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Republican Party of Virginia

The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based at the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond.[1]

Republican Party of Virginia
ChairmanRich Anderson
Governor of VirginiaGlenn Youngkin
Lieutenant Governor of VirginiaWinsome Sears
Senate Minority LeaderTommy Norment
Speaker of the House of DelegatesTodd Gilbert
House Majority LeaderTerry Kilgore
Founded1854 (1854)
HeadquartersObenshain Center
115 E. Grace St.
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Youth wingHigh School Republicans of Virginia
IdeologyConservatism
National affiliationRepublican Party
Colors  Red
Statewide Executive Offices
3 / 3
Senate
19 / 40
House of Delegates
48 / 100
U.S. Senate
0 / 2
U.S. House of Representatives
5 / 11
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
1 / 10
Website
https://virginia.gop/

History edit

Antebellum edit

John Curtiss Underwood formed the party's newspaper in Wheeling, the first in any of the border states[2] using financial aid from William H. Seward. Underwood also received financial backing to form a colony for northern workers in Ceredo.[3]

Republicans, such as Cassius Marcellus Clay and Underwood, viewed John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry as damaging to the party.[4] Almost all of Abraham Lincoln's support in the 1860 election came from around Wheeling.[5] The Republicans supported Francis Harrison Pierpont's unionist Virginia government during the Civil War.[6]

1860s edit

In Jun 1865, the Radical Republicans, which included many of the party's founders, held a convention in Alexandria which supported black suffrage A rival Republican convention opposed to Pierpont was held in May 1866, by former Whigs under the leadership of John Botts, and formed the Union Republican Party. The convention passed resolutions criticizing Pierpont's government, supporting disenfranchising Confederates, and supporting qualified black suffrage.[7] James W. Hunnicutt, who found most of his support among black people and the Union League, also vied for leadership of the party.[8]

Senator Henry Wilson, at the request of Botts, had the Second Reconstruction Act conduct voting by ballot, which Botts believed would increase white support for Republicans. Wilson unsuccessfully attempted to have the act structured to result in Pierpont administering the constitutional convention election rather than the military commander. Hunnicutt's supporters initially controlled the 1868 constitutional convention and called for property confiscations. The Pierpont and Botts factions, and Horace Greeley feared that Hunnicutt's faction would ruin the electoral chances of the party.[9]

Edward McPherson granted printing contracts to Hunnicutt's Richmond New Nation, but Hunnicutt complained that a majority of the contracts were given to the Alexandria Virginia State Journal.[10]

One-third of the delegates to the constitutional convention were black. Underwood, a Radical who was friends with Greeley, was selected as president. Elihu B. Washburne and Schuyler Colfax advocated for the convention to be generous towards the voting rights of former Confederates while Hunnicutt supported disenfranchisement. The constitution written by the convention disfranchised a large amount of Confederates and required loyalty oaths for local and state officials. John Schofield opposed the loyalty oath as it would not allow for enough men to fill offices.[11]

Schofield removed Pierpont, who was appealing to the Radicals to aid in his election, from the governorship stating that his term had expired under the current constitution. Schofield sought a moderate and initially offered the position to Alexander Rives, but he declined and Henry H. Wells was appointed instead. Wells received the Republican gubernatorial nomination against other nominees, including Hunnicutt, but the loyalty oath requirement was maintained despite another attempt by Schofield. Schofield and Congress refused to finance the elections.[12] The Radicals supported Wells while the conservatives and moderates supported Gilbert Carlton Walker, who won the election.[13]

Later history edit

Virginia Republicans were active in fighting for the Union side in the American Civil War, and helped lead the formation of the Restored Government of Virginia as well as the secession of what became the state of West Virginia. Republicans Francis Harrison Pierpont and Daniel Polsley were respectively elected the governor and lieutenant governor of the Restored Government, with Pierpont eventually taking power as the de facto governor of Virginia after the previous Democratic governor William Smith was removed from office and arrested. Two more Republicans would hold office for governor, Henry H. Wells and Gilbert Carlton Walker.

Republican fortunes turned downward as the Redeemer movement gathered apace and the Reconstruction era ended. A brief upturn occurred when William Mahone formed the Readjuster Party, a bi-racial populist coalition of Democrats and Republicans which held its height of power from 1870 to 1883. After the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1902, which drafted and promulgated a new constitution which disfranchised almost all African-Americans in the commonwealth, the Republican Party ceased to be an effective political party in Virginia.

The party reached its nadir of representation in the General Assembly, reaching handfuls of representation in either chamber and in the U.S. House until after 1964. Historically, from the late 19th into the mid-20th centuries, the 9th and 2nd congressional districts were the friendliest terrain for Republicans in the state (and some of the friendliest in the former Confederacy), encompassing areas which border West Virginia. Virginia Republicans managed to help Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis win the 1928 election, but would only regain their statewide competitiveness after Dwight D. Eisenhower carried the state in 1952. Linwood Holton would be elected in 1969 as the first Republican governor of Virginia in the 20th century, inaugurating an era of competitive elections between the two major parties.

Current elected officials edit

Republicans are the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the minority in the Senate, and five of the state's eleven U.S. House seats are held by Republicans. As of 2022, they hold the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General as well as full control of the House of Delegates.

Members of Congress edit

U.S. Senate edit

  • None

Both of Virginia's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 2008. John Warner was the last Republican to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate. First elected in 1978, Warner opted to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. Former Governor Jim Gilmore ran as the Republican nominee in the 2008 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Mark Warner who has held the seat since.

