With Del. Jennifer Carrol Foy (D-HD02) announcing the other day that she would be resigning from her House of Delegates seat to devote full time to her 2021 gubernatorial run, and with the Virginia General Assembly’s 2021 session starting on January 13, things are moving very quickly for a special election (set for 1/5/21) and for parties to select their nominees. Along those lines, see below for the HD02 Legislative District Committee’s “call to caucus,” agreed upon yesterday afternoon. As you can see, the caucus is set for this Sunday, 12/13, from 9am to 6 pm, at Freedom High School in Woodbridge and at the Courthouse Community Center in Stafford County. The caucus will use “Drive Thru Voting,” in which voters “will not leave their vehicles.” Candidates must file their Declaration of Candidacy form, along with $750, by Friday (tomorrow) at 6 pm.
Also, see below for the “dissent” by Stafford County Democratic Committee Chair Benjamin Litchfield to the decision not to use Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) in this caucus. According to Litchfield, IRV is not complicated to carry out, and it “makes democracy fairer and more functional, ensuring the nomination of a consensus candidate.” I couldn’t agree more. Litchfield adds that claims of IRV somehow “disenfranchis[ing] voters” are “nonsense,” and that in fact “any confusion related to IRV is the least of our concerns.” Finally, Litchfield writes the following (bolding added by me for emphasis):
“I have also heard rumors that some party insiders knew about Delegate Carroll Foy’s resignation in advance and that those insiders may have used that knowledge to their advantage. While I cannot verify these rumors, and they are just that – rumors – I take them very seriously. The right to vote in a free and fair election is one of our most sacred rights and countless have died for that right. That is why, in cases such as these, we should ensure that our process is above reproach. This is another reason why I recommended and continue to strongly support IRV for this nominating caucus.
My colleague, Ms. Medrano-Frias, agrees that we should adopt IRV. However, the Prince William County Democratic Committee is adamantly opposed. Their Steering Committee took a vote last night on the nominating process, which they have no authority to do under the DPVA Party Plan, and Ms. Medrano-Frias, as a member of the Steering Committee, feels bound by their decision. For these reasons, I respectfully dissent from the committee’s decision today.
Hmmm…
P.S. The Dem candidates so far are Candi King, Rozia Henson, Pamela Montgomery…
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