant advocacy. Its not that advocacy is bad, far form it, its that when it is dressed up as something other than what it is, it becomes a form of manipulation. Even your subsequent responses seem designed to favor a particular candidate while projecting objectivity. You look forward to hearing about what Mr. Moxley has done “for Augusta County”, as if the entirety of the 24th District is contained in Augusta County or the totality of improtant contributions to conservatism must take place within very specific geographical boundaries to be meaningful to this race. These are simply well known and often heard extensions of Marshall Pattie talking points, as he is a relatively new member of the Board of Supervisors in Augusta County and commonly points to his family ancestry in the area and votes over the last year while down playing his role as a leader in the Democratic Committee in Augusta.
If you lean toward Marshall Pattie, then by all means, make an argument for his candidacy…but don’t resort to manipulation, and please apply the same healthy skepticism I think you would if the Democratic Chairman of your own Loudoun County recently switched sides and decided to run for officeas a Republican. I doubt in such a situation you would limit your research to his website and his supporters before writing such an article.
And now I will return to the current election and save future comment on this till after Nov. 4th.
Respectfully,
Aside from the fact that Moxley has been an unwaivering conservative who has working tirelessly to advance those principals through his leadership as well as by volunteering himself.
The reality is that all a person needs to do is vote one time in a republican convention or primary in order to have a more Republican credentials than Marshall Pattie.
Pattie was at the Roanoke Convention with a GUEST pass on because he wasn’t there to vote or advocate for Ed or Shak, nope Marshall was there to support Marshall’s run for Senate which was a year away. He went to every big name he could find and every county section in the 24th district to make sure he was seen by all. He talked about HIS run for Senate as if we weren’t there for any other reason but to meet him. This is highly suspect! Who does that kind of thing?
Ok y’all. Let’s go help get our GOP candidates elected and meet back here on Nov 5 with more complaints. Comments don’t win elections.
I usually like Jeanine’s work, but this isn’t good. Pattie is a Democrat. Might as well keep Hanger if you support that guy.
I am puzzled as to how Pattie was able to get such a large percentage of the vote in a very conservative area if he is a democrat.
All I can say is that Nick and I put a great deal of prayer and research into our decision.
I strongly encourage everyone to thoroughly do their own research before supporting any candidate, but most of all sincerely pray for guidance and discernment.
Having done the research myself, I have concluded that of the three remaining in the race, only one is a genuine Constitutional Conservative.
That man is Dan Moxley.
Thank you for your comments. I look forward to learning more about Mr. Moxley.
Pray? It makes me nervous to hear that coming from a politician, or even a political spouse. I grew up in the Midwest and was force in school to participate in Christian prayers even though I an not Christian. When I read something like that, especially on a radical right site like this, I cannot help but think you are trying to convert me.
Being that you found prayer such a traumatizing experience I wonder why you would intentionally go to…as you say…”radical right sites” which often feature Christians exercising their freedom of religion by acknowledging a reverence for God and dedication to prayer. Should you choose to convert I think that would be wonderful! We will be praying for you!
But I must admit I don’t quite understand what makes you nervous about Christians behaving like…you know…Christians. After all our faith prevents us from forcing conversion…it can only be voluntary. Its not like say…oh I don’t know…using the government to force you to buy health insurance.
So if you are going to be nervous about something might I recommend Ebola…or maybe 18 Trillion dollars in debt as acceptable alternatives to hordes of blogging Christians forcing you to convert at the barrel of a prayer.
God Bless 😉
Converting non Christian is in your history and in your current national dialogue. I am here because it is fun to poke you and the others. You are easy marks and you continue to prove me right
I look forward to learning about everything he has done for Republicans in Augusta County.
As I look forward to learning about everything Pattie has done for Republicans in Augusta County. Oh wait… virtually nothing, except for fighting GOP nominees for years until he decided he wanted to be one. Pattie voted for Senator Warner and Obama in 2008, thus giving us the 60th vote needed to pass Obamacare. I don’t think that counts as being a southern Dem.
Whereas Sen. Hanger defeated the incumbent Dem Senator. But he hasn’t done hardly any work for our GOP nominees.
Moxley is where it’s at. Please akk the Victory directors from 2012, 2013, and 2014 how much work the Moxley’s have done. And then ask how much work Pattie and Hanger have done. There’s no comparison. Moxley and his families have spent countless hours doing doors/phones for our GOP nominees since 2012.
I want a candidate other than Emmet Hanger. I do not know anything about Dan Moxley. I have never spoken with him or anyone from his campaign. I could only find this website online, http://www.danmoxley.com/ It tells me nothing about Moxley. If I knew more about Mr. Moxley I would have written more about his candidacy. I am not endorsing Pattie and the views expressed here are my own based on my conversations with Marshall Pattie and his supporters. I welcome your comments and the education of myself and our audience.
If you do not know enough about the candidates then don’t write a lop-sided story covering one man and only mentioning that the other resigned from his position as chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee. True journalism is about looking up the facts before writing the story, and not just relying on what a candidate says about themselves when writing about a political development.
Please feel free to share your ‘facts’ with us. What is there to say about a candidate who is not running? When I learn more about the other candidate, or when he has a website telling us about him, I’ll be happy to write about Mr. Moxley.
You’re the one writing the story but you want your own readers to tell YOU what the facts are? Shouldn’t you be informing US?
