If He Had To Choose, Frederick Picks RPV Chair
By Greg L | 20 May 2008 | RPV | 12 Comments
In an email tonight, Delegate Jeff Frederick announced that he would not seek re-election for the 52nd House District if elected as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. My understanding is that there were some concerns about Frederick holding both positions simultaneously, and this is a response to those concerns.
Here’s what Jeff sent out this evening:
Dear Fellow Virginia Republican:
From the very beginning of my campaign for Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV), I have recognized the day may come when I would need to demonstrate my commitment to the well being of the Party as a whole, even at the expense of my own political career.
Friends, that day has come.
I want to thank Misters Cobb, Malek, and Neel for their recent letter. After careful consideration of their opinion, those of others, and much prayer, I have decided that I will not seek re-election to the House of Delegates if I am elected RPV Chairman. This is something I have considered for some time and have not been opposed to, but the Cobb/Malek/Neel letter articulated the issue well, and I agree.
With the loss of 9 seats in the General Assembly in just the last 6 months alone, and RPV finishing 5th in fundraising to four Democratic committees last year, the risk is too great for me to not make the tough decision to eliminate any objections to my candidacy for Party chair. The future of our Party, and indeed our Commonwealth, is at stake.
RPV doesn’t need a babysitter, but rather someone with vision to set the direction and to hire the right team to establish a solid and reliable infrastructure and implement a sound plan to turn things around and start winning again.
Nevertheless, I see a great deal of benefit to the Party in not having their Chairman limited by the legislative calendar, even if then-Senator Randy Forbes handled both his RPV Chairmanship and legislative responsibilities well.
With a dedicated focus on the Chairmanship, however, I’ll not only be free to build upon my successes in winning tough Democrat leaning districts like the one I currently represent in Northern Virginia, but also to advance our conservative agenda statewide to help us win back seats where the Democrats have trumped us.
I realize that some see the Cobb/Malek/Neel letter as a cynical attack by the Hager campaign to pat me on the back as such a great leader and the only person able to hold my seat – while on the other hand claiming I’m not qualified to lead our Party as Chairman.
Neither is true.
My point in saying I’ve won a district most Republicans haven’t is not that I have some inflated ego and the voters have some special affection for me. The key to my winning elections while RPV is losing seats is that I understand how to logistically raise the money, involve the youth, reach out to new communities, and use technology to communicate to voters why our Republican philosophy is best.
Using the same approach, I am comfortable that my House seat can continue to be represented by a Republican. Yet, I am not comfortable that the current RPV leadership is capable of retaining our House majority – and that is the larger problem we face, rather than just concern over my one seat.
My success in raising $1.3 million in my last 2 campaigns (representing just 1% of the state) speaks for itself, and as Chairman, I will continue to expand these resources for the benefit of our candidates to win back seats we have lost.
If I am ultimately unsuccessful in this Chairman’s race, I will certainly be a team player and seek re-election to the House – but I am not looking forward to the prospect of being in the minority after two more years of RPV “staying the course” and John Hager claiming RPV has “met all their goals”.
Every decision in politics involves some risk. Still, the only risk facing the delegates to the May 31 state convention is the one we take by keeping the status quo in charge at RPV, as we continue to lose election after election across Virginia, and consistently being outmaneuvered by the Democrats in technology, fundraising – and yes, even grassroots activism.
Mr. Hager’s own supporters are quick to praise me for my energy, talent and skill to win where others do not win. I worked hard to develop the right formula to prevail in one of the toughest areas of the Commonwealth. Instead of welcoming this know-how, they want to use it as an excuse to promote leadership that has us going backwards, and losing everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish.
You don’t have to be a mathematician to know that the health and well-being of 100 House seats warrants much greater consideration than one. If you believe that I am the best choice to hold our most competitive seats and win back others to build our majority, then you should have every confidence that I’ll also provide the necessary skill and leadership to hold the very seat I may be vacating.
If, on the other hand, you believe that RPV under John Hager – which hasn’t picked up a single Democratic seat – not one – but has lost 9 Republican seats during his tenure – is the right man for the job, then your mind is made up regardless of the evidence.
I hope we can count on your support, and if you haven’t already – I hope you’ll join our team.
Sincerely,
Jeff Frederick
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Losing Jeff would be a big blow to us in the 52nd District. While I haven’t seen eye to eye with him on every vote of his in the GA he is one of the few elected officials that will *personally* contact you back, even if it’s to tell you he respectfully disagrees.
