19th House District Republicans to Challenge Lacey Putney
By Jason Johnson | Thursday, August 25th, 2011 | PoliticsIn a mass meeting conducted on Monday night, attendees of the 19th House of Delegates committee’s mass meeting voted to nominate Tea Party activist Jerry Johnson (no relation) to run for the 19th District’s seat in the House of Delegates. Although Jerry Johnson was the only candidate for the Republican nomination, the 19th District committee called the mass meeting to determine whether the committee would challenge longtime incumbent Lacey Putney.
Lacey Putney has occupied this seat since 1962. Initially elected as a Democrat, Del. Putney left his party in 1968 and has caucused with House Republicans since the late 1990s. Del. Putney, a reliable vote for fiscal and social conservative causes, has earned the trust of the House leadership, which selected him to serve as the chairman of the powerful House Appropriations committee. After the resignation of former speaker Vance Wilkins, Putney was selected to serve as Interim Speaker.
Del. Putney is not only an unofficial face of the GOP in Richmond, but he is also a recognized face among the party faithful in central and western Virginia. He frequently campaigns on behalf of Republican candidates throughout his district, most recently for Gov. McDonnell, Attorney General Cuccinelli and Rep. Robert Hurt (for whom he hosted a fundraiser at his home last fall). Putney also frequently meets with and addresses Republican units in his district. He is especially active with the unit committee in his lifelong home in Bedford.
What are 19th District Republicans to do? They have grown to trust Del. Putney over his many years of loyal service to the district’s voters, however doing so this year could cost them their good standing with their party. Jerry Johnson, himself, is an unlikely candidate: a semi-retired electrical contractor/real estate agent, he has raised only $1,500 for his campaign—$53 of which he still has in-hand. In fact, until the final vote was recorded, Johnson seriously doubted that he would even receive the nomination.
Both Johnson and Putney will be running against perennial candidate, Democrat Lewis Medlin, Jr., from Bedford County. Medlin has challenged Del. Putney every two years since 2007 and has lost handily every time. If Johnson and Putney and ultimately split the 19th District’s conservative votes, could this finally be Lewis Medlin’s year?
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About the author
A lifelong political junkie, Jason caught the political bug as a fifth grader after meeting George Allen in 1993. Since then he has studied political science at both the undergraduate and graduate level. When not perusing the blogs or volunteering for conservative Republicans, Jason enjoys cheering on his beloved Virginia Tech Hokies and spending time at his Bedford County home.
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14 Responses to "19th House District Republicans to Challenge Lacey Putney"
Why the put down of the Tea Party people? Could this be Jerry Johnson’s year? ICT&R–Independents, conservatives, Tea Party and partisan Republicans can get the job done. Why knock their chances?
One correction, Jason. Lacey has not caucused with the Republicans since 1968. He only began caucusing with them once they took the majority in the House. That said, your point is correct that he’s got a better record of voting the Republican party line than many “official” Republicans.
Actually Steve, he joined their caucus after the 97 elections (together with the special election results) giving the two caucuses parity. The Rs didnt take the House majority until the 99 election.
It is incorrect to say “the 19th House of Delegates [Republican] committee voted to nominate . . . Johnson” on Monday. It was not the committee that nominated Mr. Johnson. He was nominated by a mass meeting in which all Republican voters of the 19th House of Delegates district could participate.
SE: That’s correct. I was giving the short version.
Putney will wipe the floor with both of them.
Interesting thought, Stephen, but the forces of socialism and the forces to have a government free of such destruction on the American people are leaving little movement to sit in the middle on a fence. Things are becoming more partisan each day in this fight to determine the direction of the United States of America.
This fight has been brewing ever since Woodrow Wilson. During World War II…you were either on one side or the other. I don’t believe you are going to see 59-39 with two independents this coming November. The count will be all R’s and D’s this fall.
Uh, what? I swear, I do just not get the nominating process in Virginia. Didn’t we just have a pubilicly funded primary for just this purpose. What is this “mass meeting” business? I just don’t get this. Who are these masses of asses?
