Needless to say, there is much speculation as to who will replace Republican Tom Garrett to run for Congress in the 5th district. More than a few people would like to see Nick Freitas run for the seat. He could then endorse EW Jackson as our Senate candidate. That could be enough to ensure the nomination for Jackson over Corey Stewart. But it appears Martha Bonet is about to declare her candidacy.
This from her Facebook page at 10:00 this evening:
Dear Family of Friends:
The 5th Congressional District is family. I am making a BIG announcement on the John Fredericks Show tomorrow. If you have not read Blue Virginia’s article about “far-right-wing activist Martha Boneta”, here it is for your reading pleasure. They included 14 pictures of me with members of the Trump family, Republican leadership, candidates and others.I love Virginia with all my heart.
I am a proud American and I’m not afraid to speak truth to power.
God bless you all dear friends. God bless America. Home of the free because of the brave.
The Washington Post speculates on who might be the new candidate in the 5th:
Republican observers of Virginia politics have said possible candidates from the General Assembly could be state Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. (Franklin), Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (Fauquier), Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (Fredericksburg) and Del. Robert B. Bell (Albemarle). Tech executive Michael Del Rosso and businessman and developer Jim McKelvey sought the GOP nomination in 2016 and could also be interested, along with distillery owner Denver Riggleman
Stay tuned, there will be more to come.
UPDATE: Whiskey distiller Denver Riggleman has thrown his hat into the ring saying:
I am officially announcing my candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District. As a political outsider, veteran, small business owner, and grassroots conservative, I will bring a fresh perspective to DC and help pass the President’s agenda. As we have all seen over the past few years, it takes a real outsider with real world experience to drag the swamp monsters to dry land. As a veteran and small business owner, I am perfectly suited for that task.
I would like to thank Rep. Tom Garrett for his many years of public service as a Congressman, State Senator, and Commonwealth’s Attorney. He and I have become close friends ever since I first signed up to be a delegate for him at the 2016 5th District Convention. Christine and I are sending prayers and best wishes to Tom and his family during this difficult time. Tom is a man of courage and a conviction, I look forward to continuing his pristine conservative voting record in DC.
UPDATE II: Martha Boneta declared her candidacy today. More speculation on other candidates here.
UPDATE III: Delegate Michael Webert (R-18) has thrown his hat into the ring.
UPDATE IV: Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) is ‘seriously considering a run. Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) is considering a run although he does not live in the district. Delegate Rob Bell, (R-Albemarle) will not run for the Congressional nomination. More here.
57 comments
“They included 14 pictures of me”… and coupled with the tight t-shirts— Is this what Ms. Boneta is about? It seems like narcism, not “speaking the truth”. Has anyone seen the $2,000,000 in fines? She repeatedly allowed outrageous and false numbers to get tossed around, to cry victim of government overreach, never seeming to offer a correcting. I do not think any fines were issued. To me, this is part of the swamp many are no longer interested in.
If you judge a man by his beard, that’s a couple of nice ones. 4 to be exact.
This congressional seat will remain in conservative hands by providing a candidate who will not sit back, sell out or run scared and remain capable, just as Tom Garrett has always proven to be, as an elected official. This will be a new beginning and journey for Tom and a grand opportunity for true conservatives in the 5th.
But don’t underestimate just how kooky our Congressional GOP districts can be — Remember the race in the 6th, the challenge in the 10th, and NoVa.
The gales of November come early.
I’ll support any Republican who will beat the antisemitic shit out of Leslie Cockburn. Bill Stanley, Denver Riggleman, Martha Boneta, Bryce Reeves or whoever they choose who can unify to beat #MeToo Leslie.. nominate the 5th CD candidate who I get to send money to from the 2nd.
Of the people littering up the ring with hats to date, I’m going to put smart money on Webert.
Certainly Webert who has a track record of winning elections
In the 11th HD district would be a huge improvement over
been ( Boneta ) and has been ( Riggleman )
Think Boneta and Riggleman should record an album of duets.
” Share the Land ” and “Wichita Lineman” would be a good beginning
That old classic ‘Don’t Let Go’ covered by the Grateful Dead could be
the closing number ……………
When the party allows the fringe influence and stature, the party gets their standard bearers as well.
Unfortunately , very true.
I just shake my head that people think
Boneta or Riggleman are anything but
Self regarding figures who have very very
Little to offer.
