LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Brentsville GOP Nomination Meeting- to Participate or not

A vacancy has been declared by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Brentsville Supervisor Wally Covington has been nominated to be a Prince William County Judge, and he begins his service on January 1 of this next year. We congratulate Judge Covington on his nomination, and we celebrate his service to our County. Because of his nomination to Judge, Prince William County must hold a special election to fill this vacancy. However, before the special election, Virginia Election law requires the political parties to choose their candidates; therefore, the Prince William County Republican Committee will hold a Republican Mass Meeting Primary Election on October 1, 2014 at 7 p.m. at Patriot High School. Since Virginia does not provide for voter registration by political party, the Republican Party of Virginia requires, in this case, Brentsville registered voters to declare their affiliation to Republican principles and candidates in writing. So, this Mass Meeting Election is a Republican process and the participants are expected to be Republicans. While this contest is getting quite a bit of attention, nothing unusual has happened, and decisions and contests of this type are routine throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The extra attention may be because there is no Democrat currently declared in the race. Keep in mind though, just because there is no Democrat candidate declared now, that doesn't mean a Democrat couldn't declare as we get closer to the actual special election. Regardless, our nomination process is purely for Republicans. Just as our Democrat counterparts do not consult us in the Democrat's selection of candidates, we prefer that Democrats not participate in our Brentsville Republican nomination decision. This is common courtesy and part of being a good neighbor. The Republican Party is an inclusive and welcoming Party; however, we reserve the right to select our own candidates. So, when voters arrive at the October 1 Mass Meeting Election, in addition to being asked to provide a photo-ID, they will be presented with a "Statement of Intent" to complete and sign. This will (1) ensure that they are registered voters within the Brentsville Magisterial District, and (2) allow the voters to express that they are Republicans. If a person objects to the Statement of Intent than he or she has opted out of participating. We hope that we don’t have to deal with party crashers (pardon the pun), but if our data indicates that a person is a Democrat, they will be referred to the Chief of Elections. If that voter no longer considers himself/herself a Democrat, he will be offered the opportunity to so stipulate with a form that acknowledges that. Failing that, they will be asked to leave. The opportunity for all Brentsville voters, regardless of political persuasion, to vote in a general election will be determined at a later date by the Prince William County Board of Elections; however, for this October 1 Republican Mass Meeting Election, we expect voter participation from those who are loyal to Republican principles. Bill Card is the chairman of the Prince William County Republican Committee, serving in his second term. John Hinkle is the Republican Chairman of the Brentsville Magisterial District and long-time Brentsville resident. The opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect those of Bristow Beat, our staff or sponsors.