The new Republican Party of Virginia Chairman’s first big fundraiser was a smashing success. Hopefully this is a sign of bigger things to come.[read_more]
John Whitbeck hosted a sellout crowd last night in Richmond for a fundraiser headlined by former Texas Governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate Rick Perry. According to my sources, the Party walked away with well over $50,000 in proceeds, thus allowing Whitbeck to pilot the RPV beyond the event horizon of what could otherwise have been a crushing black hole of debt.
That’s not to say RPV has completely escaped the gravitational pull of said black hole. There are still plenty of folks who would love nothing more than to see the Party consumed by its debts and fundraising difficulties. (One such person is famous for his threat to facilitate just such an eventuality). Thankfully, there are more people willing to bet on the success of the Party–from all parts of our coalition–than there are who scheme for its demise. That success is made much more likely with John Whitbeck now at the helm, who has reportedly raised much more than last night’s haul through contact with individual donors.
If Whitbeck is doing his job right, he’s necessarily not going to see eye-to-eye with everyone all the time, and he’s done things I’ve disagreed with in his short tenure. Fundamentally, though, the new era that RPV desperately needs must be born of strong leadership for the WHOLE party, not just one faction or another. On that score, as evidenced by the unifying success of last night’s event, Whitbeck seems to be hitting the right marks.
So, kudos to John Whitbeck (and to outgoing Executive Director Shaun Kenney) for a fantastic event! This is a great start to Whitbeck’s term. Let’s hope we see many more repeat performances.
