Republican leaders turn back challengers

Those who have been running the Chesterfield Republican Committee outnumbered and out-organized three other Republicans who wanted change within the ranks of the local party.

By a voice vote and show of hands last week, a slate of candidates promoted by State Senator Steve Martin (R-11th District) and Dale District Supervisor Kelly Miller easily turned back the challengers that had overtones for the Board of Supervisor's race in November 2007.

Jim Davis defeated Dr. Bakear Al-Mateen for chairman while Steve Stastny won over Tracy Williamson for vice chairman of organization. Lloyd Lenhart, the former school board member from Matoaca District, defeated Mike Kirk.

During campaign speeches, a spokesperson for Williamson referred to a "change at the Board of Supervisor's level." Kirk called for a change from "puppeteer decision making" and "lazy, intolerant rubberstamping" which produced a smattering of boos.

Some committee members expressed dissatisfaction of outgoing chairman Larry Miller who said he "hadn't been happy with some of the party's leaders" during his term. "I'm one of those who believe we need stronger leadership from the Committee this year," said Dickie King (R-Bermuda District), chairman of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors. "I've been disappointed in the way Steve Martin tries to control the Committee, and I recruited him back in 1981," observed Bob Floyd, the pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Chester. He introduced and endorsed AlMateen's candidacy.

"There's a difference in those who govern and those who rule," he added. "The status quo does not represent the majority of the party."

"It's the same group of about 15 people who are trying to create dissension," complained Martin. He was primarily referring to those who are members or are connected to the Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield. "We want them to participate in the party, and we even bent the rules to let Mike Kirk run [for office]. But he hasn't even joined the [Chesterfield Republican] Committee."

Asked if he was a member of the Committee, Kirk, a civil engineer, replied that the bylaws do not require candidates to be members.

In addition to voting for the leadership of the party, speakers rallied party faithful to support this fall's re-election of Senator George Allen (R-Va.) and Congressmen Eric Cantor (R-7th District) and Randy Forbes (R-4th District). Though Chesterfield County is still strongly Republican, that majority declined to just an 8,000 vote margin in last year's gubernatorial election when Democrat Tim Kaine was elected over Republican Jerry Kilgore. In the 1990's Chesterfield Republicans delivered at least a 25,000 vote margin to aid statewide gubernatorial candidates.