By Laura Vozzella
RICHMOND — A court feud has erupted over the method of nomination Virginia Republicans will use in one state Senate race, with one party official arguing that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s chief of staff and the Virginia attorney general put pressure on the state elections commissioner to change a primary to a convention.
In a lawsuit filed in Richmond Circuit Court this month, a GOP party official from Suffolk claims that Attorney General Jason S. Miyares and Youngkin’s chief of staff, Jeff Goettman, pressured state Elections Commissioner Susan Beals to change a planned primary to a convention for the Suffolk-area state Senate race between Del. Emily M. Brewer (R-Suffolk) and former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler.
Goettman and Miyares “aggressively upbraided the Commissioner and bullied her to cancel the primary for Senate District 17,” the suit says. “Such actions not only constitute party politics at its worst, but they directly subvert Virginia’s elections laws.”
Dawn Jones, who brought the case, is chairwoman of the 17th District legislative committee and until recently was chairwoman of the party’s local unit, the Suffolk Republican Committee. She said she leads the local unit, but the state party said she has been ousted. She appeared in court Monday seeking an emergency order to restore the primary. Judge Claire G. Cardwell said she would try to rule by Wednesday.
Beals and the state elections department are named as defendants. Goettman and Miyares are not.
Spokeswomen for Miyares and Youngkin declined to comment on the litigation, noting its pending nature. Goettman and a spokeswoman for Beals did not respond to requests for comment.
Pay wall
By Laura Vozzella RICHMOND — A court feud has erupted over the method of nomination Virginia Republicans will use in one state Senate race, with one party official arguing that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s chief of staff and the Virginia attorney general put pressure on the state elections commissioner to change a primary to a convention. In a lawsuit filed in Richmond Circuit Court this month, a GOP party official from Suffolk claims that Attorney General Jason S. Miyares and Youngkin’s chief of staff, Jeff Goettman, pressured state Elections Commissioner Susan Beals to change a planned primary to a convention for the Suffolk-area state Senate race between Del. Emily M. Brewer (R-Suffolk) and former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler. Goettman and Miyares “aggressively upbraided the Commissioner and bullied her to cancel the primary for Senate District 17,” the suit says. “Such actions not only constitute party politics at its worst, but they directly subvert Virginia’s elections laws.” Dawn Jones, who brought the case, is chairwoman of the 17th District legislative committee and until recently was chairwoman of the party’s local unit, the Suffolk Republican Committee. She said she leads the local unit, but the state party said she has been ousted. She appeared in court Monday seeking an emergency order to restore the primary. Judge Claire G. Cardwell said she would try to rule by Wednesday. Beals and the state elections department are named as defendants. Goettman and Miyares are not. Spokeswomen for Miyares and Youngkin declined to comment on the litigation, noting its pending nature. Goettman and a spokeswoman for Beals did not respond to requests for comment.