Tomorrow is a huge day for conservatives in Virginia. The contest for the RPV State Central Committee at the 7th Congressional District Convention is between a ticket of grassroots conservative activists, Ron Hedlund, Susan Lascollette, and Dewey McDonnell, and the so-called Virginia Conservative Network “Unity” ticket, featuring Marie Quinn, Jasen Eige, and Alec Thomas. (More background on the VCN can be found here).
Alec is the son, of course, of Mike Thomas, First Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. The elder Thomas is one of, if not THE, leader of the Imperial faction within RPV that is behind the Virginia Conservative Network and NextGen GOP, organizations dedicated to eradicating the Rebel Alliance grassroots influence in party governance. These people make their living by monetizing politics in the most direct sense, as I detailed in my post about the race in the 8th. They’re also the same people who hatched the 2014 slating scheme that was designed to cripple and bankrupt the party.
What I didn’t realize at that time is that these people are running a statewide professional campaign for State Central Committee. Judging by what I saw a couple of weeks ago in Arlington, they have between 5-10 actual paid staff, considering they had a contingent down at the 3rd simultaneously, and they command the loyalty of easily-led moderate Republicans, and those who stand to benefit politically from that faction seizing absolute control of State Central.

Mike Thomas arrives at the 7th District Convention.
I won’t mince words here: these people are the heart of political darkness in our party. We can do nothing until they are routed, and left begging for the opportunity to work for our conservative candidates. This is why they fight so hard to maintain control of RPV. It’s their life’s blood. Their meal ticket. They’re not in it for ideology or patriotism, they’re in it to make a buck.
Mike Thomas is a lobbyist with business before the General Assembly every day, as is Jason Eige. Their paycheck comes from getting lawmakers to vote a certain way, and if that means ingratiating themselves to those lawmakers by being able to control the party, then that’s what they’ll do. They’re allied with the establishment wing of the party as represented by elements of our House and Senate caucuses, and as has been detailed on TBE before, have a stated goal of stopping “as many primary challenges as possible.”
I made a few phone calls Wednesday and yesterday, and plan to make a few more after work this evening to help Ron, Susan, and Dewey. If you can do that for them, please do so, and please volunteer at the convention for them if you can. And, of course, if you’re a delegate, please support the conservative ticket!
Don’t be fooled by the VCN. They are neither grassroots nor conservative. We underestimated the effort they were bringing to bear up here in the 8th, and we take full responsibility for that. We were fighting the last war, back when making some phone calls to delegates, showing up at candidate forums, Republican unit committees meetings, and maybe a few emails and a mailer or two, were what you did to win a State Central race. Those days are gone, and now one of the leaders of their statewide effort sits on State Central from the 8th.
That said, we will not make that same mistake again. We’ll be back in two years for the CD Chair races, and retake those State Central seats in four. Count on it. In the meantime, it’s up to us to stop these people to the extent we can this year. We have an opportunity to strike at them where they live. The Cantorites and McGuire-Woods folks are based there and view these seats, and this district, as their sinecure. Let’s take it from them. And make no mistake… we need to remember everyone who stood with the VCN this year, and who now fawn over their candidates and their minions. They do.
Defeat the Empire in the 7th!
36 comments
[…] Despite delivering us years of chaos and strife, Thomas still has the loyalty of a number of establishment figures in the party, well beyond just those within the former Eric Cantor machine. He helped to engineer the U.S. Senate nomination of George Allen in 2012, and served as Allen’s campaign manager. Thomas has the backing of a lot of incumbent lawmakers as well, which is only natural considering one of his privately stated goals has been to “forestall as many primary challenges as possible.” He reportedly continues to draw support from these kinds of politicians, but is widely despised among the conservative rank-and-file, and for good reason. He is one of the godfathers of the “Virginia Conservative Network,” an organization specifically constituted to take back control of RPV from the grassroots, starting with this past set of elections for State Central Committee. […]
Blow Struck! The Fellowship easily defeats Cantor’s VCN and McGuire Woods!
