Dennis Findley Ends 10th CD Campaign

A few hours ago, I received an email from 10th CD Democratic candidate Dennis Findley, announcing that he is "ending [his] campaign for Congress in the 10th District of Virginia." Findley explains: "A family matter has arisen that requires my undivided time and attention and thus this is not the right time for me to continue my pursuit of elective office. While obviously disappointing, family always comes first and I have no regrets." He pledges to "helping the Democratic nominee for this race defeat the incumbent, Frank Wolf."

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Dennis Findley for stepping up to the plate and running for public office. Although more conservative than I am on several key issues, Dennis is a class act through and through. He is also a smart and articulate guy with a great deal of passion for helping children with special needs and learning disabilities, providing health insurance coverage for early treatment of children with autism, and many other issues. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

P.S. Dennis Findley's withdrawal from the race leaves three other Democrats officially in the race: Rich Anthony, who I endorsed last December and who I am now consulting for; Jeff Barnett; and Julien Modica. The 10th CD apparently will decide definitively this weekend on a nomination method and date; the "firehouse primary" they tentatively decided on a few weeks ago may go by the wayside, but we'll find out soon enough.

"Wacko" To Take Over as 10th CD Republican Chairman?

It's very possible, according to Too Conservative:

... Jim Rich has just recently decided to not run for re-election as 10th District Chairman due to family concerns. At this time Leesburg businessman David Schmidt seems to be the only other candidate to file besides wacko Howie Lind. Schmidt is a good guy and will be the presumptive candidate for the mainstream...

What's really hilarious, aside from Too Conservative calling Howie Lind a "wacko," is that Ken Cuccinelli has endorsed the "wacko." That says it all, doesn't it?

Courtesy of Too Conservative, here's a bit more insight into what all this might mean for 10th CD Republican politics.

Who in the hell is this guy? A diehard to the end Jeff Frederick supporter you say! A guy who has missed more 10th District meetings than he has attended while on State Central, and who protested in front of the last 10th District fundraiser! For God’s sakes, Paul Lynde would have a better chance of being elected 10th District Chairman!!!

I don't know, this guy sounds perfect as 10th CD Republican Chairman -- go Lynde...I mean Lind, I say! :)

P.S. I wonder what Frank Wolf thinks about losing his confidant Jim Rich. Pretty soon, the only people Wolf's going to have to work with in the 10th are "freaky" (or is it "fruity") Eugene Delgaudio and "wacko" Howie Lind. Have fun!

P.P.S. What does Wolf do, support the "mainstream" guy over the "wacko" and piss of the "wacko"'s right-wing supporters? Alternatively, does Wolf support the "wacko" or move to the right in order to head off that threat, thus weakening himself for the general election? Yeah, pull up some popcorn, this could be entertaining.

10th CD Democrats to Hold Firehouse Primary

I'm hearing that the 10th CD Democrats have decided to select their congressional nominee this year using a "firehouse primary." What on earth is a "firehouse primary," you ask? Here's an explanation.

In a firehouse primary, a limited number of voting locations are chosen within a legislative district and ballots are cast on one day within a set amount of time, usually shorter than a regularly scheduled election. The party that chooses a firehouse primary is also responsible for organizing, staffing and monitoring such an election.

So, it's not a full primary, which costs a lot more money but also involves a lot more people. It's also not a pure party convention, in which only delegates may vote. Currently, there are four candidates: Rich Anthony, who I endorsed back in December and who I am now consulting to; Dennis Findley; Julien Modica; and Jeff Barnett. I'll be curious to hear the 10th CD's reasoning, and also the date and location(s) of the "firehouse primary."

UPDATE: Apparently, the 10th CD committee considered a "firehouse primary" (aka, "unassembled caucus") to be a compromise between the regular primary (June 9th) and a convention. They also felt that a firehouse primary was more open than a convention, so more people can participate if they want to, and is less "inside baseball" than a convention, which could be viewed as the committee just picking the person they want. Finally, the committee views a "firehouse primary" as having the benefit of settling on a nominee a month earlier than the regular primary, so that the nominee has more time to get ready for the general election.