The Republican Party of Virginia held its State Convention over the weekend in what has been labeled an "unassembled" convention due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The convention nominated a new Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia in Rich Anderson. Despite dozens of endorsements from prominent Republican leaders around the Commonwealth, Chairman Jack Wilson was defeated soundly. Wilson has the support of former Rep. Randy Forbes, former Lr. Gov. Bill Bolling and John Hager as well as many district leaders like Cary Allen and Dennis Free.
Many of the supporter of Chairman Wilson were labeled "establishment" by the opposition to his attempt to continue in his capacity as Chair for the next four years. Wilson took over the Chairmanship for John Whitbeck. Wilson had the support of the Young Republican Federation of Virginia as well as the new organization known as Grow Our Party and many local boards across the Commonwealth.
Rich Anderson, a former Delegate in the House of Delegates, defeated Jack Wilson handily where Wilson only received some 18% on the first ballot to determine the next Chairman. Anderson ran a "Its Time to Win Again" campaign linking Jack Wilson to the failures of the past few years of the GOP to resonate with voters and for the losses sustained like in the Virginia General Assembly.
It proved to be a vert strong message though Jack Wilson was hardly the one responsible for said losses the last decade. They started long before Wilson arrive to take over the state chairmanship and Rich Anderson will likely find himself in the same situation given the status of the GOP local committees and their inability to locate, recruit or develop new candidates.
Rich Anderson won on the second ballot with 62% of the vote after Jack Wilson was removed after the first round of voting. The other candidate was Mike Schoelwer who garnered 32% in first round and than around 38% in the second.
Major questions remain for the GOP moving forward and whether Anderson can deliver on his stated plan for the RPV. The Virginia GOP appears more divided than ever and has experienced various controversies this year at the district level that are beginning to turn many apathetic on the prospects that the GOP can win any time soon. From the VA-05 corruption on the district committee involving the payment of committee members, the VA-07 delegate controversy and the recent social media diatribes of the VA-06 newly elected Chair John Massoud concerning Senator Kamala Harris D) selected as the VP running mate by former VP Joe Biden.
The only Amendment to pass at the 2020 Convention was the "Conflict of Interest" Amendment which was crafted to address such issues as occurred in the VA-05 and the undermining of Rep. Denver Riggleman (R) and the nomination of Bob Good.
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