The 8th District GOP recorded a virtual convention candidate forum this week. All candidates for Delegate, State Central Committee, and Elector were given two minutes to make their case, and both candidates for Congress were given three minutes. The video is below! Be sure to watch the individual two minute videos as well while you decide whom to vote for!
Changes to the 8th District Convention on May 30th
From 8th District Republican Chairman Mark Kelly:
Dear Delegates,
I pray this note finds you well. It may seem like an overused phrase at this point, but we are facing unprecedented times. Almost certainly, this virus has directly touched someone you know or a community you are a part of over the past few weeks.
I am writing today to let you know what the 8th District Republican Committee’s plans are for our convention. I apologize for the length of this email, but I encourage you to read through to the end.
When it became clear that Governor Northam’s orders would likely make a traditional convention impossible to hold, the Committee voted to take advantage of a temporary emergency provision in the Republican Party of Virginia’s state party plan.
Under that provision, we will be conducting an unassembled or drive-through convention. That means all delegates who filed to attend our traditional May 30th convention will be able to come that day and cast their votes without leaving their cars.
On Thursday, I met with our contact at the Waterford in Springfield, our original venue site, to walk through the use of their parking lot (which has covering in case of rain). Barring any unforeseen circumstances, our plan is to conduct the voting there from 9 am to 1 pm on May 30th.
In order to prevent traffic backup onto the surrounding streets, and in order to ensure your time on site is as brief as possible, we are asking delegates to arrive by alphabetical groupings.
- 9:00 to 10:00 — A through H
- 10:00 to 11:00 — I through P
- 11:00 to 12:00 — Q through Z
- 12:00 to 1:00 — Anyone who was unable to make it during their voting block
We will not turn any registered delegate away who arrives to vote outside of their recommended time. However, your cooperation would be greatly appreciated to help the process run as smoothly as possible. And, of course, anyone in the parking lot at 1:00 pm will be allowed to vote.
We will also divide the check-in and ballot distribution process into two lanes. One for Fairfax County delegates (who make up more than 50% of the registered delegates) and one for the Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church delegates. In order to maximize ballot security, you will ONLY be able to get your ballot in the assigned lane. So please follow any signs or volunteer instructions on site to ensure you enter the correct lane.
A small number of volunteers will take safety precautions to conduct the check-in, ballot distribution and ballot collection with the least amount of contact necessary to conduct the voting process.
- Delegates will drive into one of two assigned lanes and show their IDs through closed windows. You MUST have a valid photo ID in order to receive a ballot.
- Ballots will be distributed through a small crack in your window by a volunteer wearing a mask and gloves.
- Single use pens will be available to any delegate who needs one.
- Completed ballots will be dropped by delegates directly in a collection box.
Additionally we are making available to all candidates the opportunity to post videos on our website. All videos provided to us have been posted on our website.
And we will offer all candidates the opportunity to speak to you directly via a video conference prior to the 30th. The details on that call will come out in a separate email.
Thank you for your patience throughout this process. You will receive additional reminders over the next two weeks.
Sincerely,
Mark Kelly
Chairman
P.S. If you have a chronic health issue related to COVID-19 that would prevent you from attending in person on May 30th, please contact me directly at chairman@vagopcd.org to make your concern known to the Committee. We are working through a POSSIBLE process to accommodate those who would otherwise be able to attend if not for the public health emergency.
Two Minutes with the 2020 Convention Candidates
All candidates up for election at the 2020 8th District Convention have been given the opportunity to record a 2-minute video speech like they would have been able to deliver at a live in-person convention.
Here are the candidates! Take two minutes to meet them!
CANDIDATES FOR CONGRESS
Mark Ellmore for Congress
Jeff Jordan for Congress
CANDIDATES FOR DELEGATE TO THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Erin Anderson for Delegate
Barbara Bowie-Whitman for Delegate
Bill Cleveland for Delegate
Diane Cullo for Delegate
Derek Gianino
No video received yet
James Glenn
No video received yet
Mark Kelly
No video received yet
Sean Lenehan for Delegate
Andrew Loposser
No video received yet
Linda Pellegrino
Adam Roosevelt
No video received yet
Karen Rose for Delegate
Jim Trollinger for Delegate
CANDIDATES FOR ELECTOR
Barbara Bowie-Whitman for Elector
James Glenn
No video received yet
Michael Maibach
CANDIDATES FOR STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Jack Blakely for State Central Committee
Sarah Curran for State Central Committee
Vinson X. Palathingal for State Central Committee
Eric Wilson for State Central Committee
Procedural notes:
- All candidates were notified of the opportunity to submit a video and given a deadline to submit a video in order to have it published at the same time with the others on May 16th.
