Convention Filing Deadlines

The filing deadline for offices to be elected at the convention is fast approaching. The deadline is Friday, February 24th at 5:00 pm to file to run for chairman of the 8th District Republican Committee, representative to the State Central Committee, delegate/alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, and elector in the Electoral College. Those wishing to run for any of these offices must file 1) a signed written statement stating their intention to run for the office and 2) the required filing fee with the 8th District Republican Committee Chairman Mike Ginsberg no later than 5:00 pm on the 24th at 1276 North Wayne St. in Arlington (map). Note that all filings must be received by that time and date – a postmark on the 24th does not count. See the convention call for filing fees and details.

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Mark Kelly for Arlington County Board

Arlington GOP Chairman Mark Kelly has announced that he is running for the Arlington County Board in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Barbara Favola. The special election is on March 27th. Learn more about Mark’s campaign at his website here.

Mark needs your help on this extremely short campaign. He needs to raise funds and build an organization quickly, because the election is less than two months away. Please consider making a donation here.

The Arlington precinct operations team will be out at polling stations on the Virginia presidential primary day, March 6, helping to spread the word about Mark’s campaign. Can you help? Visit the campaign website and get in touch — they will help get you set up and ready to help the campaign.

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Redistricting Update

The General Assembly has passed a congressional redistricting plan. Under the Voting Rights Act, the plan must receive approval from the U.S. Department of Justice in addition to the signature of Governor Bob McDonnell. We believe these lines will likely be the final lines. The biggest change to the 8th District under the plan is that the portion of Reston which is currently in the 8th District becomes part of the 11th District.

Click here to view the planned precinct list.

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Presidential Primary

The Virginia presidential primary, part of Super Tuesday, is about a month away! The March 6th primary is open to all registered voters who will be at least 18 years old by the general election on November 6th. (17 year olds may vote in the primary as long as they turn 18 on or before November 6th.) If you are not a registered voter, the deadline to register to be eligible to vote in the primary is February 13th.

In-person absentee voting is going on now through March 3rd at your city/county elections office, listed on the second page of this document. Applications to vote absentee by mail are due February 28th. Click here to download the application form.

Please note that only Ron Paul and Mitt Romney qualified for the primary ballot in Virginia, and write-ins are not permitted.

Also, the State Central Committee voted to rescind the requirement that presidential primary voters sign a statement of intent to vote for the Republican nominee in the general election. Presidential primary voters will not be required to sign any statement of intent.

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Congressional Primaries

The primary for the U.S. Senate race and the 8th District congressional race (if necessary) has tentatively been set for June 12th, but the General Assembly appears likely to move the primary back to sometime in August to allow for the redistricting plan to be finalized. Stay tuned.

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Collecting Signatures

Our Senate and House candidates need your help to get on the primary ballot! State law requires candidates for the U.S. Senate to gather 10,000 signatures of voters, including at least 400 from each congressional district. Any person qualified to vote in Virginia may gather signatures.

Patrick Murray — To help, contact Shari Bolouri at shari@cardinalevents.com.

George Allen — To help, contact Tim Nussbaum at tnussbaum@georgeallen.com.

E.W. Jackson — To help, contact info@jacksonforvirginia.org or 757-802-4246.

David McCormick — To help, contact heat@davidmccormicksenate.com or 757-749-8528.

Jamie Radtke — To help, contact 804-451-5985.

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New Upcoming Events

Check out our Upcoming Events page for a list of GOP events throughout the 8th District and Northern Virginia, including a Mitt Romney reception, candidate forums, and more! The calendar is updated at least once a week so be sure to check it regularly!

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Rick Santorum Campaign Call from Home Program

The Rick Santorum presidential campaign has a call from home program allowing you to make volunteer calls on behalf of the campaign to voters in key battleground states from the comfort of your home! Sign up here.