Look no further then the Powhatan Republican Mass Meeting 2 months ago and the influence of these phony conservatives. They illegally influenced the mass meeting, mislead the masses directly, and elected their puppet, Jean Gannon. The illegal efforts by Alec and his dad are on appeal to the SCC. Now they are trying to stack the SCC. Keep fighting against these phony conservatives and their lying ways. Fight for Conservstism and the Virginia Republican Creed.
I will make a prediction people will split the ticket and each side wins at least one seat
There only need be one per CD
The scene around 2 PM on Saturday…
Amusing. But we shall see.
Or NOT… BAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!
Heh. Congrats. You’ve helped elect a hot-headed nutball. 😀
Star Wars is usually a pretty good metaphor for politics, but it has become too complex for most folks. Suffice it to say that our political conservative faction most closely resembles Jar-Jar Binks.
Great article. Also, don’t forget The Cantorites, VCNers and McGuire-Woods want to snatch SCC from us so they can install their own guy John Adams as AG nominee. Grassroots needs to show up tomorrow!
The war is over for us, the necessary flips have been made. Dig in if you can.
It’s not over until we say it’s over!
‘In sha Allah.’ With the Jar Jar coalition, the current ‘trending right’ fracture and the fact that their victory conditions are less than 1 per District, I’m going to predict that Senator Cantor will get his Primary. What goes around, comes around. Based upon the most recent convention in Harrisonburg, they’d have it either way. Stay Safe, Stay Armed, Yorktown.
Victory conditions of less than 1 per district? Which state are you talking about? The conservatives are doing just fine in Virginia. Hope to meet you in Charlottesville at next year’s convention.
I thought SCC Primary vs. Convention has been kinda close in the past.
If the primary colored folk manage to flip a minimum of 1 per CD, we get to jam the taxpayers at least 150 large per CD to pay for our party anointments.
Are Shak and Eric each having their victory parties in Charlottesville?
hey, you might not be a John Adams supporter, but he is a top notch man. we are lucky to have him as a Republican
I’m on the Bell curve, but it’s great that we have two exceptional candidates, just like last time, despite them both being lawyers!!
one assumes Attorney General would be an attorney!
Hey, it hasn’t slowed down Herring!
Zing!
I love TBE!
One assumes you have read the Virginia Constituion, Kelley! Which provides that the AG must meet the qualifications to be a judge of a court of record. To be a judge, you must be a member of the bar.
really? yep, studied the Constitution.
Why exactly are we lucky to have Adams the Puppet of McGuire-Woods and the lobbyists running to be our AG nominee? There’s a reason all of our successful Governor and AG candidates haven’t come from mega lobbying/law firms. We have to stay true to our principles.
Our principles, not our bias — talk to Adams, look at his record and his work. Both are thoroughly competent but Rob’s political experience and savvy give him a significant edge.
Ok. But what proven record, exactly? And have you gotten past the paper resume and talked with people who know and have worked with Adams? It’s easy to tout yourself. What other people say about him is what speaks volumes.
then what do they say that doesn’t suit you?
Send him an email, call him up, read some of his arguments — I believe he is called to this but is admittedly short on politicalitionisms.
I think this is a political office and takes great finesse and balance that Rob has in stacks. I’m going to campaign for whoever wins harder than I’m campaigning for Rob in the Primary (that’s right, I said it!)
It done be snatched, even when we had majority, we seem to have that competency gap — this is why we Conservatives can’t have nice things!
Desperation is a stinky cologne
Great article; lays the truth out in plain words. Godspeed Ron, Susan, and Dewey! Praying we get the 7th District SCC ticket with principles elected to help bring our party more back to the grassroots!
I have a hard time with anyone who claims Marie Quinn embodies “the heart of darkness” in Virginia politics… ease up on the stick a little.
As I said a bit ago on FB, less so her than the rest of their ticket. She has a LONG record of volunteer work for the party, as related to me by 7th CD folks.
That said, like some people here in the 8th I respect, she’s on the wrong team.
They try to claim “conservative,” can’t blame us for calling a Sith a Sith.
I don’t think she should have aligned herself with Alec Thomas. My guess is that he wanted to ride her coattails. She does seem like a good, honest person, but maybe new blood will be good for everyone at SCC.