U.S. House of Representatives edit

Out of the 11 seats Virginia is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, five are held by Republicans:

Statewide offices edit

Leadership edit

Kate Obenshain Griffin of Winchester became the party's chairman in 2004. Following Senator George Allen's unsuccessful 2006 reelection bid, Griffin submitted her resignation as Chairman effective November 15, 2006. Her brother, Mark Obenshain, is a State Senator from Harrisonburg in the Virginia General Assembly. Both are the children of the late Richard D. Obenshain.

Ed Gillespie was elected as the new Chairman of the RPV on December 2, 2006. He resigned on June 13, 2007, to become the counselor to President George W. Bush. Mike Thomas served as interim chairman until July 21 when former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia John H. Hager was elected chairman. On April 9, 2007, the RPV named Fred Malek to serve as the Finance Chairman and Lisa Gable to serve as the Finance Committee Co-Chair.[14]

On May 31, 2008, Hager was defeated in his bid for re-election at a statewide GOP convention by a strongly conservative member of the House of Delegates, Jeff Frederick of Prince William County. Frederick, who was then 32 years old, was the fifth party chairman in five years. On April 4, 2009, Frederick was removed from the position by RPV's State Central Committee, in a move backed by most of the senior GOP establishment.[15][16] Many argued that Frederick's election and later removal was a war within the party between insiders and outsiders,[17] or grassroots versus establishment Republicans.[18] After his removal, Frederick considered seeking the chairman job again at the party's May 2009 convention, but decided against it.[19][20] Pat Mullins, who was then the chairman of the Louisa County party unit and formerly the chairman of the Fairfax County party unit, was selected on May 2, 2009, to serve in the interim before a special election at state party convention later that month.[21] Mullins won the special election at the May 30, 2009, convention, defeating Bill Stanley, the Franklin County chairman.[22] Mullins was re-elected at the party's June 2012 convention.[23] Mullins announced his retirement on November 5, 2014, a day after the Virginia GOP had a strong showing in the 2014 elections.[24][25] 10th District Republican Committee chairman John Whitbeck was elected on January 24, 2015, by the party's State Central Committee to serve out the remainder of Mullins's term.[26][27]

Whitbeck faced a challenge for the chairmanship for the 2016 election at the party's state convention from Vince Haley, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for state senate in the 12th state Senate district in 2015.[28] Haley withdrew his candidacy in early 2016, then tried to re-enter before the convention. At the convention, the party nominations committee ruled that Haley did not qualify to seek the office, and Whitbeck was re-elected unopposed to a full four-year term.[29][30] Whitbeck resigned from his position on July 21, 2018, due to differences with Corey Stewart, the party's nominee for U.S. Senate in that year's race for U.S. Senate.[31] In September 2018, Jack R. Wilson, the party's 4th Congressional District Chairman since 2007 and a lawyer from Chesterfield County, was elected to fill the balance of Whitbeck's term.[32]

The current chairman is former Delegate Rich Anderson, who was elected to a four-year term on August 15, 2020.[33]

Organization and candidate selection edit

The State Party Plan specifies the organization of the state party and how candidates will be selected. The 79-member State Central Committee sets the policy and plans for the party between larger State Conventions, which gather at least once every four years.[34]

Candidates for elective office can be selected by (1) mass meetings, (2) party canvasses, (3) conventions, or (4) primaries. A mass meeting consists of a meeting where any participants must remain until votes are taken at the end. A party canvass or "firehouse primary" allows participants to arrive anytime during announced polling hours, cast a secret ballot, and then leave. A convention includes a process for selecting delegates, and then only the delegates may vote. Mass meetings, party canvasses and conventions are conducted by party officials and volunteers. Primaries are administered by the State Board of Elections at all established polling places. Because Virginia does not have party registrations, participation in primaries are open to any register voter regardless of party. However, on June 15, 2006, the Plan was amended to redefine a primary:

"Primary" is as defined in and subject to the Election Laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, except to the extent that any provisions of such laws conflict with this Plan, infringe the right to freedom of association, or are otherwise invalid.

At the same time, the Plan was amended to require participants in any of the candidate selection methods to "express in open meeting either orally or in writing as may be required their intent to support all [Republican] nominees for public office in the ensuing election".

The candidate selection process has been criticized as favoring "party insiders" and disfavoring moderate candidates. For example, both Jim Gilmore and the more moderate Thomas M. Davis were seeking the 2008 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. However, two weeks following the decision that the candidate will be selected at a convention instead of a primary,[35] Davis announced that he would not seek the nomination.

Open primary litigation edit

Virginia does not provide for voters to register by party. Virginia law requires "open" primaries that are not restricted based on party registration:

All persons qualified to vote... may vote at the primary. No person shall vote for the candidates of more than one party.[36]

In 2004, the Republican Party amended the State Party Plan to attempt to restrict participation in primaries to exclude voters who had voted in a Democratic primary after March 1, 2004, or in the last five years, whichever is more recent. In August 2004, Stephen Martin, an incumbent State Senator, designated that the Republican candidate for his seat in the November 2007 election should be selected by primary. The Republicans then sued the State Board of Elections demanding a closed primary be held, with taxpayer funding of a mechanism to exclude voters who had participated in past Democratic primaries.[37]

The Federal District Court dismissed the suit on standing and ripeness grounds. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed and sent the case back for a trial on its merits. The District Court then ruled that the rule forcing a party to accept the choice of its incumbent office holder of an open primary was unconstitutional. The state could continue to hold open primaries if a party opted for a primary instead of a mass meeting, party canvass, or convention to choose its nominees.[38] On October 1, 2007, the Fourth Circuit affirmed this holding, which largely left Virginia's primary system intact, striking down only the rule allowing an incumbent officeholder to choose an open primary over the objection of his or her party.[39]

