The TEA Party has always been wary of Robert Hurt. The 5th District’s 2010 Republican primary was essentially a contest between Robert Hurt and six other candidates vying to be the anti-Hurt. After Hurt ran away with the vote, TEA Partiers reluctantly embraced his candidacy, rationalizing that he had to be better than another two years (at least) of Tom Perriello.
Since taking his seat, Rep. Robert Hurt’s votes have been watched closely and district TEA Party leaders, like Mark Lloyd of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots, have been pleasantly surprised by the job he has done to-date:
“Overall, if we look at all the Virginia guys, man, Robert Hurt, he’s up there. He’s doing it. The rest of these guys have gotten a little squishy.”
Not everyone may be as pleased with Rep. Hurt’s performance in office–especially after his recent votes to raise the debt ceiling. Rumors are swirling that primary rival Jim McKelvey, who has stayed in the public eye with his “Take America Back PAC” and recent endorsement of Brian Bates in the 22nd Senate District race, might be seriously considering making another run for the 5th District seat.
The first indication of McKelvey’s continued interest in national politics comes from this post on his Facebook page dated June 24th:
Hello Everyone,
I am back and madder than ever about the state of our country. Our republican congress has been in session for 6 monthes [sic] and what has changed? I will be entering the political arena soon and will keep you up to date. Our fight is far from over and I am unwilling to sit on the sidelines, watching my country be destroyed from within.
All the best and keep up the fight,
Jim
Jim McKelvey also drove his campaign RV–which was still emblazoned with his campaign slogan “Take Our Country Back”–to last week’s mass meeting of the Republican Party of Bedford. While McKelvey is a member of the Bedford County unit committee, Bedford also provided McKelvey one of his highest vote totals during the 2010 primary. Could this have been an attempt to feel out some of his most loyal supporters before making a final decision on a rematch with Rep. Hurt in 2012?
If Jim McKelvey ultimately decides not to pursue a federal office next year, he could probably raise some serious money for his PAC by renting his RV to Jaime Radtke who wants one after her campaign travels to Cuckoo.
