Virginia's 8th District Republican Committee

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2012 8th District Convention this past Saturday, May 12, at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington.  We had incredible turnout — over 400 delegates on a beautiful Saturday in May.  The convention ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and delegates got to hear from candidates for election at the convention and candidates for election to public office in 2012 and 2013.

Thank you to the candidates for office who joined us for the convention — Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, 8th District congressional nominee Patrick Murray, Arlington County Board candidate Matthew Wavro, and Fairfax Clerk of Court John Frey. Thank you also to all of the representatives of the various 2012 and 2013 campaigns that joined us at the convention to speak on behalf of their candidates.

Here are the winners and the results of the elections held at the Convention:

Chairman of the 8th District Republican Committee (uncontested):
Mike Ginsberg

Delegates to the Republican National Convention:
Erin Anderson, Matthew Burrow, Evan Draim
Full Results (PDF)

Alternate Delegates to the Republican National Convention:
Heather Homan, Marta Saltus, Maggie Wynne
Full Results (PDF)

State Central Committee:
Mark Kelly, Anne LeHuray, Rich Nilsen
Full Results (PDF)

Presidential Elector in the Electoral College:
George Croft
Full Results (PDF)

Congratulations to all those elected. Thank you also to all the candidates who stood for election at the 8th District Convention.  We had wonderful candidates and simply could not go wrong in our choices.

Thank you to all of our volunteers at the convention. Without the volunteers, we simply could not have put on such a great convention.  Very special thanks to Wayne Kubicki, the elections committee chairman, Scott McGeary, the credentials committee chairman, and Chris Marston, the convention’s temporary chairman. They were responsible for organizing registration, the balloting process, and running the convention smoothly and efficiently.

Our volunteer team also included: Nancy Almasi, Debbie Bodlander, Shari Bolouri, Maria Ciarrocchi, Ken Feltman, Chris Gaskill, Loree Gunn, Brenda Hankins, Dena Kozanas, Gail Ledwig, Joey McGeary, Ian Meyeroff, Adam Mikilia, Sandy Mikilia, Brian Pandya, Catherine Rigby, Emily Slack, Pat Spann, Jessica Talbert, and Magee Whelan.  Thank you to all of them for arriving early, helping set up, running all of the convention operations, and helping to clean up after the convention.

Onward to victory in November!

The 2012 8th District Convention will be held this Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington. The Official Call for the Convention is posted here.

Please review below all of the important information for delegates.  Because we have so many registered delegates (over 700), we are doing everything we can to make it as efficient as possible.

Registration information: Please arrive on time to ensure you can register as a delegate. Delegate registration for the convention will take place on Saturday, May 12 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the convention site. You must register by 10 a.m. to be credentialed and eligible to vote in the elections taking place at the convention. This means delegates must be at the convention, in line to register by 10:00 am. (In the event there are lines at registration at 10 a.m., delegates waiting on line to register as of 10 a.m. may register. However, the lines will be closed at 10 a.m.)

You will be issued a badge at registration with your name and jurisdiction on it. If you did not pay the optional $15 filing fee, you will receive a name badge that reads “Restricted.” If you paid the optional $15 filing fee, your badge will only have your name and delegation.

Voting Procedures: We will provide a detailed explanation of voting procedures at the convention, but we are providing this preview in advance.

Voting will take place in two stages. In Stage 1, the Arlington and Alexandria delegations will vote. In Stage 2, the Fairfax and Falls Church delegations will vote.

The procedures for voting will be the same in both stages.

When it is your delegation’s time to vote, please proceed to the designated areas for the delegations where you will receive your ballots. For the Arlington and Fairfax delegations, this is the area in the back of the convention hall. For the Alexandria and Falls Church delegations, this is the front of the auditorium, at the door to the left of the stage (if you are facing the stage).

You will be asked to form two lines: a line for delegates who paid the convention filing fee, and a line for delegates who did not pay the filing fee. If your badge says “Restricted” on it, please go to the line for non-paid delegates. If your badge does not say restricted, please go to the line for paid delegates.

You will be given an optical scan ballot and your name badge will be punched to record your receipt of a ballot. You will then proceed into the lobby area outside the convention auditorium hall. Tables will be set up where you will be able to cast your ballot with the pens provided. Please use these pens if possible to ensure the ballot is read correctly. Please be careful in filling out your ballot. We will not be able to provide a new ballot if you spoil your ballot.

