After an 18 year hiatus the Republican Party of Virginia came back to Roanoke to hold its annual convention. On tap, the election of a nominee for the U.S. Senate to run against Mark Warner this November.
A total of 2,686 delegates qualified to vote in this four-way contest, pitting the very well known against the relatively unknown. Roanoke County seated 79 voting delegates with Roanoke City seating about 30. Both sets gave their weighted votes to the eventual nominee, Ed Gillespie, by small margins.
Friday, before the convention, was the time to celebrate and “arm-twist” for votes. From Billy’s restaurant downtown, to the indoor shooting range, to the O. Winston Link Museum, to the Hospitality suites at Hotel Roanoke, the campaigning never ceased, lasting well into the wee hours of Saturday morning.
These same people arrived bright and early at the Roanoke Civic Center Saturday morning, giving it one last shot to convince the undecided voters to support their favored candidate.
Tony DeTorra, a senior policy advisor and aerospace engineer from Stafford, campaigned on his promise of making a better future for his two year old daughter, and guaranteeing that, as a senator, every single bill would be read before it was voted on. He is pro-life and said he wants to give the balance of power back to the states.
Ed Gillespie of Fairfax County, former chairman of the RNC and Bush presidential counselor, campaigned against Warner and the fact that Warner voted with Obama 97% of the time. He promised to fight against tax increases and said he would introduce a balanced budget amendment, fight cap & trade and stand up for coal miners. He said he believes he can double our economic growth and reduce the deficit by one-third. Gillespie is seen by many as “the establishment candidate.”
Chuck Moss of Nokesville runs a networks solutions company. His campaign promised to limit senate seats to two terms and “replace career politicians with regular people.” He talked of the V-A “secret” waitlist and promised reform to look out for Virginians first.
Shak Hill, retired Air Force from Fairfax County, had the most unique hospitality suite. He rented out Roanoke Range & Training and invited convention goers to a “BYOB” as in Bring Your Own Bullets . . . to the shooting range. Hill is a father of six and a foster father of 46. He was a combat pilot in Kuwait, so he was particularly upset over the Bergdahl hostage trade. He promised to stand with the constitution, the “original contract with America,” and set himself apart from the other candidates and in particular Mark Warner. He is supported by the Tea Party and more conservative members of the GOP.
Although it was expected to go to three ballots, it only took one for the favored candidate, Ed Gillespie, to win. Even before the first ballot count was finished, Shak Hill took the stage and graciously asked for convention rules to be suspended and for all to vote for Gillespie by voice acclamation, and it passed to thunderous applause.
Gillespie immediately took the stage with his family to accept the nomination and to ask for all to unite behind him.
While polls presently indicate an uphill battle, Gillespie is determined to give it his best shot. After the convention he immediately left on his campaign bus on a swing through southwestern Virginia.
Mark Warner is a very popular senator, but Republicans are hoping his consistent support of President Obama’s decisions may lead to a change of public opinion by election time.
– Carla M. Bream