An historic election will soon be taking place in Fairfax County, VA. It is the race for the Chairmanship of the Republican Party. The candidates are Tim Hannigan, a retired Marine Lt. Colonel, and the current Chairman’s hand-picked successor, Michael Ginsberg, an attorney.
This past election cycle, the Republican candidate for Governor (Ed Gillespie) managed to get 45% of the vote, statewide, but only 31% in Fairfax. The story was about the same for the Lt. Governor and Attorney General races. Fairfax City, a municipality sitting in the middle of and surrounded by Fairfax County was virtually just as inhospitable for the Republican candidates. When one stops to realize the size of the population in Fairfax County, 1.1 million citizens, it is plain to see how statewide races can be determined in Fairfax.
The current Chairman has decided to resign in the wake of this disastrous showing so there is now a competition to fill his seat at a county convention on March 17th. When a failed leader selects his successor, does anyone believe that successor is willing to change his benefactor’s failed policies and strategies? Does anyone believe a hand selected replacement will figuratively bite that hand that picked him by admitting to past failures and make innovative structural changes? Does anyone believe the anointed one will have the fortitude to fight the true political enemy, the Democrat Party, by taking strong stands on issues important to the citizens of Fairfax when his patron never would? I don’t either.
Tim Hannigan has led a Marine battalion in combat during Operation Desert Storm. He has been a Vice President at companies like Northrup Grumman and handled multi-million dollar budgets. He has led large organizations in the private sector and even publishes the online Fairfax Free Citizen newspaper. His opponent is a lawyer for a government contractor and the current Operations Chair for the Fairfax County Republican Committee (FCRC). For a recitation of his successes, I refer you to paragraph 2 above. Oh, and 2/3 of the County’s Republican precinct captain slots are empty. How’s that for operating an organization?
The question is, simply, do Republicans want to actually win races for political office or not? Democrat leadership has turned the County into a congested, high tax, sanctuary for illegal aliens that people who have been here for a long time can no longer recognize. Democrats were voted into office by a motivated Democrat base aided in no small measure by the inertia of a Republican Party’s management that could not even muster a candidate in 9 of its 17 local Delegate races.
Clearly, we need a new direction. Tim Hannigan has pledged to make the Chairman’s position a full-time job to which he will dedicate 40 to 60 to whatever the number of weekly hours will be necessary to raise Fairfax’s sinking Republican ship. He will work out of the FCRC office in Fairfax City and will make himself available day or night to meet with the various ethnic, political, and professional groups that make up the County’s citizenry at any time of day or evening. His children are grown so he will be able to dedicate his fulltime attention to winning races. Mr. Ginsberg already has a fulltime job and has a small child that will, obviously and deservedly, demand time and attention. This is not a criticism, just a statement of fact dictated by nature.
To me, the choice is clear: Tim Hannigan for Chairman.
