Rich Anderson Archives - The Virginia Star

YoungkinWatch: Virginia’s RNC Committee Woman Calls for Trump to Oust Chair Ronna McDaniel as Governor Keeps Silence

December 5, 2023 Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump was urged to call for a replacement for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Monday by Patti Lyman, a Republican National Committeewoman representing Virginia. Lyman’s remarks follow claims from McDaniel that Governor Glenn Youngkin, or his representatives, told her that Virginia did not need additional funding prior to the Republicans’ electoral losses in November.

During an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show,” Lyman suggested Trump could be a deciding factor to determine new leadership at the RNC. She told host John Fredericks, who is publisher of The Virginia Star, Trump is the “one man” who could take “necessary” actions to “get new leadership at the RNC.”

RPV Wins Injunction Blocking Appointment of Elections Officers in Prince William

November 3, 2022November 2, 2022 Eric Burk

A court granted a temporary injunction blocking appointment of over 30 elections officers in Prince William County after the Republican Party of Virginia alleged problems including that some of the officers were self-designated Republicans — not nominated by the RPV.

Additionally in the October filing, the RPV argued that in other precincts, both the chief and assistant chief officers were from the same party. Finally, the RPV said that the county elections board had sought to appoint non-partisan officers in some precincts even though the RPV could provide nominees.

Commentary: It’s Time For Fairfax County’s Radical Prosecutor to Put Victims, Not Criminals, First

April 23, 2022April 22, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

When Virginia voters sent Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and a Republican House Majority to Richmond last year, it was to clean up the mess that years of Democratic rule had left. A major part of that mission was doing something about the epidemic of crime that had been Democrats had allowed to spread unchecked in our Commonwealth.

Rejuvenated Virginia GOP Prepares for Future Victories at 2021 Advance

December 6, 2021December 5, 2021 Eric Burk

In a weekend that was part play, part work, attendees at the Republican Party of Virginia’s Advance spent weekend networking and attending events including a Friday reception with Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin, breakout sessions, a congressional breakfast, a luncheon with Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares, and a 1920s-themed gala and ball featuring Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears. The event was held at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, which provided activities like the Cascades Gorge hike or a hayride. Moods were high as Republicans celebrated Virginia’s sudden-seeming return to swing state status, with more wins expected in future years.

“I encountered a relatively empty shell of an organization in August of 2020. But we have worked together, we have grown, we have expanded, we’ve answered the challenge,” RPV Chairman Rich Anderson said in remarks at the Saturday gala. “Virginia Republicans: we fought! We won! The Virginia GOP is red again.”

New Virginia Gov. Youngkin Announces More Transition Officials

November 29, 2021November 28, 2021 Eric Burk

Glenn Youngkin announced a 113-member list of legislators, law enforcement, business owners, and Republican Party of Virginia officials that will be part of his transition “landing teams” — separate from the transition steering committee he announced earlier in November. The teams will coordinate with Governor Ralph Northam’s cabinet.

“In order to change the trajectory of our great Commonwealth, our transition team is utilizing the vast experience of business owners, law enforcement officials, veterans, healthcare providers, industry experts, and—most importantly—parents to determine how government can begin to serve Virginians better and start delivering on our Day One promises of better schools, safer streets, a lower cost of living, and more jobs,” Youngkin said in a Wednesday press release.

Republican Party of Virginia Chair Rich Anderson Says Biden Could Learn from Virginia’s Non-Partisan Handling of Military Issues

September 10, 2021September 9, 2021 Eric Burk

President Joe Biden has asked several Trump appointees to resign from military advisory boards, triggering anger from conservatives who say the move breaks norms.

“Typically, military advisory boards by tradition have been exempted from undue partisan influence. On non-military boards, it is generally accepted that new presidential administrations do changes, but avoid doing it to any depth for military boards,” Republican Party of Virginia Chair Rich Anderson told The Virginia Star.”This recent development is a continuation of the Biden administration practice of politicizing any and every element of American life, in and out of government.”

