Petersburg Republicans elect delegates, chairman

At a mass meeting held yesterday at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Petersburg Republicans elected delegates to the Virginia Republican Party’s 4th District and statewide conventions which will be held on May 17 in Windsor, and May 30—31 in Richmond, respectively.  Mr. Linas Kojelis was re-elected chairman for a two-year term. In brief remarks upon his re-election […]

May 6, 2008; 11:30 AM • by brenda p

At a mass meeting held yesterday at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Petersburg Republicans elected delegates to the Virginia Republican Party’s 4th District and statewide conventions which will be held on May 17 in Windsor, and May 30—31 in Richmond, respectively.  Mr. Linas Kojelis was re-elected chairman for a two-year term.

In brief remarks upon his re-election to the position he has held since July 2005, Mr. Kojelis observed that there is broad-based unity within the GOP, both nationally and throughout the Commonwealth.  ““We’’re all united now behind American hero Senator John McCain (R-AZ) for President in 2008.  In 2009, we’’ll all be behind our great Attorney General Bob McDonnell for governor and for the re-election of our excellent Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.  We have two full years to focus on party building by strengthening unit organizational structures and bringing new members into our activities.””  Mr. Kojelis pointed to the Petersburg Republican Committee’’s (PRC) very successful third annual Lincoln-Douglass-Mahone Dinner last month which saw more than three times the participation over the previous year.

Nine delegates were elected to represent the Cockade City at the 4th District Convention in Windsor, Virginia on May 17th.  The delegates will participate in the election of a new district chairman, state central committee members, delegates to the Republican National Convention (September 1-4, Minneapolis-St, Paul, Minnesota) and a presidential Elector.  The nine Petersburg delegates are Deborah Bice, Patricia Harvey, Susan Huysman, Linas Kojelis, Adrian Maver, Larry “Akin” Smith, Patrick Washington, Ashleigh Moody and Allan Rickard. 

Mr. Kojelis announced his declaration to run at the Windsor meeting for re-election to the RPV state central committee and as Elector.  As proscribed by the American Constitution, voters in each state do not vote directly for president but for a slate of electors, these being the persons who cast the actual ballots to elect the nation’s next chief executive.  Collectively these persons make up the Electoral College.

At the mass meeting, eight delegates were elected to represent Petersburg at the statewide convention of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) in Richmond, May 30-31.  At this convention, the delegates will elect a party chairman and nominate the GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate seat of outgoing Sen. John Warner.   Incumbent RPV chairman and former Virginia Lieutenant Governor John Hager is being challenged by Del. Jeff Frederick (R-Prince William) to lead the state party.   Former Governor Jim Gilmore and Del. Bob Marshall (R- 13) are facing off for the U.S. Senate position.
Petersburg Republicans heard energetic presentations by representatives of all four campaigns; Richard Crouse (field director for Jim Gilmore), Steve Waters (Campaign Director for Del. Marshall), VSU Professor Ted Brown on behalf of John Hager and Tom Bunnell from Del. Frederick’s campaign.

Elected as delegates representing Petersburg to the state convention were: Pat Harvey, Susan Huysman, Linas Kojelis, Adrian Maver, Larry “Akin” Smith, Patrick Washington, Ashleigh Moody and Lauren Barboza.

At the meeting, Petersburg Republicans also gave a warm welcome to special guest Susan McCammon, who was elected chairman of the Dinwiddie Republican Committee last week.

More information is available at www.gopetersburg.org.

May 6, 2008 11:30 AM 0