I generally don’t like repeating rumors, but when I hear one like this – and from folks I trust – I can’t help but at least put it out there to see if anyone else has heard anything similar. Rumor has it that Fairfax County Republican Committee chairman Anthony Bedell may resign following the November elections, regardless of the outcome. Anthony was reelected to his second term in May, when he ran unopposed for the job, and is widely credited for the success our statewide candidates had in Fairfax last November, including Gov. McDonnell’s win of the county – something no one expected to see after the Democratic performance in 2008.
Anthony just had his third child a few weeks after my son was born, so I’m sure he’s going through the same kind of sleepless nights that I’ve been lately. This job is enough to burn anyone out, and given the acrimony surrounding the Republican primary in June, I can see why he’d be ready to call it quits. Running a unit the size of Fairfax is difficult and making it perform as well as Anthony has takes its toll on you.
Fortunately, if he does decide to step down, he’ll be leaving the Committee in a great position. We’re in the black again, have all of our debt paid off and are starting to fundraise for this fall and next year’s countywide and General Assembly elections. Our membership total just hit 506 as of the last meeting, and our last meeting had over 250 people show up (although I was not there, thanks to law school). The reorganization of the Committee has gone well and we seem to be performing as well or better than I can remember in my experience – although my experience is relatively short (three years).