Once you have cast your ballot, please take it to the ballot machines and hand it to one of the ballot machine operators (from the Loudoun County Registrar’s Office). They will scan your sheet through the machine. This completes the voting process.

Once you have completed the voting process, we ask that you please leave the lobby voting area to prevent congestion as others vote. You may return to the auditorium or move outside where the candidate tables have been set up.

Also, once your ballot is cast, there will be no additional voting, so you may leave if you do not want to wait for the announcement of the results.

We believe voting will begin no later than 12 p.m., but we cannot guarantee exactly when.

Non-delegates/Guests: The 8th District Republican Convention is open to guests. Guests may observe but may not participate in the official business of the convention.

Questions: If you have any questions about the convention, please contact Mike Ginsberg, 8th District Chairman, at va8gopchairman@hotmail.com.

See you Saturday!

Absentee voting for the June 12th U.S. Senate primary is now underway. Click here to see the list of accepted reasons to vote absentee.

Voting absentee in person runs through Saturday, June 9th at your city/county elections office.

The last day to apply to vote absentee by mail is Tuesday, June 5th, and mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 12th.

Go to the elections office of your city/county listed below to vote in person, or click here to download the application and mail it to the office:

City of Alexandria: 132 North Royal St., Suite 100 (map) 703-838-4050

Arlington County: 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320 (map) 703-228-3456

Fairfax County: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323 (map) 703-222-0776

City of Falls Church: 300 Park Avenue, Room 101E (map) 703-248-5085

There will be a Candidates Forum for all candidates running for offices to be elected at the 8th District Republican Convention (State Central Committee, Delegate/Alternate Delegate to the Republican National Convention, Elector in the Electoral College) this Thursday, April 26th at 7:00-9:00 pm at the Virginia Hills Administrative Center (Old Virginia Hills School), 6520 Diana Lane in Alexandria (map). The forum is sponsored by the Lee District GOP and the Colonial Republican Women’s Club. It’s free and all are welcome!

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We’re accepting ads for the 8th District convention program! The ads are due on Friday, see the post below for details.

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There will be a Patrick Murray for Congress fundraiser with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on Tuesday, May 22nd! It will be held at the home of the Draims, 9501 Lynnhall Place in Alexandria (map). Tickets are $250/person or $50 for Young Professionals under 30, with sponsorships at $250, $1000, and $2500. There will be a VIP reception for hosts at 6:00 pm. Click here for details, or RSVP to Shari Bolouri at shari@patrickmurrayforcongress.com or 703-519-1847.

We will be accepting advertisements from campaigns and organizations for our convention program! This is an excellent way to reach out to hundreds of 8th District GOP activists. The program will be standard size (8.5 x 11). A quarter-page ad is $25, a half-page ad is $50, and a full-page ad is $100. Proceeds will go towards the 8th District GOP’s 2012 election efforts, which will include a new version of our RetireJimMoran.com website, GOTV and voter-ID calls, and other grassroots organizational activities. If you would like to place an ad, please email 8th District GOP New Media Coordinator Tommy Valentine at tvalentine1@hotmail.com with your requested ad size. You can pay for the ad by donating online here. Ads should be in PDF format. Please send ads to Tommy Valentine by April 27th, 2012. Thanks for your support of the 8th District GOP!

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The Republican Party of Virginia has announced that it will hold a debate for the U.S. Senate primary candidates in Falls Church on Friday, May 25th. It will be held at 6:30 pm at the Fairview Park Marriott, 311 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church (map). Important note: Seating is limited in the venue to approximately 200. Guests will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, volunteers at Victory offices who volunteer a certain number of hours will be able to get a ticket in advance.

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The RPV & RNC have opened a Northern Virginia Victory Office! It is at Fairfax County GOP headquarters, 4246 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax (map). It is being run by former FCRC executive director Susan Falconer, an experienced and familiar face. The office will be a NoVA headquarters for volunteer activities. If you want to come help make phone calls, go door knocking, or other critical work, drop in to the office! The hours are Monday-Friday, 11:00 am – 8:00 pm; and Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

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The State Central Committee meeting was held this past Saturday. They announced that there will be a gala dinner on the evening before the state convention on June 16th. Details TBA. The SCC also voted to hold the 2012 RPV Advance at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach in November 2012 after the elections.

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The Fairfax County Republican Committee is now accepting applications for summer internships for high school, college, and graduate students between the ages of 14 and 24. Click here for details and to apply!

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As always, be sure to check our Upcoming Events calendar and our 2012 Volunteer Opportunities page every week!

