Del. Chris Saxman May Challenge Gilmore
Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton) said today he is "strongly considering" challenging former governor James S. Gilmore III for the GOP nomination for Senate.
In an interview, Saxman said the party "needs new leadership" and "new blood." Saxman said he's been hearing from a lot of Repubicans who say the GOP needs to find a Senate candidate other than Gilmore who can reach out to independents and voters in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.
Over the past week, Saxman has been meeting with several of his Republican colleagues in the House about making the race. He says he's also been in discussions with White House and national GOP officials.
Saxman, who had been angling to run for lieutenant governor in 2009, says he expects to make up his mind in a few weeks.
"I just think people want to break out of the direction that the party has been going in and make changes," said Saxman, 42.
By Tim Craig |
November 19, 2007; 5:29 PM ET
| Category:
Election 2008/U.S. Senate
,
James Gilmore III
,
Mark Warner
,
Tim Craig
Previous: Mark Warner Reacts to Gilmore's Announcement |
Next: Is Sen. Warner Still Unsure About Gilmore?
Posted by: Anonymous | November 19, 2007 7:10 PM
If only Mr. Saxman had a new leadership Republican friend to run in the 11th District.
Posted by: Kelly | November 20, 2007 12:52 AM
Saxman certainly is bright, articulate, and sensible, with great future prospects, but he is also closely tied to the anti-tax GOP faction in Richmond, and had a peripheral involvement in some bruising intra-party battles earlier this year. He may need to spend time mending fences close to home before setting his sights higher.
Posted by: Andrew C | November 21, 2007 12:34 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Can this really be a Virginia Republican making sense?
After the zealots virtually purged the GOPers who exercised common sense, I was beginning to believe that they were willing to make the GOP irrelevant.
Thank goodness that there is at least somebody who is not willing to go over the cliff in lockstep with the wingers.
Virginians are better served by having both healthy Democratic and Republican parties. Maybe Saxman can begin the recovery for the GOP.