If there’s nothing to say about a candidate who isn’t running, why did you write this piece in the first place?
Ok, so you, like everyone else, don’t know anything about Moxley. I’m sure we’ll learn more in the coming months and I’ll be happy to report it. Until I know something about the candidate, I shall refrain from making things up. Fair enough?
No. Not “fair enough”. You’re the writer. You should go and find the information needed to form your opinion.
Or you should stick with topics that you actually know about.
“Do what I should have done”
That’s hilarious.
Marshall Pattie has been in 3 different political parties within 3 years. Sounds like the ‘Charlie Crist’ of Virginia politics.
I have had several interactions and conversations with Mr. Pattie, including jointly attending a seven hour seminar with him. As I told him after the seminar, his problem is that he doesn’t know himself. He can try to make any claims he wants, but he doesn’t appear to be genuinely conservative, nor have more than a rudimentary understanding of what limited government means. He doesn’t know his own heart.
Mr. Pattie was Chairman of the Augusta County Democrat Party, Chairman of Obama’s Organizing for America locally, and he and his wife held at least one fundraiser at their home for former house member, Democrat Tom Perriello. For those of you from the Fifth District, who worked so hard to elect Congressman Hurt the first time, that in itself is cause to discard Mr. Pattie’s vain attempts to reinvent himself. There is much more information out there about Mr. Pattie’s previous Progressive positions, and that will be coming out over the next weeks and months.
Like Nick said in his earlier post, it’s great to have Mr. Pattie leave the Democrat Party, but don’t presume that he can immediately expect to be a Republican Senator. In such a conservative senate district as the 24th, it is a shame we currently have a Progressive Senator. I already have a Democrat Senator in Mr. Hanger. Why would I risk having another Democrat ?
Ed Yensho- Chairman
Greene County Republican Committee
you hit the nail on the head. if this guy hosted a fundraiser for Perriello, that speaks volumes to me.
but this is not my district so, unlike the moderator, I am not well-informed on the ins & outs.
You don’t even research all of the candidates before you form an opinion and write an article?
Dear God.
That’s exactly why I haven’t written on Moxley there is no research available. When there is more, I’ll cover his campaign as well. I have formed no opinion and endorsed no one in this race.
Then you shouldn’t have brought the candidates up in the first place and you should have stopped with your first paragraph.
Articles like this makes you lose what little credibility that you have left. You stick your head in the sand and make excuses when you’re called out on your bad writing. Everybody sees that… except you.
Moxley is a grassroots conservative fighter. He’s always been an ally on the 6th district committee. I don’t know much about Pattie but it doesn’t matter BC I’d support Moxley over any candidate except maybe Bob Marshall or Mark Berg. I’ve already contributed a few hundred dollars to his campaign. He would be a better Senator than Dick Black, who’s arguably the best we have now.
You’ve got my attention with names like Marshall, Berg, and Black, my three favorite people in Richmond. I look forward to learning more about Mr. Moxley.
Wow, this author is clearly falling all over herself for Marshall Pattie. There went her credibility, hope it was worth it.
I thought the Bull Elephant was run by real conservatives?
How can anyone really buy this?
Marshall Pattie is a fraud who only two years ago decided that there was no political future in the 24th as a Dem. After exploring a run against Bob Goodlatte as a Democrat Marshall realized he would have to reinvent himself if as a Republican if he wanted a shot at the Governors Mansion one day. So he immediately became an independent candidate for BOS and voted as hard right as possible in order to gain a “record” and a few months later he was a candidate for VA Senate as a Republican. Seriously?!
How can anyone at The Bull Elephant be duped by this? I guess it should come as no surprise since previously respected conservatives have sold themselves out and are gleefully turning a blind eye to the many obvious RED FLAGS for this over actor.
I’m still neutral in this race but it looks like this article has a VERY clear Pro-Pattie bias. I mean, they used a picture of the man in the thumbnail for crying out loud, even though the title suggests it’s a piece about Nick Freitas’s decision not to run and his endorsement of Dan Moxley. Why is 60% of the article about Pattie to the point that we need a detailed history of his family roots all the way back to the 1700s? This is clearly a level of bias that belongs on MSNBC, not the Bull Elephant. This entire article needs a re-write and it’s not even accurate (the date of Moxley’s resignation is off)
Who do you support and what can you tell us about your choice?
I’m neutral in this race now. I was going to support Nick Freitas had he decided to run. I’ve not been convinced by either Pattie nor Moxley yet.
So did the Pattie campaign write this article? There isn’t even a decent attempt made to pretend that this is objective. I would have expected this from any number of blogs but not the Bull Elephant. ..Marshall became chairman of the Democratic Committee in Augusta AFTER Obama was elected the first time…did you get that? So a mere 2 years ago abortion on demand, Obamacare, were ideas he thought were worth not just fighting for, but leading for. But we’ll just glaze over those facts. What a complete and total puff piece.
I’m not saying a person can’t change but the fact that the author goes completely out of her way to simply dismiss…no…dismiss is to kind…deliberately misrepresent the actual facts is intellectually dishonest at best.
There’s an error in the article. Moxley resigned in 2014, not 2013.
Thank you. I have corrected the error.
The article still says 2013.
Ummm…..we must be looking at two different things. Where does it say 2013? I changed it in the first paragraph last night. Perhaps you need to refresh your browser?