The PAC formed by Ed Gillespie in support of his bid to be elected Governor in 2017 has had a fruitful week. It hosted its first fundraiser earlier this week, drawing north of $250,000 in contributions in a single night, and now has formed a very solid group of supporters from across the Commonwealth.
Called “217 for 2017,” the list of 217 ground floor grassroots and local elected supporters of Gillespie’s candidacy is pretty impressive, particularly considering the nomination battle is still well over a year away. Equally impressive is that the group (which includes at least 30 members of the Republican Party of Virginia’s State Central Committee, and nearly as many GOP Unit Chairmen) was reportedly assembled in just a couple of weeks. The list is long on well-established names in the party, but also includes newer names, including a number of prominent Tea Party activists.
Here’s the full list:
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Gillespie is the only confirmed candidate in the 2017 race on the Republican side.
Others mentioned for the job include Rep. Rob Wittman, along with former Attorney General and 2013 gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, and state Sen. Tom Garrett. All four gentlemen are hosting hospitality suites tomorrow night at the Republican Party of Virginia’s Advance, an annual gathering of activists, party leaders, donors, and various politicos, to be held at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs.