The Republican State Central Committee dropped plans to require voters to sign a loyalty oath before voting in the February 2008 Presidential Primary. The party had proposed to require each voter to sign a pledge stating "I, the undersigned, pledge that I intend to support the nominee of the Republican Party for President." However, there was no way to enforce the pledge, and the proposal caused vocal public opposition.[40]

At a March 20, 2014 meeting, John Ferguson defeated Leslie Williams to become Chairman of the Campbell County Republican Committee. Williams unsuccessfully challenged the meeting before the county committee and the Fifth Congressional District Republican Committee. However, the State Central Committee overturned the vote on the grounds that school teachers and public employees participated in the meeting and that they must have been Democrats. In response, Ferguson and the other party officials that were elected filed a lawsuit to block a new mass meeting to fill the seats.[41]

Richard D. Obenshain Center edit

The party headquarters building is named the Richard D. Obenshain Center in memory of Richard D. Obenshain (1936–1978), the State Party Chairman who beginning in 1972, helped lead the party's renaissance in Virginia following 95 years of virtual control by the State's Democratic Party.

In 1978, "Dick" Obenshain had won the party's nomination to run for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Senator William Scott when the 42-year-old candidate and two others were killed in an airplane crash of a twin engine aircraft on August 2, 1978, while attempting a night landing at the Chesterfield County Airport. They had been returning to Richmond from a campaign appearance.

List of Chairs edit

Recent elections edit

2016 elections edit

Over one million voters participated in the 2016 Virginia Republican presidential primary.[42] Donald Trump placed first with 35% of the vote, followed by Marco Rubio (32%), Ted Cruz (17%), John Kasich (10%), and Ben Carson (6%).[43] The party held its quadrennial convention in Roanoke and elected 13 at-large delegates to the Republican National Convention, 10 of which pledged to support Ted Cruz in the event of a contested convention.[44] In the general election, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump 50% to 45%.[45]

In the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, the Republicans lost one seat but maintained a 7–4 majority in their representative delegation.

2017 elections edit

In 2017, the party nominated Ed Gillespie for governor, Jill Vogel for lieutenant governor, and John Adams for attorney general via an open primary. All three lost to their Democratic opponents. Gillespie lost to Ralph Northam by a margin of 8.93%.

The Republican Party lost 15 seats in the 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election. This resulted in the Republicans going from a 66–34 majority to a 51–49 majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.

2018 elections edit

In 2018, incumbent Democratic senator Tim Kaine defeated Republican Corey Stewart by a margin of 16% in the 2018 United States Senate election in Virginia. The party also lost three seats in the House of Representatives elections, giving Democrats a 7–4 majority.

2019 elections edit

In 2019, the party lost their majorities in the House of Delegates and State Senate. Democrats gained two seats in the 2019 Virginia Senate election, giving them a 21–19 majority. Democrats gained six seats in the 2019 Virginia House of Delegates election, giving them a 55–45 majority.

2020 elections edit

In 2020, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump by 10.11%. Both parties maintained their seats in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia. Incumbent Democratic senator Mark Warner defeated Republican challenger Daniel Gade by 12.1% in the 2020 United States Senate election in Virginia.

2021 elections edit

In 2021, Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin defeated former governor Terry McAuliffe by a 51%–48.5% margin. The GOP nominees for Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Sears, and Attorney General, Jason Miyares, also won their respective races. This was the first time Republicans won a statewide election in the Commonwealth since 2009. The party gained seven seats in the House of Delegates to have a majority of 52–48, with Todd Gilbert as the new Speaker of the House.[46] These races were seen as a crucial bellwether for the 2022 midterms, as they took place during a period of low approval for President Joe Biden.

Controversies edit

Controversies surrounding the 2020 presidential election edit

Prior to the January 6 joint session of the United States Congress to certify Joe Biden's win, Republican Delegates Dave LaRock (Loudon), Mark Cole (Fauquier), and Ronnie Campbell (R-Lexington) sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence urging him to nullify Virginia's electoral results.[47] Democratic Speaker of the House Elieen Filler-Corn punished the members by stripping them of their committee assignments.[48]

Republican 2021 candidate for Governor Sen. Amanda Chase attended the rally prior to the January 6 storming of the United States Capitol. After the riot that left one person dead,[49] party chairman Rich Anderson said in a statement "I and Virginia Republicans across our great Commonwealth condemn these despicable acts without reservation or hesitation.[50]"

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker quickly condemned the Republican officials, saying "The Republican Party has made their disdain for democracy clear, and every elected GOP official has been complicit.[51]"

Method of nomination for 2021 elections edit

In December 2020, the State Central Committee voted to choose its candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General by convention, not by a primary. Candidate Sen. Amanda Chase threatened to run as an independent, but quickly backtracked and said she would reluctantly participate in a convention. The State Central Committee has held several meetings to reconsider the decision to hold a convention.[52]

"Ghetto" statements edit

At a January 2021 State Central Committee meeting, Party Chairman Rich Anderson called the Party Headquarters in Richmond a "literal ghetto. Democrats and other Republicans criticized him for the choice of words, while he defended himself by pointing out that “ghetto has nothing to do with race” and that he had only been referring to the building, not the neighborhood.[53]"

