Leaders of the Lynchburg Tea Party won’t endorse any candidate for Congress in the 5th District, three of the activists said Thursday in a news release that criticized tea party participants who are lining up behind Republican primary winner Robert Hurt.
The Lynchburg Tea Party is “drawing a line in the sand,” according to the release, which followed Hurt’s clear victory Tuesday over six other candi-dates in the primary. Some of those candidates had support from various elements in the tea party movement, but endorsed Hurt after the primary.
Hurt will carry the Republican banner on the November ballot against Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat. Jeffrey Clark of Danville also will be on the ballot as an independent candidate.
“We congratulate Robert Hurt on his recent victory,” said Kurt Feigel of Lynchburg, the local group’s communications vice chairman.
“However, we cannot and will not endorse a candidate that does not align with our core principles.”
Mark Lloyd, chairman of the Lynchburg Tea Party, said, “At this point, as a Tea Party organization, I don't foresee the endorsement of any candidates during this election cycle.”
That statement put the Lynchburg Tea Party in a different position from the Danville Tea Party, whose chairman, Nigel Coleman, told the Danville Register & Bee Tuesday night that he was “pretty comfortable” saying the local group would support Hurt in November.
“We feel that it is best to unite behind one candidate,” Coleman said.
The Lynchburg Tea Party’s release said, “Some point to this split as evidence of division within the tea party. On the contrary, standing firmly upon our core principles shows evidence of solidarity and strength within the organization.”
Dana Hale of the Lynchburg Tea Party joined Feigel and Lloyd in issuing the statement.
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