Pat Mullins to run for RPV Chairman

On Wednesday an email went out from Pat Mullins offering his resume to run for Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. Here is what he wrote:

Our Party faces challenging times but our opportunities are even bigger than our challenges. That's why I'm writing to ask for your support for Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.

As current chairman of the Louisa County Republican Party, we've worked hard to build a successful grassroots and fundraising operation. In a year, we've increased our membership by four times, spent several thousand dollars to support our candidates last fall, had a pig roast last fall honoring our military families with over 350 in attendance, and were named as the most improved county committee in the 7th District at this year's Advance.

Before moving to Louisa, we lived for over 40 years in Northern Virginia where my wife, Jackie, and I raised our four children who all graduated from Virginia Universities. From 1990 to 1996, I served as chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Party. During these years, we built the committee to over 540 members and had a waiting list of 350. We raised over $1,000,000 during this time, hired staff, and gave several hundred thousand dollars in contributions to our Republican candidates (they even passed a state law to force us to report county level fundraising due to our successes). We elected the first Republican majority to the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County since reconstruction, and won a Republican majority in the House and Senate seats within the County as well. We carried the County for George Allen when he ran for Governor, winning over 60% of the elections during this time.

Louisa County and Fairfax County are about as different as you can get. Louisa is one of the smallest, most rural counties in the Commonwealth. Fairfax County is the biggest, most suburban county in the Commonwealth. We faced an entrenched "big city" style Democrat machine in Fairfax County and in Louisa we've faced a "good old boy" Democrat machine.

But despite the differences in these two counties, we have had success for our Republican Party in both by following a few basic principles.

First, while staying true to my own deeply held conservative values I've reached out to every Republican in an effort to win elections. You should know I am opposed to tax increases of any kind, I'm pro-life, pro 2nd Amendment, for traditional family values, and staunchly pro-business and in favor of our free enterprise system. These values have guided me throughout my lifetime and they will continue to guide me. At the same time, folks in both Fairfax County and Louisa will tell you that I reached out and worked with all Republicans to win elections. You build a majority party and you pass good conservative legislation by increasing the number of grassroots activists, financial donors and coalition groups. That's exactly what I've done and will continue to do. I recognize that State Central members represent the grassroots Republicans who elected them and as Chairman of RPV and I'll reach out to every member to get their input, experience and good common sense.

Second, building a powerful grassroots organization and raising significant funds for the Party requires relentless work, attention to detail, and having a strong group of fellow Republicans taking on real leadership roles. As a businessman, I have the experience needed to build our grassroots and fundraising capabilities. During my decades in the Party, I've demonstrated a willingness to employ good old fashioned "shoe leather" in holding grassroots training events and making the individual donor calls and building tightly organized coalition efforts. As your RPV chairman, I will recognize that State Central members are elected leaders representing a broad range of grassroots Republicans. You should be closely involved with the Chairman in making our state party stronger and more effective.

Third, I realize the role of a Party chairman -- at the county, congressional or statewide level -- is to win elections that will further our philosophy of limited government and traditional values. As Chairman, my top priority will be electing the Republican statewide slate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and a Republican House of Delegates majority that will work to pass a forward looking conservative agenda. We also need to target some liberal Democrat seats and be on offense instead of the last few years we have had playing defense.

Fourth, the Republican Party needs to represent our conservative agenda and our grass-roots and be an independent voice for our principles. In Fairfax County, when we elected our new Republican majority to the Board of Supervisors, there was a vote to put a Meals Tax on the ballot for a special election referendum. Even though some of our Republican elected officials were aggressively promoting this Meals Tax, the County Party passed a resolution (almost unanimously) in opposition to it, and our grass-roots worked day and night with the local restaurant association to beat this referendum with over 58% of the vote. We need to work hard to elect Republicans that represent our values, and once they are elected, we need to make sure that our Republican officeholders hear and respect the voice of our grass-roots.

I love our Republican Party. For most of my adult life, even while building a small business, earning a living, raising a family and attempting to serve in my community and live out my faith in God, I've worked hard to further our Republican Party. We're not perfect but there's no political organization in the nation better for our nation and our Commonwealth and our localities than the Republican Party.

I look forward to talking further with you in coming days. Thank you for your consideration.

Too Conservative has more on the possibility of Pat Mullins running for Chair.