Spiker I think you are right. I’m thinking Putney gets like 55% and the other two each get between 20 & 25%
Jerry Johnson won the nomination in the primary. All this is, Craig, is an endorsement by the 19th district Republicans saying that they want to go on record as being supportive. Johnson already had the nomination in hand by going the primary rout. No extra expense. Just kind of a rally saying they like him. Kind of like Gov. McConnell giving his blessing to the GOP primary winner of the US Senate seat for the general election next year against a Democrat.
Steve and David: Your points are duly noted and corrections have been made. Thanks for catching those!
Steve: In case you’ve never seen it (random Putney trivia) there is a great picture of a noticeably younger Del. Putney meeting President Nixon in the Oval Office shortly after he left the Democratic Party.
Pat: Neither I nor anyone familiar with Del. Putney’s votes would consider him a fence-sitter. As Steve rightly noted, Putney is a more reliable Republican vote than are some card-carrying Republicans in the General Assembly. He’s been a great asset to his district, to our Commonwealth and to the GOP for a number of years, which is partly why the mass meeting’s decision is so baffling: I think it’s safe to say that no one in Richmond knows the state budget better than Lacey Putney. He’s an adept negotiator whose work on the appropriations committee is at least partly responsible for closing our budget imbalance without a tax increase and our current budget surplus. He’s also gone toe-to-toe with former Govs. Warner and Kaine when they wanted to push massive tax increases through the GA.
Craig: Some more knowledgeable than I in the party plan can explain why a mass meeting was held, but as I understand it, there was no primary in the 19th District because Mr. Johnson was the only candidate to express an interest in running for the seat. The District committee, however, called the mass meeting to determine whether the district’s residents wanted to challenge their longtime delegate or sit this race out. No one else was running against Mr. Johnson so the attendees had two options: nominate Jerry Johnson to run as a Republican or not field a candidate. The meeting’s attendees voted 26-18 to field a candidate against Del. Putney.
Last time around the Constitution Party pitted a candidate against in the race against Lacey and Medlin. Lacey got 64% in a 3-way race. Medlin (D) and Smith (C) combined for 36%. My call is Lacey gets 55% in a 3-way race.
Jerry Johnson
I met Jerry Johnson, the 19th District Republican House of Delegates candidate, at the 2011 Campaign Kickoff Dinner in Bedford 9/8/11.
I asked Jerry Johnson if the Tea Party had elected him at the Mass Meeting, and he stated it was his friends, associates and church that had produced his election.
In the few minutes I had to talk to him, Jerry Johnson seemed to be the type of Christian Conservative candidate that represents the Virginia Republican Creed, but I do not believe Jerry Johnson should oppose Lacey Putney for the following reasons.
I do not see how Jerry Johnson could be more conservative than Lacey Putney and certainly Lacey Putney’s seniority means a lot. Even as an independent, Lacey Putney has consistently demonstrated conservative principles and has received a 95% Pro-Family Score from the Family Foundation of Virginia.
I am concerned Jerry Johnson will cause confusion in the Republican Party and could possibly lead to the Democrats taking the 19th District.
As a member of both the Lynchburg Tea Party and the Bedford Republican Party I ask Jerry Johnson to remove himself as the candidate for the 19th District.
I joined the Lynchburg Tea Party because I was concerned about a shift to the left by some of the national Republicans (I will never support Mit Romney for any political office) thus I hoped the Tea Party would shift the Republican Party back to the principles of the Virginia Republican Creed. I do not want to see the Tea Party try to replace the Republican Party.
Again, I ask Jerry Johnson to resign for the good of the Republican Party, the good of Virginia and the good of America.
Every person needs to do what is best to elect Christian Conservative Republicans to every political office in America. The battle for the Heart and Soul of Virginia is just beginning and every Christian Conservative needs to be involved. The battle for the Heart and Soul of America will be the 2012 election.
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