Although Sheriff Chapman told the Loudoun County Republican Committee that he would not run as an Independent if he lost the Republican nomination at the convention on May 2nd, those close to him have admitted that he is likely to run as an Independent if he loses the nomination.[read_more] It wouldn’t be unusual in Loudoun, it’s common for candidates for sheriff to file as Independents when they lose the Republican nomination.
Chairman of the Board Scott York announced in April 2014 that he would run for re-election this year. In January, hours after Charlie King filed to run for Chairman, Scott York changed his mind and announced that he would not run for chair. Then in March it seemed York had not yet decided if he’s running again or not, saying “I reserve the right to change my mind”. It’s also common for Scott York to run as an Independent. He has done it three times.
Yesterday Chairman Scott York endorsed Mike Chapman for Sheriff, well after the filing deadline for delegates to the convention in May. Few delegate minds (if any) will be changed by this endorsement.
So why did York do it now? Has Scott York succumbed to pressure from the developers and some members of the Board of Supervisors to run again as an Independent? Has Mike Chapman seen the handwriting on the wall, realizing that he will lose the convention because he’s very unpopular among deputies and Republicans in Loudoun? Have York and Chapman come together to support each other in their runs as Independents?
Time will tell.
