NYT: Snyder Mentioned For Possible 2018 Senate Bid; Favored For 2017
Perhaps the worst kept open secret in Virginia is out of the bag, thanks to the always well connected Jonathan Martin over at the New York Times:
With potential for 2 statewides in Va in ’17, more leaning in:I hear @petesnyder, who lost ’13 LG nomination, is looking at GOV or SEN
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) July 25, 2016
So what are we really looking at here?
Of course, at the moment we have several names mentioned for the 2017 gubernatorial nod. Former RPV Chairman and 2014 U.S. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie has already raised well over $1 million as of the last FEC filing, while Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart is coming off of both Trump’s meteoric rise and a decisive victory over former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (also rumored to be in the hunt for future public office). Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore is also slowly laying the groundwork for a potential 2018 U.S. Senate bid, with his stock having risen considerably as one of the few politicians last able to bring the various factions of the party together under one banner, while Rep. Rob Wittman is marching forward with his re-election bid this year before throwing his gubernatorial bid into 2nd gear.
…and then there’s Pete Snyder.
All of @EdWGillespie KStreet Wall St. bankster money can’t buy convention love if @petesnyder gets in va Gov race https://t.co/0arxmYBvus
— John Fredericks (@jfradioshow) July 26, 2016
There are few voices in Virginia that have shown a consistent ability to unite the party under duress. Snyder adds a new wrinkle to everyone’s math at virtually every level, his reputation for cultivating and collecting the best and brightest both in business and in politics are assets. Most of all, for a relative political neophyte marching into the 2013 lieutenant governor’s race, Snyder emerged with tremendous political capital, having pitched in hard to help the ticket despite a near-run loss.
The social media talent is endless, the grassroots connections are stellar, the emphasis on “big ideas” and entrepreneurship are the shot in the arm Virginia is begging for after four years of McAuliffe and eight years of Obama.
…and did we mention that Snyder can self fund?
Of course, there are two fascinating angles to this story: (1) the mere mention of Snyder possibly considering statewide office in Virginia has already turned the heads of many a conservative right out of the gate, and (2) and this is perhaps more fascinating, but Snyder hasn’t publicly indicated that he is interested in either the Governor’s Mansion in 2017 or the U.S. Senate seat in 2018 or earlier should Clinton/Kaine capture the White House — which means this is all bar room philosophy at the moment.
Yet that Snyder is just “looking” — and perhaps more respectably, Snyder doesn’t seem eager to make that decision before the November 2016 races are concluded. At least for now.
Again, the sort of team player Virginia loves about Pete Snyder.
The other consideration is this: Snyder could very well want another crack at the Lieutenant Governor’s slot, which if Snyder so desired he would win the nomination in a walk. The only people who would blame him in that instance? His fans…
Of course, Gillespie is no pushover. Two statewide runs and a successful (if brief) tenure at RPV make him a popular man. Wittman is pro-life and approachable. Stewart has successfully conquered the mantle of arch-conservative. Snyder — in a unique way — perhaps captures the best qualities of all the others, and certainly lives up to the reputation of disruptor in a time when folks are practically begging for a younger vision of modern conservatism.