Former Ambassador Haley Stumps for Youngkin in Virginia

July 14, 2021July 13, 2021 Eric Burk

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spoke in a Glenn Youngkin rally Tuesday. Over a hundred supporters and volunteers packed into a too-small, overheated room at Youngkin’s Richmond base. Haley, who also served as South Carolina governor, explained why she was supporting Youngkin.

She said she spoke with Youngkin before he decided to run.

Haley said, “He told me, ‘Well you know I’ve never held a political position before.’ And I said, ‘That’s what’s going to make you good.'”

Republicans and Democrats Field 196 Candidates for 100 House of Delegates Seats

June 22, 2021June 21, 2021 Eric Burk

There are 100 districts in the Virginia House of Delegates, and both Republicans and Democrats are running candidates in nearly all districts. According to unofficial data compiled by The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), Republicans have 99 candidates, and Democrats have 97. The State Board of Elections is scheduled to certify results from the June primaries on Tuesday, June 22.

Second-Place Republican Party of Virginia Attorney General Candidate Requests Recount

May 12, 2021May 11, 2021 Eric Burk

Republican Party of Virginia attorney general candidate Chuck Smith wants a recount after narrowly losing the nomination to Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach.) Smith is concerned about problems in the third round of ballot counting, when candidate Jack White’s votes were allocated to Miyares and Smith.

“In the third round in the attorney general’s race there was a lot of confusion in and among the tellers counting in the third round, with ballots counted for me attributed to the Miyares stack and ballots counted for Miyares attributed to the stack for me,” Smith wrote in a press release sent to reporters on Monday.

RPV Unassembled Convention Goes Smoothly with About 29,000 Ballots Cast

May 9, 2021May 8, 2021 Eric Burk

The Republican Party of Virginia held its unassembled convention to pick party nominees for governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor on Saturday. Official results will be slow to come in, thanks in part to a decision to hand-count the tens of thousands of ranked-choice ballots. As a result, campaigns and elections watchers are looking at turnout estimates for clues about who the nominees might be. Estimates from Republican Governor’s Association officials claim about 52 percent of the over 53,000 registered delegates turned out.

A Roundup: Over 50,000 Delegates Register for RPV Convention, Cox Tries Ranked-Choice Strategy, Youngkin Announces Law Enforcement Coalition

May 1, 2021April 30, 2021 Eric Burk

The Republican Party of Virginia has 53,524 delegates registered, as of Tuesday, to participate in the RPV unassembled convention at 39 locations on May 8. That’s an all-time record that speaks to party enthusiasm, according to RPV Chairman Rich Anderson’s remarks at a Tuesday debate. Anderson said the last time the RPV was this energized was in 2009 with Bob McDonnell leading the ticket.

Redistricting Will Not Be Complete in Time for 2021 House of Delegates Elections

April 3, 2021April 2, 2021 Eric Burk

Redistricting for Virginia’s legislative districts will not be complete in time for the 2021 House of Delegates elections, according to a draft timeline presented at a Virginia Redistricting Commission (VRC) meeting Tuesday. Census data is not expected until mid-August, which starts a 45-day timeline for the commission to send completed House and Senate maps to the General Assembly. As a result, Virginia may have House of Delegates races three years in a row: 2021, 2022 based on new districts, and the regularly scheduled 2023 election.

RPV Announces 17 Qualifying Candidates for Nomination for Virginia’s Top Three Seats

March 29, 2021March 28, 2021 Eric Burk

Seven gubernatorial candidates successfully filed for the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) nomination convention to be held May 8, the RPV announced Friday. Six candidates filed to run for lieutenant governor, and four candidates filed for the attorney general race.

Senator Chase Sues the Republican Party of Virginia

February 11, 2021February 10, 2021 Eric Burk

Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield), who is running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, announced Tuesday that she is suing the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV). Chase has been critical of the RPV decision to hold a nominating convention since the decision was first announced in December. Now, after months of fractious debate in the RPV over that decision, Chase is suing, arguing that she is harmed by the RPV choosing a nominating method currently illegal under Executive Order 72, which bans large gatherings like an in-person convention.

