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29th Senate District Call
By Greg L | 19 January 2007 | 29th VA Senate | 8 Comments
As readers of the BVBL Intelligence Report were warned, a call has been issued for a convention to select the Republican nominee for the 29th Senate District. The call and deadlines are not unusual with the exception of the candidate filing deadline, which is set for January 27th, for a May 19th convention. I find this somewhat unusual.
Bob Fitzsimmonds is the only announced candidate, and I think he will do a fantastic job running for, winning, and serving as a Senator in the 29th District. Even though I think he’s the right pick, the unusually early filing deadline might appear to be an attempt to lock-in Bob as the only primary candidate. If he’s really the best we have to offer, having a little competition before the general election might be a good thing. Any candidate might like to avoid a primary by being uncontested, but it probably enhances the quality of our party to have choices.
However, with only a $500 filing fee (hear that, PWCDC?) the bar is pretty low for someone else to join the fray if they are so inclined. As long as potential candidates know about the deadline, which I’m pretty sure shouldn’t be a problem, there is a decent opportunity for them to file as a candidate. Given that, this wouldn’t be an effective means to slam the door on potential challengers, and that leaves me wondering what the real story is behind a candidate filing deadline being set so early. Would candidates really need more than three months to line up delegates?
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8 Comments
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Not at all unusual Greg…Tom Kopko already has a history of such deadlines, making it difficult for any but his own hand-picked people to make an intelligent decision to run for a nomination (nobody knowing for sure if it will be an open seat or not, for instance). And insofar as three months to line up delegates…the need for that much time could also be tailor-made for someone.
BTW, are we also to assume that the filing deadline for the OTHER offices up for election this year is to be the same? If not, why not? Hmmmm…
This call was the product of the 29th legislative district committee, not Chairman Kopko. Perhaps its chairman, Brian Murphy, prefers to spend most of 2007 mounting a campaign against the Democrats to waiting to find out if there is a contest for the GOP nomination.
In the Occoquan supervisor’s race, the Democratic deadline was long before that of the GOP, and the filing fee was $2500. The $500 fee here should not keep out any serious candidate.
Although I find the expedited filing deadline a bit unheard of, this could be good strategery on the part of Murphy. Nobody knows what Colgan’s intentions are. He could decide to retire, or seek reelection, doing so at the last minute as he has done before. This would cause a mad scramble on the GOP’s part, as I believe there are certain Republicans who for whatever reason would seek the nomination only if it were for an open seat. With a quck GOP convention (or not if no more file), we have our nominee and can move forward.
I would suspect that Vic Bras knows what Colgan’s intentions are, and if they are to retire, the Dems have a candidate ready. They are just keeping this very quiet.
I think the early filing deadline is a mistake, but suggesting that it is Kopko’s doing is absurd. Predictable, given the source, but absurd. It is based upon the presumption that FitzSimmonds and/or Murphy are tools of Kopko. Of course, Murphy ran against and lost to Kopko, with FitzSimmonds’ support.
That’s right, there is never collusion in politics, especially not in the Republican Party in Prince William County. Everything is done open and above board with absolutely no personal agendas. Did I tell you the one about the Easter Bunny?
Not everyone operates in a sleazy, underhanded manner. Of course, others are so steeped in it, they attribute such behavior to others. I believe the psychological types call it “projection.”
There is no real peoblem. Fitzsimmonds will lose if he is the only candidate from both parties on the ticket.