On Monday the chairman of the Republican Legislative District Committee in the 97th district, Tom Miller, brought the official party nomination form to the State Board of Elections making Scott Wyatt their nominee for Delegate.
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Virginia’s elections commissioner, Chris Piper, confirmed that the Department of Elections on Monday received an official party nomination form filed by the chairman of the legislative district committee in the 97th District, Tom Miller.
Piper said in a statement that political parties have until June 17 to submit the names of their nominees. According to the Code of Virginia, nominations are not final until that date.
Wyatt’s opponent, Delegate Chris Peace, will not accept the convention results that made Wyatt the nominee. Peace has said he is looking forward to a Firehouse primary on June 1st to determine the party’s nominee.
Members of the 97th legislative district committee are urging the State Board of Elections to not certify Scott Wyatt as the nominee. On Tuesday Delegate Chris Peace released a letter from the committee along with a statement:
“As duly recognized members of the Republican Party of Virginia’s 97th Legislative District Committee representing Hanover and King William Counties we request that any certification of the candidate Scott Wyatt by the Department of Elections be deemed invalid. The Republican Party of Virginia’s (RPV) 97th Legislative District Committee on May 1, 2019 voted with a 76% majority to cancel the May 4th Convention and further voted to conduct a Party Canvass on June 1, 2019. The RPV 97th Legislative District Committee’s authority and it’s action were affirmed by Republican Party of Virginia State Chairman Jack Wilson in a statement released on Fri, May 3, 2019 at 11:58 AM.
We, as the members with a supermajority vote of the 97th Legislative District Committee served Mr. Thomas Miller with an “Intent to Remove the Chairman Notice” on Sunday, May 5, 2019. Mr. Miller willfully engaged in holding an illegitimate nomination process and disenfranchising voters of the 97th House District through a refusal to enforce the actions passed on May 1, 2019 by a voting majority of the 97th Legislative District Committee.
The 97th Legislative District Committee will vote to affirm the removal of the Chairman on June 8, 2019 and are proceeding to hold a Party Canvass on June 1st, 2019. Therefore, we request that certification of Scott Wyatt, as the Republican nominee for the 97th House District in the 2019 General election be deemed invalid and that the Virginia Department of Elections await the proper certification of the Republican nominee from the June 1st Party Canvass. If we can provide any assistance or further information please do not hesitate to contact us.”
Delegate Chris Peace stated, “I appreciate the efforts being put forth by the 97th LDC representatives from Hanover and King William to ensure that this is a fair and open process. We were fully prepared and committed to win had it remained a convention and we continue to be prepared and committed win in a party canvass. It is unfortunate that my opponent has felt that the only path he had to a possible victory was one that had the fewest amount of participants possible. I’m confident that my strong record of lower taxes and fighting for guns and life will be a winning message on June 1st and look forward to continuing to represent our great district.”
More on what to expect in coming days in the 97th is here.