Virginia House of Delegates Passes Anti-Convention Bill

February 3, 2021February 2, 2021 Eric Burk

The Virginia House passed Delegate Dan Helmer’s (D-Fairfax) HB 2020 on Monday. The bill bans political parties from nominating statewide candidates using methods that would exclude active-duty military, students, and people sick with contagious diseases.

Republican Party of Virginia Reconsidering Choice of Nominating Convention

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021 Eric Burk

After a month of backlash to the vote to hold a nominating convention instead of a primary, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) State Central Committee (SCC) will revisit the decision on Saturday. If the convention is re-confirmed, the SCC will also vote on whether or not to hold an unassembled convention. An unassembled convention was promised during the vote for a convention, but formalizing the unassembled feature requires a separate vote.

The Selection Process for Virginia GOP Delegates, Explained

December 17, 2020December 16, 2020 Eric Burk

To vote in the Republican Party of Virginia’s (RPV) nomination of its 2021 candidates, citizens will have to be delegates to the nomination convention. Selecting delegates is a process controlled by local branches of the GOP, called units.

Former Chair of the Republican Party of Norfolk Pam Brown said the easiest way to start the process is to contact the local unit chairman. She said, “You can find that on the RPV site, they have linked email addresses to all the local unit chairmembers, and there’s 110 of them to contact.”

The Republican Party of Virginia Faces a Day of Reckoning

December 5, 2020December 4, 2020 Eric Burk

The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) State Central Committee (SCC) will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday to determine whether a convention or a primary will be used to nominate their candidates for 2021. The decision is strategically important for candidates and power brokers, so rumors of intrigue surround preparations for the meeting.

Republicans Split as Giuliani, Powell Allege Fraud in Virginia

December 1, 2020November 30, 2020 Eric Burk

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and elections watchdog lawyer Sidney Powell have recently spent most of their energy in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania, but the two lawyers have also alleged serious irregularities in Virginia’s 2020 elections.

Chaotic Virginia Election Shows Need for Clearer Absentee Reporting

November 18, 2020November 17, 2020 Eric Burk

It was a good day for Donald Trump in Virginia — strong in-person Election Day turnout drove the president ahead of challenger Joe Biden with 52 percent of the vote by 11 p.m. But that shifted between 11 p.m. November 3 and 5 a.m November 4, according to reporting by conservative newsblog The Gateway Pundit.

Virginia GOP to Mark Herring on Ballot Fraud: ‘You’re in Contempt!’

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020 Corinne Murdock

The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) filed a lawsuit last week against Virginia’s Attorney General (AG) Mark Herring for failing to communicate changes to the witness voter requirement.

In August, Herring agreed with a federal judge to drop the witness voter requirement. It appears that these changes weren’t communicated well across the state. The RPV cites accounts of voters confused because their ballot language contradicts their voter instructions.

Trump Victory Campaign Secures Two Million Voter Contacts in Virginia

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Trump Victory campaign announced Friday it has passed two million voter contacts in Virginia ahead of the quickly-approaching November election.

The milestone brings with it plenty of confidence and optimism from those working on the campaign.

Windows at Virginia GOP Headquarters Smashed Overnight

September 12, 2020September 11, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Multiple street facing windows were shattered overnight at the Republican Party of Virginia headquarters in downtown Richmond.

This is the second time in three months the office windows in the Richard D. Obenshain Center have been smashed by someone.

Nightmare on Zoom St: Virginia Dems Pass Woke Bills, Freeze Out GOP

September 11, 2020September 11, 2020 Eric Burk

The General Assembly has been in Special Session since August 18. Governor Ralph Northam’s announcement said the session was meant to pass a new budget in light of of COVID-19 and consider criminal and social reform laws. In the past three weeks, the Assembly has considered bills ending qualified immunity, eliminating minimum sentences for assaults on police officers, and allowing early release of violent offenders.

Rich Anderson Is the New Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Eric Burk

Rich Anderson is the new chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. On Saturday, August 15, delegates from around Virginia voted in an unassembled election using a drive-through format. The ranked-choice results saw Anderson win round one with 48.80 percent of the votes, where incumbent Jack Wilson was eliminated. In round two, Anderson took 62.28 percent of the votes, defeating Mike Schoelwer.