I get that feeling about Boneta but Riggleman? I met him last year on the trail – seems like a good honest guy albeit too passionate at times.
What’s wrong with Boneta? Haven’t followed her for a while but never heard anything against her.
She’s awesome, all in for Trump, great for liberty, darling of the TP and related groups. However, she’s kinda hated by the people we don’t like more than she’s loved by the people we do like.
She’s not in a contest yet. They will come up with real as well as even more made up stuff about her than the real stuff they have on Shak.
Otherwise, I would suggest she run for the Webert vacancy or the Jill seat after she quits to spend more time with her family..
I agree. Webert’s my delegate and he seems like a better bet since he’s an experienced campaigner and has won some relatively close races and shown he can raise funds.
Maybe Boneta sometime down the road i.e. Del. Webert’s HoD district when he becomes Congressman Webert but considering the hole we’re kinda in, I want a proven winner!
That makes sense, but who the hell is advising these people? It’s like our party is so porous that any opening is available to anybody for any reason.
Perhaps because we are giving up our Republic, we are surrendering Republican first?
Don’t be surprised if you see a U-Haul whizzing by you, heading to VA-5, with Shak Hill driving….
Prius’ don’t tow — besides, Dunbar would have already cut the brake lines.
Fredericks is saying Boneta is running
Boneta would make a great contrast with the Democrat in this race. Two polar opposite women. She would be a wonderful candidate. I hope she runs. We have plenty of potential candidates, but we don’t have much time to dither. Those that jump in immediately with built-in name recognition and favorability will have the best shot.
‘Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.’
A labored sigh of relief emanates from Upperville.
You can keep Martha!!
I am not a fan. She’s an opportunist. Besides buying property and then complaining about the existing zoning restrictions, what else has this woman done that gives her the needed experience to run a successful campaign and work in Congress? And giving rousing speeches doesn’t equal action.
I believe the sigh came from an expansion field in Upperville where the ninjas go to register gmail accounts on free and open WiFi.
A Fifth of Martha means a greater degree of …. flexibility after the election.
Too funny.
Martha is an attention seeking opportunist just like her pal Riggleman. Waste of time.
i hope Vogel doesn’t run. Another opportunist.
The 5th Committee will be meeting very soon and will pick who they want.
Agreed re Boneta – Riggleman is a more serious person – hope they give him the nomination.
And you were doing so well…
Run for Gov, drop for Gov, go to PA, drop PA, open seat? Hat in ring!
If Ben Cline dropped out tomorrow, would you back a Suzanne Obenshain or a TCC Albertson over those that ran at Convention?
An open nomination in a R-leaning district is not a ‘hold muh beer’ challenge for the fringe to find the wackiest candidate that could possibly win.
The 5th CD should be able to find acceptable candidates within the stable vetted through the convention process.
Or they could select John Whitbeck and make everyone happy.
Or take our Shak… please!
My dear Rocinante – 1st off, I always do well.
2nd – Riggleman is not a whack job. Nor was Cynthia Dunbar or Elliot Pope or Mike Desjadon or Chaz Haywood or Doug Wright or Kathryn Lewis (most of the rest of the CD 6 field with one notable exception who was a whack job).
3rd – selecting John Whitbeck would not make too many people happy. It would however offend quite a few.
1st: Yes, but none of my protégés are yet perfect — just reaffirms that I have miles to go before I sleep. (Or I’m sucking up to the owner of TBE?)
2nd — Riggleman was a favorite of the fringe, the darling of the RINO’s on the right, a not-Corey, not-Ed, none-of the above, a Capra Conservative satisfying Libertarian and Tea Party fabulists. He ran, he dropped, I heard went to PA, and now pops up for an ‘open’ slot — A swell fine guy otherwise, but in no way suited for a recently contested position — but what do I know, maybe the 5th skews kooky.
Dunbar would be painted as a whack and there is enough there for the left to paint her as the Republican Rosanne. Still, with that said, any of your convention candidates should be considered before you go to your ‘Liberty’ celebrities. (And we would not be a valid political party without one of our whacks adding ‘color’ to the hustings.)
Picking Prester John would be more credible and valid than picking Dunbar, Shak, Riggleman, or Boneta over the convention candidates — he is the District’s ultimate flipoff: “Oh yeah, in that case, have a little Whitbeck in your 5th!”
Besides, the 5th loves Chairman Whitbeck right?
Rocinante the Magnificent.