He is a constant companion to our 2nd Amendment right. I wish him the best for RPV and will vote for him — but I hope he either reconsiders or grooms a person into the slot.
Three words: Delegate. Amy. Frederick.
Big deal. Still holds seat through session. If he’s going to resign it should be immediate upon election.
Otherwise, it’s just another “term limits” pledge by a politician.
That may have made up my mind for me. We can’t afford to lose Jeff in the 52nd District. I may have to vote for John Hager.
If Jeff leaves the 52nd to be GOP Chair, it will be very difficult to retain that seat. This makes me reconsider my support for him as Chair. We need to keep him in the 52nd.
We need Jeff as 52nd Rep. but he is need so badly as Chair of the RVP.
Perhaps he has someone in mind to replace him.
Hager just will not do,as we need a change and get someone who will start looking out to get Repb. elected.
The group in there has lost many of the races for us.
Same with the Local and hopefully Lyle B. will change things around.
Kopko should be heading to jail, but will he? Money was wasted and switched around and no reports to State by the Treasurer. It’s nothing but a mess that Lyle has to get straight and I am sure he will.
ALWAYS choose the best man for the job. If Jeff gets the nod for RPV Chair, I’ve no doubt he will ensure that a strong candidate in the 52nd District will be found, and he will work hard to get him or her elected with the volunteer base he has developed.
If he’s this great a campaigner, and I think he is, we need him working on campaigns beyond the 52nd District.
Well, this raises the whole question of Jeff’s criticism of Hager. While I was heretofore inclined to support Jeff for the seat — my mind was all but made up by the end of the 11th District Convention, even though I’ve known John for more than 15 years (hell, he’s been in my office) — I don’t believe that his criticisms of John have been fair. Indeed, John has had so little time in the office that he’s barely had opportunity to make a significant mark. Therefore, I neither blame him for GOP losses, nor credit him for GOP successes. And therefore, it is a fairly close call for me.
Indeed, perhaps the most significant decision that has been made during John’s tenure is the decision to hold a convention to nominate for U.S. Senate, a decision which I fully support.
As for your sanguine predictions about the 52nd, Greg, even great leaders are notorious for an inability to anoint their successors, or to pick very good ones when their popularity extends to those they do anoint. Think Churchill/MacMillan and Reagan/Bush. And while there may be people in the District who could be as good or even better than Jeff, I know of none who are interested in running.
In the end, my very recent decision to support Jeff was a very close call, one made not because I perceive John Hager as the problem or a symptom of it, but because Jeff simply offers a marginally better way. His decision to surrender his seat if elected as State Party Chairman may well tip it. And I recognize that my situation may be unique. Others will doubtless consider other factors. Those are the ones that I am considering.
I’d rather have a freshman Delegate in the 52nd in the MAJORITY than a more senior member in the MINORITY.
Without the kind of change at RPV that Jeff is proposing in this race, we can kiss the House of Delegates majority goodbye for a very long time.
Hager is a nice guy. The problem is, there is no demand for nice guys.
# Belle View said on 21 May 2008 at 1:07 am:
“Three words: Delegate. Amy. Frederick.”
Excellent suggestion, Belle…and no doubt precisely what they have in mind. My understanding is that Amy Frederick brings a great deal more to the table than people might realize, and it is actually FAR more common for popular elected officials to successfully “anoint their successors” than not…particularly if they are a spouse or adult child, and particularly in legislative offices (whether state or federal).
“Gnarly,” you make a good point, if one believes that the problems for our candidates are something that arise from, or can be solved by, RPV. I don’t. Rather, it seems to me to be a function of: (1) the relatively sad state of the Republican “name brand” on the national level; (2) allowing individuals who have no institutional interest in advancing the Republican cause generally to influence our candidate selection process; and (3) those who withhold their support from and/or attack our nominees when they don’t get their way.
While “Belle View” has an excellent suggestion (with no disrespect of Jeff, I am among those who believe that she may be an even better candidate than he; Amy is certainly his greatest asset as a candidate) with all other things being equal, one has to wonder whether she would be interested, given the relatively young age of their daughter, and the fact that she is currently pregnant. Wouldn’t the demands of the short, intense legislative session make it difficult for her, to say nothing of a campaign for a special election (I believe she mentioned that their child is due in November)?