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Contact the Republican Party of Virginia." Republican Party of Virginia. Retrieved on May 13, 2010.
  2. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 10.
  3. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 12.
  4. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 13.
  5. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 17.
  6. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 63.
  7. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 63-64.
  8. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 114.
  9. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 114-116.
  10. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 135-136.
  11. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 146-147.
  12. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 162-163.
  13. ^ Abbott 1986, p. 207.
  14. ^ "RPV Announces New Finance Chairman". Press Releases. Republican Party of Virginia. 9 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  15. ^ Craig, Tim (2009-03-17). "Frederick Fights Back". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  16. ^ Kumar, Anita (2009-04-04). "Virginia GOP Ousts Controversial Chairman". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  17. ^ Freddoso, David (2009-04-07). "Not Their Chairman". National Review.
  18. ^ Craig, Tim (2009-03-19). "GOP 'Grass Roots' at Center of Turf Battle". The Washington Post.
  19. ^ Kumar, Anita (2009-05-04). "Frederick Declines to Run for GOP Leader". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  20. ^ Frederick, Jeff (2009-05-04). "My decision".
  21. ^ Virginia GOP elects Pat Mullins - Politico
  22. ^ Kumar, Anita (May 31, 2009). "McDonnell Officially Accepts GOP Nomination". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  23. ^ RPV Convention Wrap-Up - Bearing Drift
  24. ^ Virginia Republican Party chairman resigns - Associated Press
  25. ^ Portnoy, Jenna. "Virginia GOP chairman announces retirement, applauds party for its big wins". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  26. ^ Virginia GOP elects John Whitbeck as new chairman - Washington Post
  27. ^ RPV State Central Committee Elects John Whitbeck Chairman - Virginia.gop
  28. ^ Vince Haley - VPAP.org
  29. ^ Cruz wins most Virginia GOP at-large delegates - Daily Press
  30. ^ Cruz secures 10 of 13 national delegates in fight at Virginia GOP convention - Richmond Times-Dispatch
  31. ^ Times-Dispatch, PATRICK WILSON AND ANDREW CAIN Richmond. "Virginia GOP chairman resigns weeks after voters pick Stewart as Senate candidate". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  32. ^ Jack Wilson Elected New Republican Party of Virginia Chairman - Bearing Drift
  33. ^ Times-Dispatch, ANDREW CAIN Richmond. "Virginia Republicans pick former Del. Rich Anderson to replace Jack Wilson as state party chair". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  34. ^ Hager, John H.; John Padgett; Charles E. Judd (October 2007). "The Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia" (PDF). rpv.org. Republican Party of Virginia. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  35. ^ "Va. GOP decision favors Gilmore". InRich.com. 13 October 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  36. ^ "§ 24.2-530: Who may vote in primary". Code of Virginia. Virginia General Assembly Legislation Information System. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  37. ^ Hudson, Henry E.; Duncan, Widener Wilkins (1 October 2007). "Miller v. Brown, No. 06-2334, pages 4-5" (PDF). ca4.uscourts.gov. U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  38. ^ Hudson, Henry E.; Duncan, Widener Wilkins (1 October 2007). "Miller v. Brown, No. 06-2334, page 6" (PDF). ca4.uscourts.gov. U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  39. ^ Hudson, Henry E.; Duncan, Widener Wilkins (1 October 2007). "Miller v. Brown, No. 06-2334, page 18" (PDF). ca4.uscourts.gov. U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  40. ^ Craig, Tim (1 December 2007). "Va. GOP Abandons Loyalty Pledge". Washington Post. p. B01. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  41. ^ "County GOP files lawsuit". The Union Star. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  42. ^ FACTS AND DATES: VIRGINIA GOP DELEGATE SELECTION PROCESS virginia.gop
  43. ^ March Republican Presidential Primary Virginia State Board of Elections
  44. ^ Ted Cruz wins the most delegates at Virginia GOP convention Washington Post
  45. ^ Kite, Allison (9 November 2016). "Hillary Clinton Wins Virginia". Retrieved 27 November 2016 – via Wall Street Journal.
  46. ^ "Virginia Election Results: November 2". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  47. ^ Kealy, Caroline (2021-01-05). "3 Va. GOP delegates sign letter asking Pence to nullify state's election results". WSET. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  48. ^ Times-Dispatch, MICHAEL MARTZ AND MEL LEONOR Richmond. "Filler-Corn strips three GOP delegates of key committee assignments for backing overturning election results". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  49. ^ Washington Post, April 19, Officer Sicknick's death was natural causes (2 strokes). Furthermore, his family asked that his death not be poliicized since he died of unrelated causes. USA Today, 7 April. According to DC Medical Examiner, Ashli Babbitt died by homicide in the Capitol. The other three died of natural causes: Kevin Greeson of cardio-vascular disease; Benjamin Phillips of cardiovascular disease; and Roseanne Boyland by accident from acute amphetamine intoxication. Ashli Babbitt is the only death due to the insurrection.
  50. ^ "RPV Statement on Today's Events on Capitol Hill". us4.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  51. ^ "DPVA Chair Statement On Right-Wing Insurrection At The U.S. Capitol". Democratic Party of Virginia. 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  52. ^ Vozzella, Laura (2021-01-16). "Debate over how to pick GOP nominee for Virginia governor cut short". The Washington Post.
  53. ^ Vozzella, Laura. "Virginia GOP chief calls party's run-down headquarters a 'literal ghetto'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-01-26.

