G.O.P. Congressman Faces Primary After Officiating Same-Sex Wedding

[pppolitics]

WASHINGTON — Representative Denver Riggleman, a freshman Republican from Virginia, is facing a primary challenge that will be decided on Saturday in a drive-through state convention following an uproar among local activists after Mr. Riggleman officiated a same-sex wedding.

Mr. Riggleman, a distillery owner and a former Air Force intelligence officer with a libertarian streak, was met with a wave of outrage from conservative activists in his district after he officiated the summer wedding of two men who had volunteered for his campaign. Several party county committees voted to censure him, and Bob Good, a former county official who was once an employee of Liberty University, threw his name into the race to challenge him from the right, arguing Mr. Riggleman “betrayed the trust” of Republicans in the district.

Further adding to the treacherous political terrain for Mr. Riggleman is the unusual way the primary will be decided. Across a sprawling congressional district, as many as 3,500 party delegates were expected to cast ballots on Saturday at a socially distanced drive-through convention held in Lynchburg, Va., the result of state laws that allow party organizations to choose congressional nominees by conventions instead of traditional primary elections.

Mr. Riggleman has denounced the setup, which was decided by a Republican district committee, as “a bizarre Dairy Queen convention.” And he has fiercely defended his decision to officiate the wedding of his two former volunteers.

[...]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/13/us/politics/denver-riggleman-primary-virginia-good.html

[Oryxslayer]

Reminder than Bob Good didn't submit his paperwork on time and if he becomes the nominee, as expected, it would be up to the courts and the election commission to decide whether to restore ballot access. Reporters that have talked to delegates suggest that the paperwork isn't really an issue in peoples minds, which is why the expected Good victory will still occur.

[Non Swing Voter]

Exhibit 1,430,348 of how Republicans are completely out of touch with the Virginia electorate.

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/rudnicknoah/status/1272004247895314434?s=20

This is why if Good wins the seat is potentially competitive. Not because he's too conservative, the majority of voters from this are red rural types - even though Charlottesville was cracked into the seat. No, it's because the seat would not have an incumbent and so far Good hasn't demonstrated he can run a competent district-wide campaign. Him missing his paperwork and barely raising money are only two of several examples why Good only has a chance at a successful primary because it isn't a primary, it is a convention with only a handful of voting delegates.

[ND, SD, MT, WY, and ID statehood was and is unconstitutional]

Representative Bob Good. Get used to saying it.

[DINGO Joe]

https://twitter.com/Denver4VA/status/1272015902473687040

Sounds like Riggleman will be declared the loser and he's going to go to war over it.  good times

[lfromnj]

https://twitter.com/rudnicknoah/status/1272004247895314434?s=20

This is why if Good wins the seat is potentially competitive. Not because he's too conservative, the majority of voters from this are red rural types - even though Charlottesville was cracked into the seat. No, it's because the seat would not have an incumbent and so far Good hasn't demonstrated he can run a competent district-wide campaign. Him missing his paperwork and barely raising money are only two of several examples why Good only has a chance at a successful primary because it isn't a primary, it is a convention with only a handful of voting delegates.

By what do you mean Charlottesville cracked into the seat?
where else would it belong but VA 5?, there are other factors you can change such as how it goes to take in Faquier county but Charlottesville in VA 5 is fine.

[Miss J]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

[ND, SD, MT, WY, and ID statehood was and is unconstitutional]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

[WD]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

This doesn’t make sense. Stewart won it by 3 points, that isn’t exactly an insurmountable margin. Are you saying its impossible to improve by 3 points over Kaine?

[YE]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

This doesn’t make sense. Stewart won it by 3 points, that isn’t exactly an insurmountable margin. Are you saying its impossible to improve by 3 points over Kaine?

I mean Tim Kaine won by 16 statewide so it’s pretty insurmountable given how easily Kaine won.

[WD]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

This doesn’t make sense. Stewart won it by 3 points, that isn’t exactly an insurmountable margin. Are you saying its impossible to improve by 3 points over Kaine?

I mean Tim Kaine won by 16 statewide so it’s pretty insurmountable given how easily Kaine won.

But it isn’t impossible for Biden to win by 19 points then, is it?

[YE]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

This doesn’t make sense. Stewart won it by 3 points, that isn’t exactly an insurmountable margin. Are you saying its impossible to improve by 3 points over Kaine?

I mean Tim Kaine won by 16 statewide so it’s pretty insurmountable given how easily Kaine won.