- If a candidate does not have a video listed, it is because we have not received a video from that candidate. Any videos submitted by candidates after the deadline will still be published.
- This process was handled by Tommy Valentine, 8th District webmaster, with the approval of the Committee. None of the members of the Committee who are also candidates had a hand in the process.
- All candidates are listed alphabetically by office sought.
Thanks for taking the time to watch these videos and learn about your candidates!
Congressional Candidate Forum
The Fairfax County GOP hosted a virtual candidate forum with our two candidates for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 8th District: Mark Ellmore & Jeff Jordan. The video is below!
Announcement on the 8th District Convention
Due to the coronavirus and restrictions on large gatherings, the 8th District Republican Convention scheduled for May 30th is being altered.
The 8th District Republican Committee is finalizing details an “unassembled” or “drive-thru” convention to take place on the originally scheduled date of May 30th. The Republican Party of Virginia has voted to grant district committees the temporary authority to conduct a convention where delegates who have already registered for the convention will be able to cast their votes safely from their cars.
We expect to be able to use the parking lot of our originally chosen venue of the Waterford in Springfield, though this is subject to change. We expect to give delegates a window of time during which they can arrive at the venue and receive a ballot to complete from their cars and drop into a ballot box. Volunteers staffing the location will take all the necessary precautions, including use of masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.
The committee is offering candidates the opportunity to record video speeches to be posted here on the website in lieu of the speeches they would have been able to give at a live convention. We also hope to hold a virtual candidate forum where all candidates can speak to voters.
The final details are coming shortly. We thank everyone for your patience and understanding!
Virtual U.S. Senate Candidate Forum this Saturday
The Fairfax County GOP is hosting a virtual candidate forum with the three candidates for the Republican primary for U.S. Senate this Saturday!
The candidates are Alissa Baldwin, Daniel Gade, and Thomas Speciale.
It will be streamed live on Facebook this Saturday at 7:00 pm on the Fairfax County GOP’s Facebook page.
You can RSVP for the stream here!
Senate Primary Postponed to June 23rd
The Virginia primaries have been moved from June 9th to Tuesday, June 23rd. The statewide Republican primary for U.S. Senate will take place on that date at your regular polling place.
The 8th District Republican Committee continues to closely monitor the impact of the coronavirus shutdown and is developing contingencies in case plans for our convention scheduled for May 30th must be altered. We are also awaiting potential emergency rule changes from the Republican Party of Virginia to allow greater flexibility for conventions. We will provide updates as they develop.
Convention candidate list published
The 8th District Republican Committee is closely monitoring the impact of coronavirus. Our convention currently scheduled for May 30th is still on, but the Committee is working on contingency plans if mass gatherings are still inadvisable at that point.
In the meantime, a list of candidates to be elected at the convention for U.S. House nominee, Chairman of the Committee, Delegate to the Republican National Convention, Elector, and State Central Committee has been published at our 2020 Convention page.
Statewide Republican Party of Virginia Convention Postponed
From 8th District Chairman Mark Kelly:
Last night the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia voted unanimously to postpone the May 2nd State Convention. A new date will be set in the coming weeks as we get a clearer understanding of when restrictions on large gatherings will be lifted.
The 8th District Convention is currently scheduled for May 30th. At this time, we do not know whether future restrictions on large gatherings will impact our event. We are watching developments closely and will make an announcement of any change in plans in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, remember over the next two weeks, please practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently, keep surfaces clean, AND call your doctor or other healthcare provider BEFORE getting in your car if you are exhibiting coronavirus-like symptoms so they can give you instructions on how to proceed safely.
Visit the CDC website for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
From the Republican Party of Virginia:
It brings me no joy to tell you that the Republican Party of Virginia’s 2020 Convention must be postponed until COVID-19 is under control. Given the current Virginia State of Emergency and the guidance from the CDC, the Republican Party of Virginia had no choice but to act prudently to protect the health of the delegates to the Convention. Accordingly, last night, our executive committee voted unanimously to reschedule, keeping in mind the health and well-being of Republicans across the Commonwealth.
We will not let this minor setback define the 2020 election. Virginia WILL turn red for President Trump and Virginia WILL send that liberal Democrat, Mark Warner, packing.
But we can’t do it without your help. Now more than ever, your time and energy are needed on the campaign trail. The election in November is likely to be the most consequential of our lives.
With that in mind, please consider signing up to make phone calls for President Trump. That way, you can stay inside but still make a difference! Head to TrumpVictory.com.
Jack R. Wilson, III
Chairman
Republican Party of Virginia
Congratulations to new Fairfax County GOP Chairman Steve Knotts
Steve Knotts was elected as the new chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee at their convention on Saturday.
Click here for a recap of the convention.
Congratulations, Steve!