Works cited edit

External links edit

  • Republican Party of Virginia

republican, party, virginia, this, article, lead, section, short, adequately, summarize, points, please, consider, expanding, lead, provide, accessible, overview, important, aspects, article, august, 2021, virginia, chapter, republican, party, based, richard, . This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article August 2021 The Republican Party of Virginia RPV is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party It is based at the Richard D Obenshain Center in Richmond 1 Republican Party of VirginiaChairmanRich AndersonGovernor of VirginiaGlenn YoungkinLieutenant Governor of VirginiaWinsome SearsSenate Minority LeaderTommy NormentSpeaker of the House of DelegatesTodd GilbertHouse Majority LeaderTerry KilgoreFounded1854 1854 HeadquartersObenshain Center115 E Grace St Richmond Virginia 23219Youth wingHigh School Republicans of VirginiaIdeologyConservatismNational affiliationRepublican PartyColors RedStatewide Executive Offices3 3Senate19 40House of Delegates48 100U S Senate0 2U S House of Representatives5 11Fairfax County Board of Supervisors1 10Websitehttps virginia gop Politics of VirginiaElections Contents 1 History 1 1 Antebellum 1 2 1860s 1 3 Later history 2 Current elected officials 2 1 Members of Congress 2 1 1 U S Senate 2 1 2 U S House of Representatives 2 2 Statewide offices 3 Leadership 4 Organization and candidate selection 4 1 Open primary litigation 4 2 Richard D Obenshain Center 5 List of Chairs 6 Recent elections 6 1 2016 elections 6 2 2017 elections 6 3 2018 elections 6 4 2019 elections 6 5 2020 elections 6 6 2021 elections 7 Controversies 7 1 Controversies surrounding the 2020 presidential election 7 2 Method of nomination for 2021 elections 7 3 Ghetto statements 8 See also 9 References 10 Works cited 11 External linksHistory editAntebellum edit John Curtiss Underwood formed the party s newspaper in Wheeling the first in any of the border states 2 using financial aid from William H Seward Underwood also received financial backing to form a colony for northern workers in Ceredo 3 Republicans such as Cassius Marcellus Clay and Underwood viewed John Brown s raid on Harpers Ferry as damaging to the party 4 Almost all of Abraham Lincoln s support in the 1860 election came from around Wheeling 5 The Republicans supported Francis Harrison Pierpont s unionist Virginia government during the Civil War 6 1860s edit In Jun 1865 the Radical Republicans which included many of the party s founders held a convention in Alexandria which supported black suffrage A rival Republican convention opposed to Pierpont was held in May 1866 by former Whigs under the leadership of John Botts and formed the Union Republican Party The convention passed resolutions criticizing Pierpont s government supporting disenfranchising Confederates and supporting qualified black suffrage 7 James W Hunnicutt who found most of his support among black people and the Union League also vied for leadership of the party 8 Senator Henry Wilson at the request of Botts had the Second Reconstruction Act conduct voting by ballot which Botts believed would increase white support for Republicans Wilson unsuccessfully attempted to have the act structured to result in Pierpont administering the constitutional convention election rather than the military commander Hunnicutt s supporters initially controlled the 1868 constitutional convention and called for property confiscations The Pierpont and Botts factions and Horace Greeley feared that Hunnicutt s faction would ruin the electoral chances of the party 9 Edward McPherson granted printing contracts to Hunnicutt s Richmond New Nation but Hunnicutt complained that a majority of the contracts were given to the Alexandria Virginia State Journal 10 One third of the delegates to the constitutional convention were black Underwood a Radical who was friends with Greeley was selected as president Elihu B Washburne and Schuyler Colfax advocated for the convention to be generous towards the voting rights of former Confederates while Hunnicutt supported disenfranchisement The constitution written by the convention disfranchised a large amount of Confederates and required loyalty oaths for local and state officials John Schofield opposed the loyalty oath as it would not allow for enough men to fill offices 11 Schofield removed Pierpont who was appealing to the Radicals to aid in his election from the governorship stating that his term had expired under the current constitution Schofield sought a moderate and initially offered the position to Alexander Rives but he declined and Henry H Wells was appointed instead Wells received the Republican gubernatorial nomination against other nominees including Hunnicutt but the loyalty oath requirement was maintained despite another attempt by Schofield Schofield and Congress refused to finance the elections 12 The Radicals supported Wells while the conservatives and moderates supported Gilbert Carlton Walker who won the election 13 Later history edit Virginia Republicans were active in fighting for the Union side in the American Civil War and helped lead the formation of the Restored Government of Virginia as well as the secession of what became the state of West Virginia Republicans Francis Harrison Pierpont and Daniel Polsley were respectively elected the governor and lieutenant governor of the Restored Government with Pierpont eventually taking power as the de facto governor of Virginia after the previous Democratic governor William Smith was removed from office and arrested Two more Republicans would hold office for governor Henry H Wells and Gilbert Carlton Walker Republican fortunes turned downward as the Redeemer movement gathered apace and the Reconstruction era ended A brief upturn occurred when William Mahone formed the Readjuster Party a bi racial populist coalition of Democrats and Republicans which held its height of power from 1870 to 1883 After the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1902 which drafted and promulgated a new constitution which disfranchised almost all African Americans in the commonwealth the Republican Party ceased to be an effective political party in Virginia The party reached its nadir of representation in the General Assembly reaching handfuls of representation in either chamber and in the U S House until after 1964 Historically from the late 19th into the mid 20th centuries the 9th and 2nd congressional districts were the friendliest terrain for Republicans in the state and some of the friendliest in the former Confederacy encompassing areas which border West Virginia Virginia Republicans managed to help Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis win the 1928 election but would only regain their statewide competitiveness after Dwight D Eisenhower carried the state in 1952 Linwood Holton