Va. House speaker tries to fend off primary challenge with rosy message

washingtonpost.com ^ | 3/11/15 | Jenna Portnoy

[cotton1706]

RICHMOND — Less than a year after Eric Cantor’s shocking defeat to a tea party challenger, House Speaker William J. Howell is taking nothing for granted in his first serious primary challenge in nearly three decades.

The latest sign that Howell (R-Stafford) learned from the mistakes of the former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives came Wednesday, when the state lawmaker launched a Web site titled “We Know Bill.”

It includes dozens of vignettes, complete with photos and fawning quotes, from retirees, busi­ness­peo­ple and activists talking about why they support Howell over his challenger, Susan Stimpson.

The approach is a striking departure from the tenor of the unsuccessful primary campaign that Cantor, then a representative from Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, ran against challenger David Brat.

Unlike Howell’s positive portrayal of his connection to the community, Cantor attacked Brat with negative television ads and was accused of ignoring local activists. Cantor was criticized for losing touch with his district in favor of broader responsibilities — an error Howell is loath to make this year.

But the speaker’s full-court press is also evidence of the threat Stimpson poses as she tries to harness frustration felt by the influential conservative wing of the state GOP, which is engaged in a battle with business-centric Republicans who have cast themselves in Cantor’s mold.

[cotton1706]

Remove as many of these old-timey power-brokers as possible!

[gr8eman]

Agreed! Are any freepers here familiar with the Va. Republican primary rules?!