Jeff Frederick out as state GOP

Prince William Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick was dumped as party chairman Saturday by the governing body of the Virginia GOP, potentially setting the stage for further division in party ranks during a critical election year.
The vote in the central committee was 57-18 — meeting the three-quarters majority required to remove a chairman. Frederick needed 20 votes to retain the post.

One member of the 77-member committee who leaned toward keeping Frederick chose not to vote, after the proxy vote of another Frederick supporter was disqualified because of a procedural technicality.

“I’m sad for our party and for our grass roots, but I will not be deterred,” a drained Frederick told reporters following the six-hour meeting, all but an hour of which was held behind closed doors in a cramped conference room at the Richmond Marriott West in Glen Allen.

“I ran for chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia with the hope of changing our party, so we could once again be a majority party in Virginia and achieve real progress for our state and for our families,” Frederick continued, flanked by a handful of supporters and his wife, Amy.

“Unfortunately, the headwinds to change course were just too great. People don’t always like change — too many are still invested in doing things the old, top-down way,” the 33-year-old former chairman added.

Frederick refused to take questions from reporters following his prepared remarks, stating beforehand that he had to leave to comfort the family of a friend who had died.
Virginia GOP vice chairman Mike Thomas takes over as acting party chairman. The committee will meet again on May 2, when it is expected to name an interim chairman whom it will endorse at the party convention. Thomas, a consultant at the McGuire Woods law firm, said he will not seek to fill the remaining three years of Frederick’s four-year term.

The stakes are high this fall. All 100 seats in the House of Delegates are up for election. Virginians also must choose a governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
But Saturday’s removal of Frederick could ignite a battle between grassroots Republicans and the leadership of the party when it convenes in Richmond at the end of May.

Dozens turned out in support of Frederick Saturday, angrily proclaiming a split that would be aired on the convention floor.
“It’s split — I can assure you it’s split in half,” said Frederick supporter Jo-Ann Chase of Loudoun County, representing the 10th Congressional District.
“The grassroots were not for this ...There’s going to be a backlash, you better believe it,” added Chase.
“Whoever voted in there and thought they were going to get away with that, and that the conservatives are not going to go back and re-elect him, God willing, if he runs again, have something else coming.”

Frederick, who marshaled grassroots social conservatives to win the chairmanship at the convention last year from former Lt. Gov. John Hager, had said earlier that he could seek reinstatement to the job at this year’s convention.
Saturday, at least one supporter who voted to retain him said he would urge Frederick to not make a challenge. Frederick himself was less definite about his plans.

“I feel the course we set for our party was the right one, and whether I or someone else steps in to complete the task that we began last year when I became chairman, that remains to be seen,” he said.

Saturday’s vote ended a divisive chapter in recent party history that began shortly after Frederick ascended to the post. Critics bristled at what they believed was Frederick’s impolitic personal style and tendency to ignite controversy with his public comments.

“What didn’t happen was the old guys saying, ‘We’re mad we lost, let’s get a new chairman,’” said Del. John A. Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake. “The people that wanted us to keep Jeff most were the Democrats. It seemed like every time we turned around, Jeff was saying something inappropriate.”
Adding fuel to the fire were stinging GOP election defeats last fall in races for U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate and President of the United States.

Last month, party leaders led by Thomas compiled a list of grievances seeking Frederick’s removal as chairman, also claiming mishandling of party finances and a lack of cooperation with the campaign of GOP Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid in the commonwealth.
Ranking Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, the five-member GOP congressional delegation and presumptive gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell also joined the chorus calling for Frederick’s ouster.

Saturday, they got their wish. But relief, not happiness, was more the tone expressed by those who voted for a change, suggesting it was better to deal with it now than closer to election day when party support will be critical to success of the GOP ticket. “Certainly it’s my feeling he should have resigned and save the party all this agony,” said Cosgrove. “This is not a day for joy — this is a very difficult time we’ve been through,” said Thomas.