would be elected in 1969 as the first Republican governor of Virginia in the 20th century inaugurating an era of competitive elections between the two major parties Current elected officials editRepublicans are the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the minority in the Senate and five of the state s eleven U S House seats are held by Republicans As of 2022 they hold the offices of Governor Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General as well as full control of the House of Delegates Members of Congress edit U S Senate edit NoneBoth of Virginia s U S Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 2008 John Warner was the last Republican to represent Virginia in the U S Senate First elected in 1978 Warner opted to retire instead of seeking a sixth term Former Governor Jim Gilmore ran as the Republican nominee in the 2008 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Mark Warner who has held the seat since U S House of Representatives edit Out of the 11 seats Virginia is apportioned in the U S House of Representatives five are held by Republicans District Member Photo1st Rob Wittman nbsp 2nd Jen Kiggans nbsp 5th Bob Good nbsp 6th Ben Cline nbsp 9th Morgan Griffith nbsp Statewide offices edit nbsp Governor Glenn Youngkin nbsp Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears nbsp Attorney General Jason MiyaresLeadership editKate Obenshain Griffin of Winchester became the party s chairman in 2004 Following Senator George Allen s unsuccessful 2006 reelection bid Griffin submitted her resignation as Chairman effective November 15 2006 Her brother Mark Obenshain is a State Senator from Harrisonburg in the Virginia General Assembly Both are the children of the late Richard D Obenshain Ed Gillespie was elected as the new Chairman of the RPV on December 2 2006 He resigned on June 13 2007 to become the counselor to President George W Bush Mike Thomas served as interim chairman until July 21 when former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia John H Hager was elected chairman On April 9 2007 the RPV named Fred Malek to serve as the Finance Chairman and Lisa Gable to serve as the Finance Committee Co Chair 14 On May 31 2008 Hager was defeated in his bid for re election at a statewide GOP convention by a strongly conservative member of the House of Delegates Jeff Frederick of Prince William County Frederick who was then 32 years old was the fifth party chairman in five years On April 4 2009 Frederick was removed from the position by RPV s State Central Committee in a move backed by most of the senior GOP establishment 15 16 Many argued that Frederick s election and later removal was a war within the party between insiders and outsiders 17 or grassroots versus establishment Republicans 18 After his removal Frederick considered seeking the chairman job again at the party s May 2009 convention but decided against it 19 20 Pat Mullins who was then the chairman of the Louisa County party unit and formerly the chairman of the Fairfax County party unit was selected on May 2 2009 to serve in the interim before a special election at state party convention later that month 21 Mullins won the special election at the May 30 2009 convention defeating Bill Stanley the Franklin County chairman 22 Mullins was re elected at the party s June 2012 convention 23 Mullins announced his retirement on November 5 2014 a day after the Virginia GOP had a strong showing in the 2014 elections 24 25 10th District Republican Committee chairman John Whitbeck was elected on January 24 2015 by the party s State Central Committee to serve out the remainder of Mullins s term 26 27 Whitbeck faced a challenge for the chairmanship for the 2016 election at the party s state convention from Vince Haley who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for state senate in the 12th state Senate district in 2015 28 Haley withdrew his candidacy in early 2016 then tried to re enter before the convention At the convention the party nominations committee ruled that Haley did not qualify to seek the office and Whitbeck was re elected unopposed to a full four year term 29 30 Whitbeck resigned from his position on July 21 2018 due to differences with Corey Stewart the party s nominee for U S Senate in that year s race for U S Senate 31 In September 2018 Jack R Wilson the party s 4th Congressional District Chairman since 2007 and a lawyer from Chesterfield County was elected to fill the balance of Whitbeck s term 32 The current chairman is former Delegate Rich Anderson who was elected to a four year term on August 15 2020 33 Organization and candidate selection editThe State Party Plan specifies the organization of the state party and how candidates will be selected The 79 member State Central Committee sets the policy and plans for the party between larger State Conventions which gather at least once every four years 34 Candidates for elective office can be selected by 1 mass meetings 2 party canvasses 3 conventions or 4 primaries A mass meeting consists of a meeting where any participants must remain until votes are taken at the end A party canvass or firehouse primary allows participants to arrive anytime during announced polling hours cast a secret ballot and then leave A convention includes a process for selecting delegates and then only the delegates may vote Mass meetings party canvasses and conventions are conducted by party officials and volunteers Primaries are administered by the State Board of Elections at all established polling places Because Virginia does not have party registrations participation in primaries are open to any register voter regardless of party However on June 15 2006 the Plan was amended to redefine a primary Primary is as defined in and subject to the Election Laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia except to the extent that any provisions of such laws conflict with this Plan infringe the right to freedom of association or are otherwise invalid At the same time the Plan was amended to require participants in any of the candidate selection methods to express in open meeting either orally or in writing as may be required their intent to support all Republican nominees for public office in the ensuing election The candidate selection process has been criticized as favoring party insiders and disfavoring moderate candidates For example both Jim Gilmore and the more moderate Thomas M Davis were seeking the 2008 Republican candidate for U S Senate However two weeks following the decision that the candidate will be selected at a convention instead of a primary 35 Davis announced that he would not seek the nomination Open primary litigation edit Virginia does not provide for voters to register by party Virginia law requires open primaries that are not restricted based on party registration All persons qualified to vote may vote at