We hope you had a blessed Easter or are having a blessed Passover!

The new 8th District (after redistricting) has been finalized. The district remains generally the same – the 8th District still contains all of the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, the City of Falls Church, but the 8th District’s share of Fairfax County has been changed. The biggest change to the 8th District under the plan is that the portion of Reston which is currently in the 8th District is now in the 11th District. Parts of the Mt. Vernon area are now in the 8th District. So if you live in Fairfax County, please be sure to check if you have been placed into a different district.

Go to our The New 8th District page for full details and to find if you have been affected by redistricting.

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We are accepting ads from candidates and organizations for the convention program. See the details in the post below or on the convention page.

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Congratulations to Alexandria GOP Chairman Tom Fulton. Tom stepped in for the role last August and was re-elected by the Alexandria Republican City Committee for a full two year term. He has done a tremendous job since taking over leadership of the committee, and he will be an excellent leader of the committee in the critical 2012 election year.

Congratulations also to the new Fairfax County Republican Committee Executive Director Jason Vespoli, who has a wide array of past campaign experience in Northern Virginia, among other places, including work with the Flanary for Senate campaign last fall. The previous executive director, Susan Falconer, is now the 2012 Fairfax County Coordinator for the statewide Republican Victory program. Thank you to Susan for her exceptional work as executive director over the past few years, and congratulations to her on her new role!

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The Republican Party of Virginia is sponsoring three debates for the U.S. Senate primary, and one will be held in Northern Virginia on Friday, May 25th. The location and details will be announced soon.

We will be accepting advertisements from campaigns and organizations for the convention program. The program will be standard size (8.5 x 11). A quarter-page ad is $25, a half-page ad is $50, and a full-page ad is $100. Proceeds will go towards the 8th District GOP’s 2012 election efforts, which will include a new version of our RetireJimMoran.com website, GOTV and voter-ID calls, and other grassroots organizational activities. If you would like to place an ad, please email 8th District GOP New Media Coordinator Tommy Valentine at tvalentine1@hotmail.com with your requested ad size. You can pay for the ad by donating online here. Ads should be in PDF format. Please send ads to Tommy Valentine no later than April 27, 2012. Thanks for your support of the 8th District GOP!

Col. Patrick Murray, USA (Ret.) is our 2012 8th District congressional nominee!

The filing deadline was yesterday, March 29th, and no other candidates filed. Col. Murray therefore becomes our nominee and there will be no 8th District primary.

Congratulations Col. Murray, and onward to victory on November 6th, 2012!

There will be a primary for the U.S. Senate race on June 12th. Four candidates qualified for the ballot: George Allen, E.W. Jackson, Bob Marshall, and Jamie Radtke.

UPDATE 4/2/2012: From 8th District GOP Chairman Mike Ginsberg:

Thank you to everyone who was involved in the Mark Kelly for Arlington County Board campaign.  We had a tremendous volunteer response and could not have run such a great campaign without such great volunteers.  While we were unsuccessful in getting Mark elected to the Board, there were a number of notable successes and positive takeaways from the race.

Mark won about 43.5% of the vote, and lost to Libby Garvey by only about 800 votes. Libby Garvey won only 49% of the vote, and therefore the Kelly campaign held the Democrats below 50 percent of the vote. Although we hoped for victory, this bodes well for the fall elections. In fact, the Democratic Party of Virginia had to spend substantial sums on advertisements and mailings in the last weeks of the campaign given the strength of Mark’s campaign.

Mark won 16 precincts in Arlington County, a tremendous showing.  In so doing, he activated a lot of Republicans who we will need to activate again this fall. So it was a tremendous help to the overall 2012 effort.

The results also show we have some work to do in preparation for the fall elections. We need to redouble our efforts to identify voters and bring them to the polls — particularly those who have participated in the recent 2012 presidential primary or the 2012 congressional primary.  Turnout is more important than ever in a year with two statewide races, so we will continue our efforts to contact identified Republicans and potential supporters.

All in all, this was a tremendous effort.  Thank you to Mark Kelly, for one again carrying the Republican banner and serving as the voice of fiscal reason and restraint in a County Board election; campaign manager Matt Wavro; campaign treasurer Sandy Mikilia; and Arlington GOP precinct operations coordinators Brad McKinney and Goud Maragani.  Thank you also to the hard work of all the volunteers, precinct captains, YRs and ACRC members at the phone banks, and everyone else who helped the campaign.

