GOP hopefuls push party for convention; Hurt prefers primary

Six candidates for the Republican Party’s nomination to oppose Rep. Tom Perriello said Wednesday they want 5th District Republicans to use the convention method of selecting the party’s candidate rather than a primary election.

The seventh Republican candidate, state Sen. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, prefers a primary, said his spokesman, Chris LaCivita.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has made it clear that Hurt is its preferred candidate to run against Perriello, a freshman Democrat who voted for the energy and health care bills that passed the House of Representatives.

Hurt’s absence from the list of six candidates who demanded a convention defined the choice facing the party’s local unit leaders, who will meet Saturday to decide on the nomination process.

The six were: Feda Morton, of Fluvanna County; Ken Boyd, of Albemarle County; Laurence Verga, of Albemarle; Michael McPadden, of Albemarle; Ron Ferrin, of Campbell County; and Jim McKelvey, of Franklin County.

The group said it had found support for a convention “among conservatives in every county and city in the 5th District.”

“We hope that party leaders will consider this overwhelming support for a convention and vote on Saturday to allow 5th District Republicans to choose their nominee at a district convention in May rather than by a later primary vote tainted by liberal voters” who might cross party lines to vote for the weakest Republican, the six said in a news release issued by Morton.

LaCivita said party leaders had no apparent role in making the statement.

“We find it a bit odd that candidates are trying to push a method down the throats of party leadership under the guise of ‘grass roots,’” LaCivita said. “We believe the decision is up to the individual unit chairmen.”

LaCivita’s credentials as a Republican consultant include stints as executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia from 1996 to 2000 and political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002.

LaCivita also advised the Swift Boat Veterans’ response to Democratic Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.

The 5th District committee, whose 32 members represent county and city Republican units, will meet Saturday in Appomattox to decide between a convention and a primary.

Fifth District GOP Chairman Tucker Watkins said Wednesday that he didn’t know how many committee members were leaning toward a convention or how many might prefer a primary. A third possible nominating process, called a party caucus, doesn’t have much support, Watkins said.

“There will be a very good discussion among people who feel strongly both ways,” Watkins said.

“I think we will come out of the meeting united and ready to beat Tom Perriello,” Watkins said.

Real estate investor Jim McKelvey, who lives in Moneta, launched his 5th District campaign Web site this week after announcing his candidacy Nov. 16 on “The Schilling Show,” a Charlottesville-area radio program.

McKelvey, 54, owns six businesses, including a car wash, a public utility water company and land development businesses. He said he has never run for office before, but was inspired to run after attending the state Republican convention in the spring and feeling unsatisfied with the mainstream candidates.

“People who should be getting involved are not getting involved,” McKelvey said. “... Everything is just so political. In a nutshell, I’m scared to death for the country. I’m tired of voting on other people to get the job done.”

— Media General News Service