the primary No person shall vote for the candidates of more than one party 36 In 2004 the Republican Party amended the State Party Plan to attempt to restrict participation in primaries to exclude voters who had voted in a Democratic primary after March 1 2004 or in the last five years whichever is more recent In August 2004 Stephen Martin an incumbent State Senator designated that the Republican candidate for his seat in the November 2007 election should be selected by primary The Republicans then sued the State Board of Elections demanding a closed primary be held with taxpayer funding of a mechanism to exclude voters who had participated in past Democratic primaries 37 The Federal District Court dismissed the suit on standing and ripeness grounds The U S Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed and sent the case back for a trial on its merits The District Court then ruled that the rule forcing a party to accept the choice of its incumbent office holder of an open primary was unconstitutional The state could continue to hold open primaries if a party opted for a primary instead of a mass meeting party canvass or convention to choose its nominees 38 On October 1 2007 the Fourth Circuit affirmed this holding which largely left Virginia s primary system intact striking down only the rule allowing an incumbent officeholder to choose an open primary over the objection of his or her party 39 The Republican State Central Committee dropped plans to require voters to sign a loyalty oath before voting in the February 2008 Presidential Primary The party had proposed to require each voter to sign a pledge stating I the undersigned pledge that I intend to support the nominee of the Republican Party for President However there was no way to enforce the pledge and the proposal caused vocal public opposition 40 At a March 20 2014 meeting John Ferguson defeated Leslie Williams to become Chairman of the Campbell County Republican Committee Williams unsuccessfully challenged the meeting before the county committee and the Fifth Congressional District Republican Committee However the State Central Committee overturned the vote on the grounds that school teachers and public employees participated in the meeting and that they must have been Democrats In response Ferguson and the other party officials that were elected filed a lawsuit to block a new mass meeting to fill the seats 41 Richard D Obenshain Center edit The party headquarters building is named the Richard D Obenshain Center in memory of Richard D Obenshain 1936 1978 the State Party Chairman who beginning in 1972 helped lead the party s renaissance in Virginia following 95 years of virtual control by the State s Democratic Party In 1978 Dick Obenshain had won the party s nomination to run for the U S Senate to replace retiring Senator William Scott when the 42 year old candidate and two others were killed in an airplane crash of a twin engine aircraft on August 2 1978 while attempting a night landing at the Chesterfield County Airport They had been returning to Richmond from a campaign appearance List of Chairs editWilliam Henry Harrison Stowell 1872 1873 William Lamb 1895 1897 C Bascom Slemp 1905 1918 S Floyd Landreth 1952 1956 I Lee Potter 1956 1962 Horace E Henderson 1962 1964 Robert J Corber 1964 Richard D Obenshain 1972 1978 Randy Forbes 1996 2001 Gary R Thomson 2001 2003 Kate Obenshain 2003 2006 Ed Gillespie 2006 2007 John H Hager 2007 2008 Jeff Frederick 2008 2009 Pat Mullins 2009 2015 John Whitbeck 2015 2018 Jack Wilson 2018 2020 Rich Anderson 2020 present Recent elections edit2016 elections edit Over one million voters participated in the 2016 Virginia Republican presidential primary 42 Donald Trump placed first with 35 of the vote followed by Marco Rubio 32 Ted Cruz 17 John Kasich 10 and Ben Carson 6 43 The party held its quadrennial convention in Roanoke and elected 13 at large delegates to the Republican National Convention 10 of which pledged to support Ted Cruz in the event of a contested convention 44 In the general election Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump 50 to 45 45 In the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia the Republicans lost one seat but maintained a 7 4 majority in their representative delegation 2017 elections edit In 2017 the party nominated Ed Gillespie for governor Jill Vogel for lieutenant governor and John Adams for attorney general via an open primary All three lost to their Democratic opponents Gillespie lost to Ralph Northam by a margin of 8 93 The Republican Party lost 15 seats in the 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election This resulted in the Republicans going from a 66 34 majority to a 51 49 majority in the Virginia House of Delegates 2018 elections edit In 2018 incumbent Democratic senator Tim Kaine defeated Republican Corey Stewart by a margin of 16 in the 2018 United States Senate election in Virginia The party also lost three seats in the House of Representatives elections giving Democrats a 7 4 majority 2019 elections edit In 2019 the party lost their majorities in the House of Delegates and State Senate Democrats gained two seats in the 2019 Virginia Senate election giving them a 21 19 majority Democrats gained six seats in the 2019 Virginia House of Delegates election giving them a 55 45 majority 2020 elections edit In 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump by 10 11 Both parties maintained their seats in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia Incumbent Democratic senator Mark Warner defeated Republican challenger Daniel Gade by 12 1 in the 2020 United States Senate election in Virginia 2021 elections edit In 2021 Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin defeated former governor Terry McAuliffe by a 51 48 5 margin The GOP nominees for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares also won their respective races This was the first time Republicans won a statewide election in the Commonwealth since 2009 The party gained seven seats in the House of Delegates to have a majority of 52 48 with Todd Gilbert as the new Speaker of the House 46 These races were seen as a crucial bellwether for the 2022 midterms as they took place during a period of low approval for President Joe Biden Controversies editControversies surrounding the 2020 presidential election edit Prior to the January 6 joint session of the United States Congress to certify Joe Biden s win Republican Delegates Dave LaRock Loudon Mark Cole Fauquier and Ronnie Campbell R Lexington sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence urging him to nullify Virginia s electoral results 47 Democratic Speaker of the House Elieen Filler Corn punished the members by stripping them of their committee assignments 48 Republican 2021 candidate for Governor Sen Amanda Chase attended the rally prior to the January 6 