It was a close 41-40 vote but a primary was selected as the nominating method for the 2017 gubernatorial contest during the Republican Party of Virginia’s state central committee meeting Saturday in Richmond.
Republicans will vote at their usual polling place in 2017 to select a candidate for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general to go on to the general election.
RPV Chairman John Whitbeck, who missed the meeting because of a family emergency but he issued the following comment after the vote:
“This will be the first primary to nominate our state-level candidates since 2005. Our 2016 presidential primary was the highest turnout in the history of Virginia for either party. Enthusiasm for Republican candidates is at an all-time high and we expect this to continue in 2017. The slate of candidates running state-wide in our Party next year as a whole has never been better.
“The primary will allow our candidates to expand our party’s outreach as they campaign, as well as build our ground-game and test out our general election strategy. I expect our Party will be united and ready to win in 2017.”
The close vote showed how contentious the issue between a primary and convention continues to be within the party. This method, however, will be far more convenient to involve as many Virginia Republicans as possible in the 2017 elections.