Media Release
Freitas Submits Legislation to Conserve Virginia’s Forests and Farmland from Massive Solar Farms
HB 2265 Prevents $800 Annual Increase in Average Residential Electric Bill
(Alexandria, Virginia) – Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) announced today their support of House Bill 2265, the Repeal VCEA Act, legislation submitted by Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) that will roll back the over development of Virginia’s forests and farmland by solar energy companies and allow for a more broad based approach to Virginia’s energy demands.
House Bill 2265 will also reverse the over $800 per year expected increase in the average Virginian’s residential electricity bill. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has projected Dominion Energy will need to increase its' rates by 40% to comply with the mandates in the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). The VCEA legislation was rushed through the Democrat controlled General Assembly and signed by Governor Northam last Spring with limited research on the law’s impact.
“During this time of crisis, it is critical that the Commonwealth not add to the financial burdens of people trying to heat their homes by raising their rates as the VCEA clearly does.” stated Delegate Freitas. “In addition, there are a number of other concerns with how this legislation restricts everyone’s access to affordable and efficient energy. Subsidies to companies which encourages them to clear-cut forests and destroy farmland is not an environmentally sound policy.”
With passage of the VCEA law, the Commonwealth is experiencing extensive land leasing and acquisition by solar developers with over 180 solar projects in various stages of approval or construction. Nearly 14 million solar panels are planned for these projects and as of today, no solar project filling to Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been rejected. Dominion Energy, Virginia’s primary provider of electricity, estimates that by full implementation of VCEA, 490 square miles of Virginia’s forests and farmland, or equal to twenty times the size of Manhattan or 237,000 football fields, will be clear-cut for solar factories.
In addition to the loss for decades of valuable land, the passage of VCEA last year removed the Commonwealth’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) from oversight responsibility. The SCC will not have authority to determine whether other clean electricity alternatives, such as natural gas, nuclear, renewable propane or hydrogen, may be utilized as part of Virginia’s electricity resource base. VCEA specifically approves discrimination in favor of wind and solar production developers.
“The passage of Delegate Freita’s HB 2265 legislation will correct the mandates in the original VCEA legislation” added Ron Wright, Co-Founder and Steering Committee Member of the Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP), “We need to restore Virginia’s energy flexibility to benefit from a range of existing and innovative new energy resources coming to the market. Our concern for the environment should include the need to conserve our forests and farmland, while keeping energy costs down for our working families and seniors on fixed incomes.”
The SUVGOP Political Action Committee, formed in 2018 to address suburban kitchen table issues, has published a Repeal VCEA website (www.RepealVCEA.com); released a new video about VCEA on its’ YouTube Channel and is raising funds for social media promotion.
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Article by SUVGOP Leadership
The American Spectator, Dec. 3, 2020
Everyone With a Pulse is Running for Statewide Office In Virginia
A bevy of candidates from a divided Left and an invigorated Right are clamoring for the Commonwealth's governor spot.
As the November results are certified and the campaign punditry world returns from its post-election holidays, attention will now shift to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia is a political writer’s nirvana. Former Gov. Bob McDonnell was fond of saying that “Virginia is for lovers — of elections.” The state holds key elections every year, and on November 2, 2021, Virginians will go to the polls to elect our governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. In addition, every delegate seat in the 100-seat House of Delegates will be on the ballot.
The 2021 elections in Virginia will be among the first major statewide elections after the 2020 presidential campaign. Analysts of every political stripe will undoubtedly be watching to see what insights the Old Dominion will provide regarding the future of the Republican Party and Trumpism, the progressive battle for control of the Democratic Party, and what Virginia’s 2021 elections mean for the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.
For Republicans, there is real opportunity to win statewide races for the first time in over a decade. Cracks are already showing in the Democratic edifice, with Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7), who barely survived a challenge in her suburban Richmond district, colorfully accusing Democratic progressives of causing her near-death experience with their embrace of socialism and their calls to defund the police. Spanberger’s comments may be the opening salvo in a brutal tug-of war between progressives and garden-variety Democrats over the future of the party.
Read the full article here and see all the Republican Candidates here.
Media Alert
Suburban Republican PAC Rolls Out Campaign to REPEAL VCEA
(Alexandria, VA) - The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition Political Action Committee (SUVGOP) today announced its campaign to REPEAL VCEA, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), calling it “one of the most radical pieces of energy legislation in the United States”.
