Two conservative Northern Virginia Republican lawmakers plan to challenge the GOP leadership in the General Assembly, saying the Democrats’ victory in the Senate demands change.
The Republicans’ loss of four seats and the party’s majority in the state Senate and four seats in the House of Delegates revealed a weakness at the top, Sen. Ken Cuccinelli and Del. Bob Marshall told The Examiner Thursday.
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“I think this party needs new leadership from top to bottom,” said Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax.
He plans to be part of a challenge at the leadership elections Nov. 26 against current Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosh
There should be a challenge Nov. 26 against Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch for the minority leader position next year, Cuccinelli said, noting he could be the opposing candidate.
“They’ve been more inclined to make war with Republicans than with Democrats,” he said.
Marshall, R-Prince William, proposed a similar upheaval in the House of Delegates, saying the discussion itself will remind Republican leaders to focus on the party’s core values.
“You can’t say we’re opposed to taxes and you can’t say we’re for cutting spending, because we haven’t done that,” Marshall said. “We’ve lost our political label.”
But members in both houses are expected to stick with the current chiefs, leadership aides said.
“As people took each other’s temperature, we didn’t see any fever,” said Scott Leake, a political adviser to the Senate leadership, referring to Senate meetings Thursday. “I think there is broad consensus for what they have been doing.”
Informal checking among delegates also shows House Speaker William Howell has the support to remain in the position, said G. Paul Nardo, Howell’s chief of staff.
“We’ve been talking to people and we know we have a majority of the caucus with us,” Nardo
said.
The unrest Marshall and Cuccinelli are exhibiting demonstrates some feeling the Republican
General Assembly has not adhered strongly enough to its principles.
John Taylor, leader of the Gainesville-based Virginia Institute, a center-right think tank, approved of trying to oust Howell.
“I don’t know of any Democrat in the last four years who has done as much to help the interests of Democrats at Speaker Howell,” Taylor said. “If Republicans vote him back in, how seriously should we take them? It’s a joke.”
Examiner Staff Writer Joe Rogalsky contributed to this story.