But it isn’t impossible for Biden to win by 19 points then, is it?

I’d say it’s unlikely unless Biden is winning by around 13 nationally or more

[Farmlands]

That is messed up. The cerimony he officiated, which was supposed to be a personal favour to two friends and campaign staffers, got turned into proof that he wasn't a real conservative. Of course, some people will keep trying to defend the GOP as an apathetic at best party to LGBT rights, but this shows otherwise.

[Panhandle Progressive]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

I agree for 2020. But if Bob Good runs for re-election in 2022 it won't be nearly as easy. This district will almost certainly be redrawn to be more favorable for Democrats. That should make it a toss-up in two years.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Does the GOP convention here replace VA's official primary?

[Gustaf]

Idk, Riggleman won by 7 right? That doesn't seem insurmountable if they have a bad candidate and this gets dirty.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

https://twitter.com/Denver4VA/status/1272015902473687040

Sounds like Riggleman will be declared the loser and he's going to go to war over it.  good times

The VA GOP should fly in Don Blankenship as a compromise candidate.

[DINGO Joe]

Does the GOP convention here replace VA's official primary?

Yes, Va gop is stupid

[TrendsareUsuallyReal]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

I agree for 2020. But if Bob Good runs for re-election in 2022 it won't be nearly as easy. This district will almost certainly be redrawn to be more favorable for Democrats. That should make it a toss-up in two years.

No. Virginia Democrats decided to be self-righteous morons and gave up their map-drawing process to the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court

[Panhandle Progressive]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

I agree for 2020. But if Bob Good runs for re-election in 2022 it won't be nearly as easy. This district will almost certainly be redrawn to be more favorable for Democrats. That should make it a toss-up in two years.

No. Virginia Democrats decided to be self-righteous morons and gave up their map-drawing process to the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court

Not according to this "gives the new commission 45 days from the time the state receives census data to submit House of Delegates District lines and 60 days for Congressional lines. In a normal year, the commission would get more time, with a July 1 deadline.

The General Assembly would then get 15 days to vote on the plan. If it is rejected, the commission could submit a second plan two weeks later.

If the second plan is not adopted within a week, then the Supreme Court of Virginia would draw the lines on its own.

If the commission never submits a plan, then the Supreme Court of Virginia would also draw the lines on its own."

[https://www.wtop.com/virginia/2020/04/proposed-census-delay-could-change-virginiaelections-redistricting/

[Horus]

Idk, Riggleman won by 7 right? That doesn't seem insurmountable if they have a bad candidate and this gets dirty.

The Dems also had a very bad candidate in 2018. This could be a tossup if it's a good night for Biden.

[TrendsareUsuallyReal]

I hope the Democrats pick it up, even if its just for two years.  To throw out a very conservative Republican over a gay wedding to get a "real" antigay congressman?  Please.  Hope it goes blue.

It will not go Dem. Even Corey Stewart won this seat in 2018. Its Safe R.

I agree for 2020. But if Bob Good runs for re-election in 2022 it won't be nearly as easy. This district will almost certainly be redrawn to be more favorable for Democrats. That should make it a toss-up in two years.

No. Virginia Democrats decided to be self-righteous morons and gave up their map-drawing process to the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court

Not according to this "gives the new commission 45 days from the time the state receives census data to submit House of Delegates District lines and 60 days for Congressional lines. In a normal year, the commission would get more time, with a July 1 deadline.

The General Assembly would then get 15 days to vote on the plan. If it is rejected, the commission could submit a second plan two weeks later.

If the second plan is not adopted within a week, then the Supreme Court of Virginia would draw the lines on its own.

If the commission never submits a plan, then the Supreme Court of Virginia would also draw the lines on its own."

[https://www.wtop.com/virginia/2020/04/proposed-census-delay-could-change-virginiaelections-redistricting/

What does your last sentence say? I'm asking rhetorically, of course. For all intents and purposes, these morons handed power to the Republican state courts. Crafty of them too because the way they set up the commission essentially guarantees that they will never agree on a map.

When they lose their majorities in the state legislature as well as VA-02 and VA-07, they will have only themselves to blame

[lfromnj]

Again trends
The VA supreme court would have taken power just like NC and PA did.

[Mr.Phips]

Again trends
The VA supreme court would have taken power just like NC and PA did.

Seems unlikely that the Supreme Court would draw an egregious gerrymander.  The maps drawn in PA and FL were pretty even handed.