“In April 2020, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly passed, and Governor Northam signed into law, Virginia’s own version of the ‘Green New Deal’,” stated Terry Johnson, Senior Advisor to SUVGOP. “This falsely labeled law forces the State’s energy companies to clear cut Virginia’s forests and will negatively impact our economy by increasing electricity costs to every consumer and business in the Commonwealth.”
The law’s repercussions are already being felt. In the Integrated Resource Plan Dominion Energy submitted to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) in May 2020, Dominion estimated it would require 490 square miles of land for the solar panel farms needed to meet VCEA’s alternative energy sourcing goals. The Company will be forced to convert farmland and clear-cut Virginia forests in an area approximately 20 times the size of Manhattan or the equivalent of 237,000 football fields to make way for the solar farms.
On top of this environmental degradation, consumers will suffer. The SCC estimates that under the VCEA, the average consumer will pay an additional $67 per month or over $800 per year in increased electricity costs. The SCC projects that lower- and middle-income users will pay over 50% more for their energy.
“The ‘environmental elite’ running the Virginia Democratic Party have decided to use energy policy as part of their push to remake Virginia’s economy,” added Ron Wright, Co-Founder and Steering Committee Member of SUVGOP. “Virginians are already suffering economic shocks from the pandemic, and dramatically increasing their energy costs only adds to their burden. Maybe wealthy Democrats have the luxury to pay 50 percent more for their electricity, but for most Virginians, the Democrats championing VCEA might as well be Marie Antoinette telling them to eat cake.”
VCEA’s “electricity tax” is not the only new tax targeting Virginians. “Citizens will also feel the pain of the new transportation taxes and Highway User Fees Democrats passed in the last legislative session,” said Wright. “And the Democrats were only getting started. In the upcoming 2021 General Assembly session, they are proposing additional gasoline taxes as part of their effort to implement the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). This would make Virginia’s state gas tax one of the highest in the country.”
SUVGOP will be educating Virginians by way of a new website (www.RepealVCEA.com); asking visitors to sign a petition being sent to legislators; presenting a new two minute educational video released on their SUVGOP YouTube Channel; and launching a social media ad campaign on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
“We call on the Governor and all legislators to work together during the 2021 General Assembly session to reverse VCEA before it painfully and permanently degrades Virginia’s beautiful landscape and imposes significant financial burden on all Virginians,” stated Wright.
Article by SUVGOP Leadership
The American Spectator, Oct. 28, 2020
Virginia Democrats Flip-Flop on Bipartisan Redistricting Commission
Constitutional Amendment 1 could prevent gerrymandering by both parties - but Democrats aren't interested now that they are in power.
Democrats have spent the past four years decrying the death of “norms” and the intensifying political divisions among Americans. In our view, one cause of this intensity is the gerrymandering of districts into “safe” seats for both parties, allowing politicians of each party to cater to their bases without seeking compromise between their constituents’ differing interests.
The Virginia General Assembly, on a bipartisan basis, has presented Virginians voting this fall with an opportunity to change this narrative and lessen the tensions roiling our national and local political climates.
Virginians will be voting on an amendment to the Commonwealth’s Constitution to create a bipartisan commission that will draw congressional and state legislative districts based on the 2020 Census, ideally in time for the House of Delegates races next year. The commission will be comprised of 16 members, eight from each party, equally divided between sitting legislators and citizens. The Virginia Supreme Court would resolve any deadlocks, though both sides have strong incentives to reach compromises before the Supreme Court steps in.
In short, if it passes, Constitutional Amendment 1 will end abusive gerrymandering and promote competitive, fair, bipartisan redistricting in the Commonwealth.
Read full article here and the Constitutional Amendment #1 PASSED!!
Article By SUVGOP Leadership
The American Spectator, Sept. 30, 2020
Why Trump Could Win Virginia
There may be a Santa Claus moment this season, turning Virginia a joyful red.
President Trump said it directly in his Newport News rally on September 15: the Trump campaign is going to make a “heavy play” for Virginia. He’s right to do so. Virginia represents a real under-the-radar pickup opportunity for his campaign. Every political pundit places the Commonwealth as a solid blue state in Biden’s electoral column, but facts on the ground point to a possible upset win for Republicans and President Trump.
Conventional wisdom would suggest the president’s effort is misguided. In the 2018 election cycle, three suburban congressional seats flipped from Republican to Democrat control and in 2019, Democrats won majorities in both houses of the General Assembly, giving them unified control of the state with Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Post-election articles from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal proclaimed Virginia’s transition from a once “Deep Red” state to a “Solid Blue” one.
