Posted on 03/02/2005 7:35:28 PM PST by Flora McDonald
While many area politicos had their eyes and ears pinned on Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr. Friday, two political hopefuls announced interest in seeking his 27th District Senate seat.
Jill Holtzman Vogel of Warrenton and Phillip S. Griffin II of Winchester announced the creation of exploratory committees to examine a run for the state Senate seat that Potts would vacate if elected governor.
Potts’s Senate term expires in 2007. But if the Virginia Republican Party has its way, a race to fill his seat could come much sooner.
After Potts announced his run for governor as a “independent Republican,” Virginia Republican Party Chairman Kate Obenshain Griffin called for him to “resign immediately from his state Senate seat to allow Governor Mark Warner to call a special election for Senate District 27.”
Kate Obenshain Griffin is married to Phillip S. Griffin II.
“If a special election came up, it would leave a very short timetable to organize,” Phillip Griffin said.
Mark Tate, who opposed Potts in the 2003 Republican primary, announced the creation of an exploratory committee of his own on Wednesday.
Tate, Vogel, and Phillip Griffin became quite familiar with one another in 2003, when they all had aspirations to win Potts’s Senate seat.
But Potts’s three Republican challengers, all with similar ideological stances, agreed to support the winner of a straw poll of GOP activists who were seeking to oust Potts from the Senate.
Tate won the poll and received the support of Vogel and Phillip Griffin before falling to Potts in the primary.
Potts advisor Tom D’Amore said the senator is concentrating first on the business of the state. Beginning Monday, two days after the end of the General Assembly session, Potts will begin working on his run for governor.
Whether Potts will seek re-election to his Senate seat in 2007 is unclear.
Vogel, who currently practices law in Warrenton, is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has degrees in government and religion.
She has held numerous posts in the Republican Party, most recently as chief counsel to the Republican National Committee during the 2004 presidential race.
“I want to be up front about my intentions to run for the Senate seat when it becomes available,” Vogel said in a statement. “It is premature to do more than that now. Instead, we have critical ’05 races that must be our focus.”
In a phone interview Friday, Vogel said she “has the best chance to deliver the seat [for Republicans].”
Phillip Griffin, who is an attorney in Winchester, said he thinks he can also deliver the district for area conservatives.
“I believe the 27th District needs a loyal Republican who will vote the way they promise, and who has significant experience living and working in the district,” he said.
While Vogel, Phillip Griffin, and Tate all wanted to be the one to defeat Potts in 2003, they all agreed that one strong candidate was their best option.
After Tate won the straw poll, their motive became clear.
“I am here to assist Mark Tate defeat a common enemy — the liberal Russ Potts,” Phillip Griffin said at the time.
The trio may or may not have another shot.
Doesn't give him much hope for Governor, does it?
Potts sets up position in race
Candidate says there are many Republicans angry at 'no-tax' tune
s/b: Candidate says he is out of tune with most Republicans who are angry at his 'more-tax' tune.
The fact he is not resigning from his Senate seat tell me 2 things..........he knows he has no chance of winning, and that he really doesn't care one iota about taxpayers in general, and his own constituents in particular.
On the off chance (very off) that he would win the Governor's office, a special election would have to be held to fill his Senate seat. I don't know the cost in Virginia, but in other places special elections are not cheap.
Self-serving politicians come from all sides of the the political spectrum..............if Potts is not one of them, he should step down now to allow for an election in his district on the same day as the rest of voting will be done.
He is obviously a self-serving politician.
Yep...and considering I believe the rumor that Potts will have a seat in a Kaine Administration as compensation fer his blatant undercutting of the GOP candidate, I believe it's particularly egregious.
FReegards...MUD
As do I.
However, I'm looking at it from a positive point of view. When Kilgore is inaugurated in January, Potts' political career will be toast.....he will probably have a very difficult time getting re-elected and there will be no job in the Administration for him.
And for that I would be eternally grateful!
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