Earlier today the Second District GOP Chairman was Curtis Colgate, after the hotly contested Convention back on April 26. Now it’s Sen. Frank Wagner.
In the latest installment of an ongoing dysfunctional drama, a meeting called by the members of the Second District Committee–in conflict with an apparently improper call issued by the Chairman for the same time slot–was convened tonight to hear Sen. Frank Wagner’s appeal arising from the April 26 Convention that elected Curtis Colgate.
The outcome, on a roughly 2-to-1 vote, comes as no surprise. Less surprising still is that this controversy will now make its way to the RPV State Central Committee, which will likely take up the matter next month, either at the State Convention in Roanoke, or at a special meeting called for the purpose of hearing all of the appeals arising from this season’s mass meetings and slating episodes in Virginia Beach, Campbell County, Fauquier, and possibly elsewhere.
Interesting side note: the Virginia Beach slating contest was by far the most expensive, both for Curtis Colgate and Sen. Frank Wagner and his YG Virginia backers. The race easily accounted for over $200,000 in campaign spending. The irony? If this result holds, the balance of power on the State Central Committee will only change by one single vote, and Curtis Colgate will still be there. That’s because Curtis now reverts to his regular seat on State Central, attending meetings seated in the same row as Sen. Wagner. The only seat that will have been lost as a result of all this brouhaha will have been that of outgoing Chairman Gary Byler. Just a guess, but that’s got to be the most expensive single vote on State Central ever. Not exactly the sweet, resounding victory the Ray Allen/YG Virginia crowd were undoubtedly hoping for, especially after their crushing loss in the 3rd District, and their likely defeat on Saturday in the Fifth District.