In 2016, Northern Virginia residents were besieged by mailings and union and liberal special interest groups undertaking extensive door knocking campaigns for Hillary Clinton. Not this year.
But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a pendulum ready to swing back to Republicans. Democrats took the pronouncements of Virginia’s new blue-state status to heart and immediately set about overreaching, as Democratic majorities are wont to do. Northam, who as a former state senator ran as a centrist gubernatorial candidate, proved unable to moderate his party’s leftward lurch due to his near career-ending “blackface” scandal. Democrats reversed decades of state policy on abortion, the Second Amendment, decriminalizing marijuana possession, providing benefits for undocumented immigrants, allowing local government collective bargaining, and increasing and creating numerous new taxes for businesses and consumers.
The building reaction to this Democratic overreach has provided opportunities for Republicans to energize their base. In particular, the Left’s actions around public safety and education are creating additional opportunities to convert Virginia’s suburban voters.
As an example of expanding the GOP base, media estimated over 25,000 gun rights activists attended a peaceful rally in Richmond in late January to demonstrate support for the Second Amendment. Organizers found that a significant percent of attendees had never registered to vote due to their concern about being tagged in a government database. That has now changed, with lines at Republican-sponsored voter registration booths at every gun show in the state. Likewise, pro-life conservatives are reaching out and registering voters after Catholic Masses across the suburbs.
In the Northern Virginia suburbs, where education is often second only to transportation as a key state issue, Democrats are moving to alter the admissions criteria of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) to increase the diversity of the student body. The school is one of Virginia’s 18 magnet schools and is consistently ranked among the best high schools in the country. TJ’s current admissions process is strictly merit-based on grades, scores on an entrance exam, and teacher recommendations. Over 70 percent of TJ’s student body is Asian-American, and many of the students are the children of immigrants.
A task force quietly convened by Gov. Northam and led by Education Secretary Asif Qarni proposed changes to enhance diversity at TJ and other magnet schools, including considering applicants’ socioeconomic status and reserving slots for every middle school that feeds into a magnet high school.
Parents and the PTA are up in arms. The Democrats’ proposed magnet school admission changes are a heat-seeking missile aimed directly at Asian-Americans, the fastest growing community in the suburban counties of Fairfax and Loudoun, where over 20 percent of residents are of Asian background. Many came to this country to provide better opportunities for their children, not see those opportunities taken away in an orgy of political correctness and woke supremacy. It is the Asian-American admissions discrimination case against Harvard on a local level.
As across the nation, public safety is an additional hot topic for both the suburbs and inner-city residents. The death of George Floyd sparked riots in the capital of Richmond with over 40 separate fires set and businesses in downtown vandalized, causing millions of dollars in damage. Recently the Republican Party of Virginia’s headquarters, also in downtown Richmond, was ransacked by local protesters.
In a special legislative session called to address potential budget shortfalls due to the COVID crisis, Democrats took the opportunity to move forward legislation in response to the Floyd death that would reduce felony penalties to misdemeanors for attacking police officers, create local civilian police review boards, ban certain types of police equipment, and other overreaching police reforms.
From these actions, Virginia Democrats now find themselves extremely vulnerable on two bread-and-butter issues for suburban voters — education and public safety. Especially with minorities. They’ve driven themselves into this cul-de-sac by adopting the extreme “wokeism” of the national Democrats.
Why do we think the Trump campaign is seizing on this opportunity to grab Virginia’s 13 Electoral College votes?
First, the polls are tightening. The most recent Judy Ford Watson Center for Public Policy (Christopher Newport University) poll has Biden with only a five-point lead on Trump among likely Virginia voters. It is a significant change from the double-digit lead Biden held in the spring and over the summer.
Second, the Trump campaign’s ground game and voter outreach is outclassing Biden’s. The Virginia Trump Victory effort has already been in contact with over 2.1 million voters via phone banking and door knocking, especially in the Northern Virginia suburbs. This is over half of Virginia’s voters and compares to a minimal effort by the Democrats this cycle. In 2016, Northern Virginia residents were besieged by mailings and union and liberal special interest groups undertaking extensive door-knocking campaigns for Hillary Clinton. Not this year. The Biden ground game and enthusiasm are a shell of Democrats’ historic efforts.
