13 Sep, 2018

The Republican Party of Virginia

Based in the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Republican Party is an affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. It was founded in 1854 and is currently one of the most diverse state political parties in the United States. The organization is actually known for building conservative political partnerships across varied geographic and cultural regions of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Politics in the state of Virginia are dominated by Republicans, although the Party is only holding narrow majorities in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate, and seven of the eleven U.S. House seats being held by Republicans.

 

Party Leadership

Chairman - John Whitbeck

An attorney and small-business owner from Loudoun County, Virginia, John C. Whitbeck, Jr. is currently serving as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. His law practice focuses on family law, education law, criminal law, mental health law and civil litigation.

Elected on January 24, 2015 to serve the remaining term of retiring Chairman Pat Mullins, he was previously the Chairman of the 10th Congressional District Committee, which played a key role in Rep. Barbara Comstock’s landslide win in 2014.

His experience and career also include:

·         Professor of law at George Mason University Law School

·         Former Director of the George Mason University Law and Mental Illness Clinic

·         Substitute Judge in Virginia District Courts and Special Prosecutor in the Loudoun County General District Courts

·         Active in the Loudoun County Community, serving at various times on Local Governmental Boards and Charitable Boards, including the Loudoun County Government Reform Commission, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, President of the Lansdowne on the Potomac Homeowner’s Association and the Loudoun County Criminal Justice Board.

·         Chairman of the Occidental chapter of the College Republicans in his sophomore and junior years.

 

·         Member of the Knights of Columbus in the St. John’s Parish in Leesburg, Virginia

 

National Committeeman - Morton Blackwell

Currently serving as the National Committeeman of the Republican Party of Virginia, Morton Blackwell was once organizing the national youth effort for Ronald Reagan going on to serve on President Reagan’s White House Staff. He has been serving as National Committeeman since 1988 and now ranks number 4 in tenure among the 168 members of the RNC.

 

National Committeewoman - Cynthia Dunbar

An American patriot of Native-American descent, Cynthia Dunbar an author, public speaker, and National Committeewoman to the RNC for VA. She is also a former elected member of the Texas State Board of Education, Assistant Professor of Law and Advisor to the Provost of Liberty University.

Cynthia is a highly appreciated public servant working tirelessly at the local, state and national level, who is also a contributing Professor for Constituting America, serves on the Boards of Directors of Faith 2 Action, Source for Women, Oil & Wine, Youth Can Lead, Amigos de Dios, and Merryfield Orphanage.

“Her passion for our Constitutional Republic has garnered her both National and International attention from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, PBS, Dateline, Norwegian International Radio, BBC Radio and the London Guardian, among others. She has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, on Hardball with Chris Matthews, frequently seen on Fox News and is a regular contributor addressing educational policy issues on Fox and Friends.”

 

First Vice Chairman - Michael E. Thomas

RPV Chairman - Jack Wilson

Secretary - Jill Cook

Treasurer - John Selph

 

2016 Election

More than 1 million American citizens participated with a vote in the March 1, 2016 state-run Virginia Republican presidential primary, under which the party's 49 delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention were allocated proportionally.

Donald Trump placed first with 35% of the vote, followed by Marco Rubio (32%), Ted Cruz (17%), John Kasich (10%), and Ben Carson (6%).

Finally, in the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was the favorite in Virginia with 50% to Donald Trump's 45%.

U.S. House of Representatives

·         Rob Wittman, 1st District

·         Scott Rigell, 2nd District

·         Tom Garrett, 5th District

·         Bob Goodlatte, 6th District

·         Dave Brat, 7th District

·         Morgan Griffith, 9th District

·         Barbara Comstock, 10th District

 

The Republican Party of Virginia Creed

• That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice
• That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society
• That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government
• That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations
• That peace is best preserved through a strong national defense
• That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.

 

Virginia Republicans Policy Positions

These are a few noteworthy issues that are addressed by the Virginia Republican Party:

Immigration: Offered legislation to limit government services, such as in-state tuition at state colleges, to undocumented residents. State and local law enforcement should cooperate in enforcing immigration laws.

Transportation: Opposed funding transportation needs through increases in taxes and/or fees, offered abusive driver fees as an alternative revenue source; seeks to fund projects through bonds which will be funded from future general funds. The Republican leadership has announced that it will resist any new taxes during the special session called for June 23, 2008 to fund transportation needs. In May 2010, Virginia applied to the Federal Highway Administration to erect tollbooths on I-95 near the North Carolina border to help finance road maintenance.

Unemployment benefits: In a special session of the legislature held on April 8, 2009, to consider extending unemployment benefits in order to implement the federal stimulus package, the Republicans voted along party lines, 53 to 46 in the House of Delegates to defeat the proposal. Two Republican delegates from high unemployment districts voted in favor of Kaine's proposal.

Environment: On February 16, 2010, Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II filed at the United States Environmental Protection Agency a request to reopen its proceeding regarding EPA's finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. He also sought judicial review of EPA's finding in federal court. As a result, Virginia joins Texas as the only states seeking to attack the EPA's actions. His press statement explained, "We cannot allow unelected bureaucrats with political agendas to use falsified data to regulate American industry and drive our economy into the ground."