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UPDATE 9:00 pm 3/27/2012: With 100% of precincts reporting, Democrat Libby Garvey has 49% (7,007 votes) to Mark Kelly’s 43% (6,194 votes) (full results). We’re disappointed with the outcome, but congratulations and thank you to Mark and the Arlington GOP for their hard work and strong showing in this special election. More later.

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The Arlington County Board special election is TODAY, Tuesday, March 27th! If you live in Arlington County, you can vote for our GOP nominee, Mark Kelly! Vote at your regular polling place. The polls will be open from 6:00 am – 7:00 pm. (If you’re unsure of your polling location, click here to use the Virginia State Board of Elections tool.)

Join the Mark Kelly for Arlington County Board campaign team and help them today. We need volunteers to help staff the polls and to make the final phone bank calls today.

If you can help staff a polling place and distribute literature to voters arriving at the polls, please contact Bradley McKinney at bradley.mckinney@gmail.com and we will get you all set up.

The phone banking will be today at the Arlington GOP headquarters, 405 S. Glebe Road, in Arlington (map).

You can also volunteer in other ways by calling volunteer coordinator Mary Ruth at 571-242-4869. There is plenty to do so call the campaign and it will give you a volunteer assignment!

Also, please be sure to contact your friends in Arlington who you think would be receptive to Mark’s message of sensible, transparent spending and lower property taxes and tell them about Mark and the election today. Turnout is everything in a low-turnout special election and we want to leave no stone unturned in the search for votes. The most convincing voter contact is a contact by someone the voter knows, so be sure to contact the folks you know.

We have a great chance to win today. Please help us bring an independent voice and a fresh approach to the Arlington County Board by getting Mark elected today!

The campaign will be having its election night party at Hard Times Cafe, 3028 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington (map), after the polls close at 7:00 pm.  Please join the campaign and the Arlington GOP to watch the results! You can get live results from the State Board of Elections website.

Congratulations to Jay McConville on being elected the new chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee at the convention today! Congratulations also to Matt Ames, who ran an excellent campaign for chairman – in fact, Jay announced in his acceptance speech that his first order of business as chairman would be to appoint Matt the First Vice Chair of FCRC. (The appointment will be confirmed at the next FCRC meeting.) Thank you to both candidates for running excellent campaigns that did not divide but motivated the party, and set the framework for the efforts of the FCRC over the next two years.

And outgoing chairman Anthony Bedellde serves a huge thank you for his leadership over the past three years – under his chairmanship, Fairfax County, one of the bluest counties in the state, went red in 2009, voting for Gov. Bob McDonnell 51%-49%. Under Anthony, the membership of the FCRC has more than doubled, and the efforts of FCRC were pivotal in the 2010 and 2011 elections.

Congratulations to FCRC Executive Director Susan Falconer, Political Director Daniel Tillson, Convention Chairman Mike Thompson Jr., all the convention committee members, and FCRC interns for an extremely successful and well-run convention.

Here is the email from Jay McConville sent today after the convention:

Friends:

I am honored and humbled to have been elected to be Chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee today.  I thank everyone for their support, and pledge my every effort to serving you as we work to elect our candidates in 2012 and build our party for the future.

I entered this race with only one goal, to do whatever I can do to help keep our country on the right path, the path envisioned by our founders, the path of liberty, and freedom and prosperity for all.  Together we can make a difference, and I thank you all for this opportunity.

A special thanks to Matt Ames, who ran a great race, and who is a true gentleman.  Together we pledged to run a campaign that served to unite the party, and he was true to his word.  I am so pleased that he has agreed to serve as the FCRC 1st Vice Chairman.

I also want to thank all my supporters, my campaign staff, my Campaign Manager Nancy McWhorter, and of course my family for sticking by me over these last months, and for working so hard to reach our shared goal.  Congratulations also to the great FCRC Staff who put on such a motivating and professional convention today. Great job!

Finally a very special thank you to Anthony Bedell. Anthony’s dedication and skill as FCRC Chairman have given us a party that is motivated, organized, and ready to win in 2012 and beyond.  Thank you Anthony for all you have done for Fairfax County, and for your mentorship and friendship over these last four years.

Please join us at the FCRC “Chairman’s Election Happy Hour” on March 28th.  Details are at www.fairfaxgop.com. I look forward to seeing you there and to working with you in the months and years to come.

Through Growth Comes Victory!

Sincerely,
Jay McConville