Third, President Trump has made real inroads with minority communities. Black voters make up one-fifth of the state’s electorate, and President Trump is moving the needle with Black (and Latino) male voters. As a Politico headline stated “Biden’s weakness with Black and Latino men creates an opening for Trump.” The president’s speech in Newport News also aimed to reach rural counties of North Carolina. It’s no accident President Trump chose to speak in Newport News, where he could reach a very large segment of the black, military, and veteran populations living and voting in Virginia.
We should not forget President Trump had not won over Virginia or Republicans yet in 2016. He only won the Republican primary with 34.8 percent of the vote. That means in 2016, President Trump was not the first choice of 65.2 percent of Virginia Republicans. In the 2016 general election, a significant number of these voters went on to vote for Independent Evan McMullin (1.4 percent) or Libertarian Gary Johnson (3 percent) or decided to write in a candidate’s name (0.8 percent), or simply skipped voting for president altogether. This year, Republicans are likely to come home, and “never-Trump” Republicans are likely to be a far less significant factor, given President Trump’s 92 percent approval rating among Republicans (according to an August 2020 Gallup survey).
Finally, there is one final important ingredient for why Virginia’s 2020 results likely will be different from 2016’s: in 2016, Virginia’s Sen. Tim Kaine was the vice-presidential nominee. Not so in 2020.
So yes, Virginia, Santa may come early this year and deliver 13 electoral votes for Donald J. Trump.
Michael Ginsberg and Ron Wright are members of the Steering Committee of the Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition PAC (www.SUVGOP.com).
Media Alert
Suburban GOP PAC Announces New Ad Campaign to Connect Minority Voters to the Republican Party
Alexandria, Virginia - The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition Political Action Committee (SUVGOP) announced today a new digital ad campaign entitled "Is There A Place For Me in the GOP?". The outreach effort will introduce minority voters to the issues and values of the Republican Party.
"It is no secret the Democrats demagogue identity politics issues to paint the Republican Party in the worst light possible," stated Mike Ginsberg, Co-Founder and a Member of the PAC's Steering Committee, "We Republicans know it's untrue and unfair, but the Democrats have been running the same tired playbook for years and show no signs of stopping."
The SUVGOP PAC believes it is important that the residents of Northern Virginia's diverse suburbs and metropolitan communities understand the real Republican Party. Through this digital media ad campaign, SUVGOP is directly challenging the false Democratic narratives.
In its first video, SUVGOP focuses on the Indian-American community and features Srilekha Palle, one of the rising stars of the Republican Party in Northern Virginia. Ms. Palle ran for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from the Sully District in 2019 and is now the Vice-Chair for Operations of the Fairfax County Republican Committee. In the video, she describes her introduction to and experiences being a part of the GOP.
The video also directs viewers to a "Welcome" landing page on the SUVGOP website (www.SUVGOP.com/welcome) that highlights the many Republican candidates, leaders and interest groups relative to the Indian American community. "It is an engraved invitation to join our Republican community and get active with the party," Ginsberg added, "We're confident once folks get to know the Republican Party's policies, candidates, and activists, they will want to join and participate."
Since 2018, SUVGOP, in concert with all the local Republican committees, auxiliaries, and grassroots organizations in Northern Virginia, has been building a foundation for success by reaching the growing communities in the region. SUVGOP plans to introduce additional ads connecting with the Latino, Black and Asian communities this Fall.
Click Above to go to video
Media Alert
ACLU LAWSUIT INVITES VOTER FRAUD IN VIRGINIA ELECTIONS STATES GOP SUBURBAN ORGANIZATION
(ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA) – Last week the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent a letter to the Virginia Board of Elections (BoE) requesting it eliminate the witness requirement for absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to receiving a response, the ACLU, two days later, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the League of Women Voters, demanding that Virginia eliminate the signature requirement on absentee ballots for the June primary and November elections.
“The ACLU’s lawsuit is a blatant attempt to take advantage of the crisis facing the Commonwealth to change Virginia’s decades-long election laws on secure absentee ballot voting. These laws were implemented to prevent fraudulent behavior in the election process,” stated Mike Ginsberg, Member of the Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition’s (SUVGOP) Steering Committee. “Virginia’s voters should be concerned about another attempt by Democrats to undermine the integrity of our election process and open up our voting to intimidation, fraud and chaos.”
Ginsberg referred to Governor Northam’s recently signed law eliminating the voter identification requirement during in-person voting procedures as the Democrats’ first failure to protect against election fraud. Northam is also pushing to postpone May 5th local elections to November and disposing of the numerous legal absentee ballots already submitted to County Boards of Elections. The State’s BoE website has been promoting early absentee voting to all voters for weeks for the local elections to ensure that voters’ rights are protected during the crisis.