I must digress. Anyone can be painted as a “whack” – but that does not make them a whack. Someone can call you or I a “whack” but that does not necessarily make it so.
Riggleman did not move to PA – he went back to Nelson/Giles County Va to work in his distillery. Now he may have taken a trip to PA – but for the most part he was at work in his distillery. He dropped out because he figured out (correctly mind you) that he could not raise money as Ed had raised millions, and Corey and Frank Wagner both had the ability to transfer money from previous campaign accounts to a Governor account. He did the right thing. Yes some fringe lunatics (true whack jobs) do like Riggleman – but so do quite a few normal persons.
Dunbar is not a whack. You can disagree with her, but she’s no whack. Matt Colt Hall or John Fredericks labeling someone as a whack does not make it so.
I have no idea if the 5th loves Whitbeck or not. But I can assure you, after putting multiple monkey wrenches in our 6th CD nomination process, he won hisself no fans here.
I have a very loose definition of whack, arbitrary based upon ‘do they help or hurt the party.’ The party is the only vehicle available for us to implement constructive conservative change as appropriate.
I like Riggleman, Patriot, Entrepreneur, swell fine guy — but he didn’t run at convention, why should he move to the front of the line?
Dunbar is a partisan patriot, who is not that politically savvy… who has baggage, who the left would make into the Republican Poster Child used to beat the crap out of all of our candidates. It’s what they would do.
Nobody likes Whitbeck, he’s probably the most hated man in the RPV now that Fredy is out. My point was, if you’re going to consider people that didn’t bother to run for a contested seat, you might just as well put in a universally hated celebrity thus skipping the interim steps.
To my dear Rocinante:
Dunbar would be a horrible nominee for the 5th, after just losing in another (albeit adjoining) district. If you’re asking why didn’t Riggleman run in the 6th District, it’s very difficult to run and win a nomination in a District where you don’t live. Even if it is technically legal.
Amen on Mr. Whitbeck.
As is per usual, your wit surpasses us all.
No, I meant Riggleman running in the 5th — he didn’t run at convention, why not, why him, why now?
As everyone probably knows by now — residency in a district is not necessary for a candidate (the better to carpetbag you with?) So just about anybody who can tweet ‘lookitme’ could be considered an eligible nominee candidate.
However, Cynthia Dunbar would be a good posturing opponent for Miss Leslie and Dunbar’s National Committeewoman chops makes her a citizen of all Virginia Districts — she might be a good consensus candidate given the nature of the disparate 38.
Furthermore… TCC Albertson.
Some wouldn’t be so generous, I’ll settle for a half wit. 😉
How can Nick Freitas drop out of the Senate primary? The ballots are printed. EW can’t beat Corey Stewart, and neither can beat Kaine. Terrible timing Tom Garrett!
He could run for both and take whichever one he won.
There is the draw of going to a for sure House instead of a maybe Senate
If Freitas runs and wins the nom for the 5th, I wouldn’t be surprised if John Adams runs for Senate against Corey.
Agree. We could use them both in these races.
I’ve heard that rumor too. Is it possible Nick could wait until after the primary and run in the 5th if he loses? Or it is too late by June 14th?
Nick’s not going to lose on the 12th. 🙂
Of course!
Especially if he’s running on the 5th.
Nope, he’s got this one, thankfully.
Fortune favors the swift.
How would John Adams get on the senate primary ballot?
He can’t.
Adams is done with elected office. Doesn’t have it in him. He’s going for a federal judgeship now in the 4th circuit from Trump.
You may have heard… he’s not a politician.
No one else can get on the Republican ballot for Senate. That door is closed.
Nope
John is not going to do that. Corey will win the primary. Nicky goes back to the house of delegates where later on he will have a serious challenge from his own party. Tom will take a break and get himself where he wants to be. Every potential candidate from Del Rosso to Stanley and others will be discussed, however, in the end, it will likely be a finely suited well framed candidate either in office now or formerly there in, and, very popular by name recognition, and Not yet mentioned.
“Eric Cantor, paging Eric Cantor, please pick up the white courtesy phone”
Alternate Title: Who will take the Fifth? 🙂
I don’t know that Martha will run against her friend Denver Riggleman:
https://www.facebook.com/DenverForCongress/
I tend to agree but then what’s she going to announce tomorrow? That she’s NOT running?
Or she is supporting Riggleman?
You assume that there was some coordination to this.
You forget how Republicans operate.
Of the Pennsylvania Rigglemen???