Pat Mullins, former chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, dies in Hanover car crash

Richmond Times - Dispatch ^ | 5.30.17 | Staff

[golux]

Dennis Patrick “Pat” Mullins, who served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia from 2009 to 2015, was identified Monday as the victim of a single-vehicle crash a day earlier in Hanover County.

Mr. Mullins, who lived in Bumpass in Louisa County, was 79.

He took over chairmanship of the state GOP the same year that Bob McDonnell led a sweep of the state’s top three offices — governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general....

(snip)

[golux]

A very sad day. He had many FRiends here and friends and admirers all over Virginia. Rest in Peace, Pat. We are grateful to you.

[HokieMom]

Loved Pat. What a gift to the Virginia GOP.

[blueyon]

RIP Pat May God comfort his family and friends

[kabar]

Mr. Mullins, who also served as GOP chairman in the counties of Louisa and Fairfax, rose to become the state party’s leader in May 2009 after his predecessor, then-Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick of Prince William County, was ousted. After the McDonnell-led sweep in the election later that year, Virginia Republicans did not win a statewide race for the rest of Mr. Mullins’ tenure — and have not to this day.

Mullins was part of the despicable cabal that resulted in Jeff Frederick being removed as the VA GOP chair, a position he was elected to by many of us in the Tea Party. It was a true revolution. John Hager, now the father in law of Jenna Bush, was ousted much to the chagrin and anger of the VA GOPe.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[HokieMom]

I remember when that happened. It seemed like there was more going on than met the public eye. Reasons and real reasons.

[kabar]

I was a delegate at the convention that selected Jeff. Hager was not far from me in his wheelchair when the results were announced. The delegates had a collective gasp. Hager and his supporters were angry and openly let it be known that the result would not stand. Later on, they used some trumped up charges against Jeff to remove him from office. The GOPe struck back.

The GOPe also was responsible for the defeat of Ken Cuccinelli for governor.

[HokieMom]

In Pat’s efforts to grow the Virginia GOP, as they say from meeting in a phone booth-size party to filling the Richmond Coliseum, he had to walk the line between factions of the party — tea party, liberty activists, GOPe, Christian conservatives, on and on....

My facebook feed messages in the last few days is full of those who worked with Pat all over the right-of-center divide and have written glowing tributes of respect and admiration for his work to make the Virginia GOP a majority party.

I’m sure along the way, politics being what it is, he made enemies.

[kabar]

The problem is that VA is now a purple state trending solid blue. I was a member of the Fairfax County Rep Committee and watched Fairfax become a Dem stronghold and VA go blue for statewide elections. VA will go Dem in every future Presidential race for a long time to come. The demography of the state has changed fueled by mass immigration and the movement of Dems from the Northeast to Northern VA so they can be around the honey pot called Washington DC.

Pat was a chairman in Fairfax. He was a folksy, charming guy who was in a state of denial about what was happening and how to combat it. Jeff Frederick was a young, energetic guy (Hispanic) who wanted to change the way the GOP did business. The Old Guard didn't want to change. We just kept doing the same thing and got the same result.

I watched Fairfax County change from red to blue. Kerry won Fairfax in 2004, the first Dem to do that in 40 years. Obama built huge margins of victory in NoVA. Hillary followed suit. One in 3 residents of Fairfax County is foreign born. 2012 marked the first time the ballot was also in Spanish.

As a poll watcher and election officer, I witnessed the Dem machine in action. They had more money, more people, and were better organized than we were. I left in 2015, but it will only get worse for Reps in NoVa. Eventually, there will be no Reps left in elective office. I am not blaming Pat, but he was the wrong person at the wrong time to lead the VA GOP.

NC is heading down the same path. It is only a matter of time before it resembles VA.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

When voter ID is not in place this IS what happens.

[mistfree]

We need proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. In addition we need to re-register everyone in the State with proof of citizenship. Bada bing bada boom we go back to republican. I wrote my rep and asked that he sponsor a bill to that effect but I never heard back.

[kabar]

We need proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

No doubt there are illegal aliens voting, but the real change in VA is due to LEGAL immigration and the influx of people coming from the Northeast to be part of the Inside the Beltway crowd that suckles at the teat of the USG. They are predominantly liberals.

[mistfree]

Yes the hippies from up north have invaded, hopefully draining the swamp will encourage some of them to go home. From the perspective in Richmond the illegal invaders are here in frightening numbers and even with voter ID, once they register (which only requires an attestation statement) there is no way to tell at the polls if they are citizens or not. Doesn’t take too many to swing a local election.