“The ACLU gave away its game of exploiting the pandemic crisis by engaging in naked forum shopping,” said Ginsberg. “It brought its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg, to assure it would be heard by a Bill Clinton-appointed senior judge instead of filing in Richmond, where one would normally file suit against a state government agency. This cynical move just adds more cost and time to an already overburdened Board of Elections adjusting to running elections during the crisis.”
Ginsberg added that the Board of Elections lacks the statutory authority to make ACLU’s proposed changes to absentee balloting procedures. “There is ample time between now and the June primaries, and especially between now and the November general elections, to devise an appropriate means of safeguarding absentee ballots and public health,” he said. “Rather than asking the General Assembly to address the situation, the Democrats and their liberal activist groups have sought the intervention of an activist court to unilaterally change Virginia’s election laws.”
The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP), a regional Northern Virginia PAC, has established a defense fund to support the Republican Party of Virginia’s efforts to counter the ACLU’s lawsuit. SUVGOP has also called on other organizations concerned about voter fraud to join them in challenging the ACLU lawsuit.
Media Alert
SUBURBAN REPUBLICAN PAC RELEASES REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIRGINIA GOP
(ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA) – The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) PAC released its 2019 Annual Report entitled “Republicans in Suburbia: Where Do We Go From Here?” as the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) kicked-off their yearly gathering at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia today.
“As we experienced this past November here in Virginia and as reflected in suburbs across the country, Republicans must refocus their efforts to win back the suburban voter,” stated Michael Ginsberg, a member of the SUVGOP Steering Committee, “In this year’s Annual Report, we review several initiatives implemented by SUVGOP based on our recommendations in last year’s report, and we add new recommendations for the Republican Party of Virginia to follow for re-engaging with the suburban voter.”
Last year’s SUVGOP Report, “Winning Back Suburbia”, outlined several specific actions and formed the basis of SUVGOP’s work in 2019. The 2019 activities, recapped in the 2019 Annual Report, included:
· Launching the “think Suburbia” podcast series, which featured 26 interviews with local and state GOP candidates for distribution on podcast networks like iHeart Radio, Google Podcast and Spotify;
· Creating social media video content on issues of concern to suburban voters and highlighting the diversity of Republican candidates, content that was viewed over 200,000 times;
· Preparing a detailed research report on social media usage by the political parties and affiliated groups; and
· Fostering events to strengthen GOP community bonds, such as monthly “Potluck & Politics” dinners across Northern Virginia.
SUVGOP also assumed management in 2019 of the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum (NVRBF), an organization dedicated to connecting Northern Virginia Republicans with the business community.
“Based on further analysis of the results of our work this year, we’ve developed eleven new recommendations for RPV and local Republican units to address in 2020,” commented Jill Cook, another SUVGOP Steering Committee member. “Our recommendations break down into three broad categories: party structure, candidate development, and messaging. On the structure side, we recommend building a small donor program and a ‘Donate Local’ program similar to the ‘Shop Local’ effort for small businesses, as well as launching a concerted, long-term voter registration effort. On the candidate development side, we recommend beginning a sustained effort to ‘build the Republican candidate bench’ and create a candidate mentor program. On the messaging side, we recommend increasing the social media presence at the most local levels of GOP politics, building a stronger statewide social media ecosystem, and developing regular working relationships with the new voter community not only in the context of elections but throughout the year."
Ginsberg relayed that SUVGOP’s 22 recommendations from 2018 and 2019 can be found on SUVGOP’s website, www.suvgop.com
# # #
“I am incredibly grateful for the SUVGOP and their efforts to support my campaign for State Delegate. Their innovative digital communications and canvassing assistance was extremely beneficial, and it exposed our campaign to more voters and supporters. The SUVGOP’s understanding of and ability to engage suburban voters is integral to the relevance and future of the Republican Party of Virginia.”
- D.J. Jordan, candidate for the House of Delegates (31st District), 2019
“As a Republican candidate for office in Northern Virginia in 2019, I was both impressed and appreciative of the work of SUVGOP in augmenting the campaign assistance provided by RPV, our unit committees, and
our official affiliates such as the VFRW, the YRs, and the CRs. Northern Virginia is unique from other areas of our Commonwealth and, while our Party’s operative principles based on the Virginia Republican Creed are universally sound and good, they need to be articulated differently here.
