It’s (almost) official: Tito “The Builder” Muñoz will square off against former Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Jeff Frederick in the Republican primary in the 36th Virgina Senate District.
Muñoz said he wants to focus on the depleted Route 1 corridor and education, and that he would officially file his paperwork in a couple days. Muñoz, who rose to fame during the 2008 presidential campaign stumping with Sarah Palin, owns a construction company in Woodbridge and has also made a name for himself recently on conservative talk radio.
Meanwhile, Frederick, a former state delegate from Prince William, is looking to make a comeback to elective politics.
“We need leaders in Richmond who aren’t afraid to shake up and stand up to the status quo and keep people of any political party accountable,” he wrote in a recent message to supporters.
Frederick, though wildly popular among grassroots conservatives, was ousted from his post as state party chairman in 2009 amid a host of charges, including that he mishandled party finances and did not coordinate with Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
The district, represented by longtime incumbent Linda “Toddy” Puller, D-Fairfax, includes portions of Prince William and Fairfax counties and was extended down into Stafford County during the redistricting process.
Either would likely face an uphill climb against Puller, who has served in the General Assembly since 1992. She said thinks the district still leans Democratic.
“I’m going to have to work hard, there’s no question about it, but I always work hard,” she said.
