Posted on 08/31/2004 5:08:42 PM PDT by wagglebee
VIRGINIA BEACH — Republicans reeling from U.S. Rep. Edward L. Schrock's decision not to seek a third term picked a state delegate from Norfolk today to replace him on the Nov. 2 ballot.
The Second Congressional District Republican Committee voted by secret ballot to nominate Del. Thelma Drake, a real estate agent, to take on Democrat lawyer David B. Ashe.
Schrock, 63, a married retired Navy captain who did two tours of duty in Vietnam and was popular among conservatives, cited unspecified "allegations" for his surprise decision to retire Monday.
A Web log has published claims since Aug. 19 that Schrock solicited for sex with another man on a gay telephone dating service.
Schrock, an outspoken foe of gays in the military and supporter of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages, did not address the allegation in a five-paragraph statement announcing his decision Monday. He said he will not comment further.
Drake, 55, is a reliable member of the House's conservative GOP majority, serving on the powerful House Finance Committee and opposing a $1.4 billion omnibus tax bill during a discordant 115-day legislative session this year. Seventeen of her fellow Republicans sided with House Democrats on that divisive vote to pass the measure. The taxes take effect Wednesday.
Drake, originally from Elyria, Ohio, is in her fifth term in the House.
Two other potential contenders for Schrock's seat, state Sens. Kenneth W. Stolle and Frank Wagner, both of Virginia Beach, said Tuesday they were not interested.
"I had to weigh all the political considerations and the personal considerations, and I'd have had to take a significant pay cut and maintain two houses while I've got two kids in college," Stolle, an attorney, said in a telephone interview.
Wagner, owner of a shipyard that does extensive contracting work for the Navy, said the economic burdens on him would be too great. He would have to sell the shipyard to avoid a conflict of interest with the federal government.
"You ever try to sell a shipyard?" Wagner said. Another would-be candidate, Virginia Beach Del. John "Doc" Welch III, was in Hawaii and unable to make his case to the committee, said his legislative aide, Robert Rummells.
"He and I talked long and hard about this, but the truth of the matter is the timing of this thing is just not working out in Doc's favor," Rummells said.
The GOP controls eight of the state's 11 U.S. House seats, and Schrock's decision to withdraw threatens to narrow that margin. Incumbents are difficult to unseat, particularly for political newcomers.
Ashe, 36, an attorney and a Marine reservist who served last year in Iraq, said he will change nothing about his campaign because he is confident the GOP will nominate a formidable opponent for him.
"I'm glad that they will because the voters need the choice," Ashe said in a telephone interview. "But we've got so much momentum that I felt good about it anyway."
The Virginia GOP has reeled from a succession of misfortunes since 2001, the year it lost the governor's office to Democrat Mark R. Warner.
In the spring of 2002, the party's executive director, Edmund A. Matricardi III, resigned amid reports that he had illegally monitored confidential conference calls by Democratic lawmakers. He and the party's former chairman, Gary R. Thomson, ultimately pleaded guilty to federal charges in the case.
That same spring, the first Republican speaker of the House of Delegates, S. Vance Wilkins Jr., resigned after The Washington Post reported that he had paid a 26-year-old woman $100,000 to silence her charge that he had groped her.
Wilkins admitted making the payment but denied molesting the woman.
I would have loved to see Bob McDonnell run. But he wants to be attorney general and then governor. For whatever the reason, around here, congressman is a dead-end job, but former governors do really well.
"I wish he had announced his retirement back in the spring and cited health reasons or something."
If he had, there could have been a multi-candidate primary possibly won by a RINO. This way, local Republicans were able to winnow the field and come up with the best possilble candidate who wanted the job.
While I agree that Bob McConnell would have been a great candidate, Drake will also do well. Besides, Congress needs more pro-life women.
There aren't any RINOs around here to speak of. It always would have been Drake, McDonnell or Stolle.
Thelma's a good choice. It'll be a fight, but I think she can win. The district should be one of our safe ones.
Loved how the Pilot used yet another opportunity to kick the GOP. I'd like to kick the Pilot...buncha commies...
I know Thelma's husband. I'll have to see how I can help.
Nobody on the Shore knows her.............but of course we're the red-headed step child of VA anyway......no one really cares about our votes.
All kidding aside - I'll take the word of those of you who know better.
I had the misfortune to read the Pilot every day while I was on vacation. Good grief, it rivals the Washington Compost for the gold medal in liberal bias.
George Allen might disagree with you. :-)
Bob McDonnell wants to be AG, then governor and then after that who knows (John Warner will retire eventually), McDonnell had no interest in Schrock's job.
As far as John Warner goes, I'm not sure who the right candidate would be. Do you have any ideas? Maybe Ollie North wants another go at it.
I still think that Bob McDonnell is going to go far, he's young, he's conservative, he has a military background and he is generally a likeable guy.
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