That’s what really impressed me about SUVGOP’s work. In a difficult political environment where our local print and electronic media sources do not favor Republican candidates, SUVGOP helped provide positive messages about the good things our Party has done for the over 2.5 million residents of Northern Virginia and helped our candidates deliver their own personal messages through podcasts, regional meetings, and electronic communications. I am confident that we can rebuild and reestablish our winning ways in Northern Virginia and SUVGOP will play a big role in that effort.”
– Randy Minchew, candidate for the House of Delegates (10th District), 2019
“SUVGOP’s podcast enabled me to present a nuanced policy discussion about the issues in Mason District on my social sites. Individual SUVGOP members helped me fundraise and create videos viewed by thousands of voters.”
– Gary Aiken, Candidate for Mason District Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Media Alert
SUVGOP RELEASES NEW VIDEO SERIES “REPUBLICAN PARTY: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY”
(ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA) – The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) PAC released today a series of three videos for their new ad campaign – “Republican Party: Perception vs. Reality”. Each video demonstrates that Northern Virginia Republicans have nominated GOP candidates from broad and diverse ethnic backgrounds that represent our entire suburban community.
“In our first ad campaign called “Not One”, SUVGOP highlighted the fact that the Northern Virginia GOP has twenty-four women candidates for public office in 2019, the most in its history,”stated Michael Ginsberg, a member of the SUVGOP Steering Committee. “In our new series of ads, we are highlighting the extraordinary ethnic and racial diversity of the 2019 Republican candidates. We are incredibly proud of the fact that from Loudoun to Fairfax to Prince William Counties, suburban Republicans are running one of the most diverse fields of candidates in our history. Our candidates reflect conservative principles in all the communities that make up the suburbs of Northern Virginia.”
Click Here to view all three “GOP: Perception vs. Reality” Videos
Ginsberg added, “We want to make sure suburban voters know the Republican Party has candidates running for School Board, Board of Supervisors and the General Assembly that are rooted in and reflective of their communities. Our candidates know the challenges Northern Virginians face on transportation, education and running a business. They are committed to ensuring that our children and grandchildren are provided the best education and opportunities possible. Many of them own small businesses and are determined to ensure Northern Virginia remains a business incubator for new jobs that will have our children returning to our region after completing their education to settle and grow their own families.”
Click Here to view SUVGOP’s “Not One” ad campaign highlighting the Northern Virginia GOP’s 24 Republican women candidates in 2019.
Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (www.suvgop.com) is a regional Northern Virginia PAC dedicated to advancing Republican principles to the Suburban voter.
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HIGHLIGHTING THE SUBURBAN NOVA GOP’S BROAD-BASED AND DIVERSE CANDIDATE FIELD
Media Alert
SUVGOP RELEASES NEW VIDEO “NOT ONE” HIGHLIGHTING RECORD NUMBER OF FEMALE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA IN 2019
(ALEXANDRIA, VA) – The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) PAC today released its new advertisement called “Not One”, a campaign to educate voters across Northern Virginia about the record twenty-four (24) Republican women running for local- and state-level public office in NoVA in 2019.
Link to the SUVGOP “Not One” video: https://youtu.be/Zx5rjszrEYA:
“From School Board to the Board of Supervisors to the General Assembly, Republican women have stepped forward to run for office and discuss fundamental, kitchen table, quality-of-life issues with Northern Virginia voters,” stated Jill Cook, a member of the SUVGOP Steering Committee. “Our candidates will bring extensive real-world experience to their respective offices, with a focus on ensuring government services are provided efficiently and utilizing taxpayer funds cost-effectively.”
The 2019 female Republican candidates are an exceptionally diverse group, including four Latina candidates, military veterans, and law enforcement veterans. A majority are running for office for the first time.
“SUVGOP plans to amplify the message of all the Republican candidates in Northern Virginia, including the record number of Republican women running this year,” added Cook. “We plan to educate voters about the remarkable breadth, depth, and diversity of the Republican Party in Northern Virginia.”
Last month, SUVGOP hosted Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) along with Northern Virginia’s GOP female candidates at an evening fundraising reception in support of female Republican candidates (See below). Congresswoman Stefanik recently formed a new political action committee called Elevate or E-PAC and funds from the event will support female Republican candidates including the new “Not One” advertising campaign.
The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (www.suvgop.com) is a regional Northern Virginia PAC dedicated to advancing Republican principles to the suburban voter.