storming of the United States Capitol After the riot that left one person dead 49 party chairman Rich Anderson said in a statement I and Virginia Republicans across our great Commonwealth condemn these despicable acts without reservation or hesitation 50 Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker quickly condemned the Republican officials saying The Republican Party has made their disdain for democracy clear and every elected GOP official has been complicit 51 Method of nomination for 2021 elections edit In December 2020 the State Central Committee voted to choose its candidates for Governor Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General by convention not by a primary Candidate Sen Amanda Chase threatened to run as an independent but quickly backtracked and said she would reluctantly participate in a convention The State Central Committee has held several meetings to reconsider the decision to hold a convention 52 Ghetto statements edit At a January 2021 State Central Committee meeting Party Chairman Rich Anderson called the Party Headquarters in Richmond a literal ghetto Democrats and other Republicans criticized him for the choice of words while he defended himself by pointing out that ghetto has nothing to do with race and that he had only been referring to the building not the neighborhood 53 See also edit nbsp Virginia portalDemocratic Party of Virginia Green Party of Virginia Libertarian Party of Virginia Republican Party of Virginia convention 2013References edit Contact the Republican Party of Virginia Republican Party of Virginia Retrieved on May 13 2010 Abbott 1986 p 10 Abbott 1986 p 12 Abbott 1986 p 13 Abbott 1986 p 17 Abbott 1986 p 63 Abbott 1986 p 63 64 Abbott 1986 p 114 Abbott 1986 p 114 116 Abbott 1986 p 135 136 Abbott 1986 p 146 147 Abbott 1986 p 162 163 Abbott 1986 p 207 RPV Announces New Finance Chairman Press Releases Republican Party of Virginia 9 April 2007 Retrieved 2007 12 20 Craig Tim 2009 03 17 Frederick Fights Back The Washington Post Retrieved 2009 04 04 Kumar Anita 2009 04 04 Virginia GOP Ousts Controversial Chairman The Washington Post Retrieved 2009 04 04 Freddoso David 2009 04 07 Not Their Chairman National Review Craig Tim 2009 03 19 GOP Grass Roots at Center of Turf Battle The Washington Post Kumar Anita 2009 05 04 Frederick Declines to Run for GOP Leader The Washington Post Retrieved 2009 05 04 Frederick Jeff 2009 05 04 My decision Virginia GOP elects Pat Mullins Politico Kumar Anita May 31 2009 McDonnell Officially Accepts GOP Nomination The Washington Post p C1 RPV Convention Wrap Up Bearing Drift Virginia Republican Party chairman resigns Associated Press Portnoy Jenna Virginia GOP chairman announces retirement applauds party for its big wins www washingtonpost com Retrieved 5 November 2014 Virginia GOP elects John Whitbeck as new chairman Washington Post RPV State Central Committee Elects John Whitbeck Chairman Virginia gop Vince Haley VPAP org Cruz wins most Virginia GOP at large delegates Daily Press Cruz secures 10 of 13 national delegates in fight at Virginia GOP convention Richmond Times Dispatch Times Dispatch PATRICK WILSON AND ANDREW CAIN Richmond Virginia GOP chairman resigns weeks after voters pick Stewart as Senate candidate Richmond Times Dispatch Retrieved 2020 08 16 Jack Wilson Elected New Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Bearing Drift Times Dispatch ANDREW CAIN Richmond Virginia Republicans pick former Del Rich Anderson to replace Jack Wilson as state party chair Richmond Times Dispatch Retrieved 2020 08 16 Hager John H John Padgett Charles E Judd October 2007 The Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia PDF rpv org Republican Party of Virginia Retrieved 2007 12 20 Va GOP decision favors Gilmore InRich com 13 October 2007 Archived from the original on 23 August 2007 Retrieved 2007 12 20 24 2 530 Who may vote in primary Code of Virginia Virginia General Assembly Legislation Information System Retrieved 2007 12 20 Hudson Henry E Duncan Widener Wilkins 1 October 2007 Miller v Brown No 06 2334 pages 4 5 PDF ca4 uscourts gov U S Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit Retrieved 2007 12 20 Hudson Henry E Duncan Widener Wilkins 1 October 2007 Miller v Brown No 06 2334 page 6 PDF ca4 uscourts gov U S Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit Retrieved 2007 12 20 Hudson Henry E Duncan Widener Wilkins 1 October 2007 Miller v Brown No 06 2334 page 18 PDF ca4 uscourts gov U S Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit Retrieved 2007 12 20 Craig Tim 1 December 2007 Va GOP Abandons Loyalty Pledge Washington Post p B01 Retrieved 2007 12 20 County GOP files lawsuit The Union Star Retrieved 1 February 2016 FACTS AND DATES VIRGINIA GOP DELEGATE SELECTION PROCESS virginia gop March Republican Presidential Primary Virginia State Board of Elections Ted Cruz wins the most delegates at Virginia GOP convention Washington Post Kite Allison 9 November 2016 Hillary Clinton Wins Virginia Retrieved 27 November 2016 via Wall Street Journal Virginia Election Results November 2 The Virginia Public Access Project Retrieved 2021 11 03 Kealy Caroline 2021 01 05 3 Va GOP delegates sign letter asking Pence to nullify state s election results WSET Retrieved 2021 01 26 Times Dispatch MICHAEL MARTZ AND MEL LEONOR Richmond Filler Corn strips three GOP delegates of key committee assignments for backing overturning election results Richmond Times Dispatch Retrieved 2021 01 26 Washington Post April 19 Officer Sicknick s death was natural causes 2 strokes Furthermore his family asked that his death not be poliicized since he died of unrelated causes USA Today 7 April According to DC Medical Examiner Ashli Babbitt died by homicide in the Capitol The other three died of natural causes Kevin Greeson of cardio vascular disease Benjamin Phillips of cardiovascular disease and Roseanne Boyland by accident from acute amphetamine intoxication Ashli Babbitt is the only death due to the insurrection RPV Statement on Today s Events on Capitol Hill us4 campaign archive com Retrieved 2021 01 26 DPVA Chair Statement On Right Wing Insurrection At The U S Capitol Democratic Party of Virginia 2021 01 06 Retrieved 2021 01 26 Vozzella Laura 2021 01 16 Debate over how to pick GOP nominee for Virginia governor cut short The Washington Post Vozzella Laura Virginia GOP chief calls party s run down headquarters a literal ghetto The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2021 01 26 Works cited editAbbott Richard 1986 The Republican Party and the South 1855 1877 The First Southern Strategy University of North Carolina Press ISBN 0807816809 External links editRepublican Party of Virginia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Republican Party of Virginia amp oldid 1185460825, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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