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Photo from Evening Reception with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY 21)
The candidates (L to R): Andi Bayer (Fairfax County School Board, Providence Dist.); Laura Ramirez Drain (Fairfax County School Board, Hunter Mill Dist.); Jane Dudik (Fairfax County Soil & Water Board); Srilekha Palle (Fairfax County Supervisor, Sully Dist.); Julie Sisson (Loudoun County School Board at-Large); Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st Dist. New York); Anastasia Karloutsos (Fairfax County School Board - Dranesville Dist.); Cheryl Buford (Fairfax County School Board at-Large); Prince William County School Board Member Allyson Satterwhite (PWC School Board Chair); Town of Leesburg Councilwoman Suzanne Fox (33rd Virginia State Senate Dist.) and Priscilla DeStefano (Fairfax County School Board at-Large).
Media Alert
SUVGOP Releases 2019 Member Survey Results
The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) announced today that it has released the results of its 2019 Member Survey.
In order to get a snapshot of SUVGOP's membership, we held an online survey from 27 February to 16 March 2019 and solicited input through our email newsletter, Facebook page, and website.
•132 people responded, with 95% completing the survey in its entirety.
•Our questions ranged from asking for feedback on SUVGOP’s mission and events to getting a basic demographic profile of our members.
•This information will allow us to better plan for and structure our events, position ourselves for growth in the suburbs, and give us a benchmark to measure our progress.
Key Takeaways from the Survey Results:
•There is a high degree of interest in identifying strategies to win in Northern Virginia, and a deep interest in hearing from speakers on this topic
•There is a hunger to cultivate a stronger sense of GOP community in Northern Virginia.
•There may be a substantial number of GOP supporters who are looking for ways to get more active in the party and are looking for a gateway in.
•Attendees of SUVGOP events, such as potlucks, have expressed interest in tangible projects to take home to work on in their own time.
•Seeing GOP organizations experimenting, with social media, issue identification, communication, and other areas energizes and motivates activists.
Below you can download the complete report on the Survey that goes into depth on how people heard about SUVGOP, our events, who participates, ideas on improving SUVGOP and finally our plans to implement YOUR suggestions. If you would like to comment on the Survey, please send us an email at SUVGOP@gmail.com Thank you for your interest!
Media Alert
SUVGOP Assumes Operation of Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum (NVRBF); Implements New Young Professional Membership Program and Website
(ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA) – The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) announced today that it has merged operations of the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum (NVRBF or the Forum) under a Steering Committee established by the SUVGOP Political Action Committee.
“For over twenty years, NVRBF has been a leading voice for Republican business interests in Northern Virginia,” stated Linda Schulz, Co-Chair of SUVGOP’s new NVRBF Steering Committee. “We are thrilled that NVRBF leaders have decided to bring the Forum under the umbrella of SUVGOP.”
Schulz, a former Nielsen, J.D. Power and Harris Research Executive who ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017 also announced the release of the Forum’s new website at www.NVRBF.com and a new membership program for young professionals in the Northern Virginia region.
“We are excited to build on the strong foundation established by the founders, members and long-time supporters of the Forum,” Schulz added. “Under SUVGOP, we will broaden the Forum’s geographic outreach to include corporate and political leaders in not only Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church but also advance efforts in the fast-growing regions of Loudoun and Prince William Counties.”
Additionally, Schulz relayed that NVRBF will implement a concentrated drive to engage more young professional, female and minority executives involved in the organization. Events will be planned for both morning and evenings, and will include Republican leadership on the local, state and national level plus corporate and political policy experts focused on issues facing businesses across Northern Virginia.
“As we state on the new Forum website, NVRBF is ‘at the crossroads of business and politics’. Our Members come together in a shared environment where business leaders can openly discuss economic issues and regulations impacting their companies and interact with public officials and candidates to build a stronger Northern Virginia and in turn, a stronger Commonwealth of Virginia.” Schulz concluded.
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Media Alert
Anti-Semitic Artwork Concern Covered Locally, Nationally and Internationally / SUVGOP Response to Washington Post Editorial
SUVGOP's concern over the Fairfax County Public Schools decision to display and award a student's artwork depicting anti-Semitic sterotypes without explanation of the background (see below and here) received both local and national news coverage plus carried internationally via the Associated Press..
We voiced our concern to the FCPS Board and Superintendent Dr Brabrand, about the art display and just as significant, the unacceptable response from the student's teacher to a Rabbi that rightly expressed his concern. As you will read, the teacher blames President Trump and not the adults monitoring the art show for failure to fully explain the student's intention behind the artwork. We were gratified that FCPS and Dr. Brabrand responded and acted quickly. You can find their statement here.
Links to media coverage: Washington Post Fox Channel 5 WJLA ABC 7 Forward
PJ Media The Bull Elephant WTOP The Boston Globe AP / UK Daily Mail
Also our friendly Democrats at Blue Virginia
Note: The Washington Post Editorial Board recently wrote an editorial defending the anti-Semitic artwork the Fairfax County schools displayed and attacking SUVGOP for raising the issue. We'll wear the editorial as a badge of honor. The Post editorial, titled "A high schooler's controversial artwork should have been celebrated, not censured," is available online (click here).
Opening paragrpah of our response to the Washington Post Editorial Board:
"We wish we could say we were surprised that the Washington Post editorial dated April 12, 2019 and titled “A high schooler’s controversial artwork should have been celebrated, not censured” is filled with material omissions and misleading commentary. But we cannot."
You can find SUVGOP's full response to the WaPo Editorial here.
Media Alert
Anti-Semitic FCPS Student Art Blamed on President Trump
(ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA) – The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) PAC expressed its deep concern today over the Fairfax County Public Schools’ decision to display and give an award to a student artwork that draws on classic anti-Semitic stereotypes.
The student artwork, titled “Jewish People,” features a man with a hooked nose and a bag of money, along with the caption “No Jew in the world understands the importance of money.”
When a concerned member of the local Jewish community contacted the teacher for an explanation, the teacher responded: “[The student] is pointing out how racism and ugliness is now NORMALIZED by our current president who intends to divide our nation for his own personal gain. Instead of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst, take a breath. Instead of vilifying me and a 17 year old student, look at your president who is in ‘your own back yard’.”
“There is no place in Fairfax County schools for this type of anti-Semitic drawing,” said Michael Ginsberg, a member of the Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition. “Worse, the teacher involved allowed her obvious dislike of President Trump to justify anti-Semitic imagery. Artistic expression is one thing, but justifying inappropriate, anti-Semitic speech by blaming someone else is not a lesson Fairfax County schools should be teaching their students.”
FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR COMPLETE PRESS RELEASE AND LETTERS TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS
Student Art Work Titled: "Jewish People / No Jew in the world understands the importance of money."
Media Alert
SUVGOP Releases Post 2018 Election Report:
(Fairfax County, VA)—The Suburban Virginia Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) today released its report “Winning Back Suburbia: Proposals for Virginia Republicans”. The report recommends that Republicans adopt a “Go Local” strategy in the Virginia suburbs and makes 11 initial recommendations to the Party for winning in the suburbs, based on SUVGOP’s intensive studies in 2018.
SUVGOP, a political action committee (PAC) dedicated to connecting with suburban voters in Northern Virginia, detailed specific recommendations that include: investing heavily in detailed surveys of the electorates in Northern Virginia, metro Richmond and Tidewater; focusing on two to three key issues that are important to suburban voters and that will attract crossover independents and moderate voters; a five-to-ten year candidate recruitment plan; and innovations that offer working families and young voters the ability to increase their participation in the political process.
“As suburban Republicans, we have been concerned about the long-term trend away from the Republican Party in our local communities,” said Mike Ginsberg, one of the SUVGOP’s founders. “We formed SUVGOP to try to identify the GOP’s issues in the suburbs and how we might improve the political environment for our party.”
This report describes the eight months of surveys, canvasses and social media campaigns the PAC performed during the 2018 election cycle. Northern Virginia voters expressed their greatest concerns about growth, transportation and rising property taxes. Increasing toll rates, expansion along the Metro Silver Line corridor and the 26 percent increase in Fairfax County property taxes over the last five years are at the forefront of voters’ minds.
“As an example, Democrats have controlled Fairfax County for over twenty years,” Ginsberg said. “During that time, property taxes have gone up, traffic has gotten worse, tolls have exploded, and housing costs have skyrocketed. SUVGOP’s report outlines how the party and its candidates should address these local issues to win elections next year in the NoVA suburbs. For SUVGOP, the issues are local. In 2019, it’s not about the White House—it’s about your house.”
Receive A Copy of Our Report
SUVGOP will release our "Winning Back Suburbia" report on Wednesday, December 12th. If you would like a copy, drop us an email at suvgop@gmail.com or follow the link below for a hi-resolution electronic copy of the report.
Please also consider a contribution to SUVGOP so we may Go Local and support the recommendations in our report. Note that 100% of all contributions are invested in Republican outreach efforts in the suburbs. Link to our Donation Page.
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