Chairman’s Notes

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
– Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

Persistence is our task for 2022. We won three great statewide victories for Virginia in 2021. We won most of our local and state elections and look forward to great things from our representatives. Now we need to persist – by increasing our outreach into the community, by supporting our elected Republicans at every level, by making our political opponents feel the heat of our presence, and by ensuring a win in our new Congressional District, Virginia’s 7th, against incumbent Abigail Spanberger. We must work harder, work smarter, and work harder than our opponents. We must be determined to win and fight every step of the way. Only then can we achieve victory.

TARA DURANT SWEARING IN CEREMONY

Delegate-elect Tara Durant has invited us to participate at her Swearing In Ceremony in Richmond at 1:30pm on Saturday, January 22. The ceremony will take place at the Virginia State Capital at 1000 Bank Street in Richmond. To RSVP, or for more information, visit the TaraDurant.com website.

REDISTRICTING IS FINAL
The Virginia Supreme Court made a final decision on new elections districts for the U.S. House of Representatives, the State Senate, and the House of Delegates. Stafford County will be entirely located within the 7th Congressional District. This district is designed to be the median district in the Commonwealth, which means it will be a hard-fought election and could easily swing either way. We need to work hard – our persistence will make the difference. This election should be the only one on our ballot in November (unless the courts do something strange regarding Delegate districts). We can concentrate our efforts, once we have our nominee. There will be plenty of candidates looking for the nomination. Pick the candidate you believe will be the best to represent us in Washington DC and work hard for them, but once we have our nominee, we need to join together to win in November.

JANUARY MEETING
For our January 2022 meeting, we will be trying something new – a hybrid meeting. Several members expressed a reluctance to come to an in-person meeting due to the unprecedented number of COVID cases in the area. We will have an in-person meeting and have a zoom link for those wishing to join electronically.

The meeting will be held in person on Monday, January 10th at 7pm at the Highmark Brewery, 390 Kings Hwy and electronically on Zoom at the link at the very end of this message.

Due to the nature of this hybrid structure (and my uncertainty as to whether or not it will fully work as intended), this will be an unofficial meeting, which means nobody will be penalized (in our 3 consecutive strikes rule) for missing the meeting. That also means that any decisions will have to be reaffirmed at a later meeting or, for time-sensitive items, by the Executive Committee. But it is critical that we build our momentum, and continue to engage.

We have important work that needs to be done. At this meeting, we will discuss and request a vote on:
1. The details of the call for the Stafford GOP organizational mass meeting.
2. The details for the 7th Congressional District convention.
3. The 7th Congressional District method of nomination.
4. A proposed amendment to the Stafford GOP bylaws.
5. The Lincoln-Douglass-Reagan Dinner.
6. Other items of critical importance.

We’ll discuss redistricting, we’ll hear from 7th District Congressional candidates, we’ll have updates on some of our other recent activities, and more.

As we look at Virginia, we see such promise, such hope for the future. We are responsible for building that future. We are responsible for ensuring that our elected boards and legislatures do the jobs we elected them to do – not doing some other job they’re influenced into doing. We all have our lives – our work, our family, our church, our other organizations –  and we need to continue to embrace them and give them what they deserve. But our work together in the GOP informs and improves all of those other areas. And when we fail to do it, we risk every other area of our lives. Persistence is our path forward.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“If something happened along the route and you had to leave your children with Bob Dole or Bill Clinton, I think you would probably leave them with Bob Dole.”
– Bob Dole, United States Senate Majority Leader

We worked hard all year, and saw tremendous success. We fell short in some areas, but we’re already planning for next year – growing the party, spreading our values, and reaching out to the people of Stafford County with our message of liberty, justice, and equality. On Monday, we’ll come together to celebrate at our Christmas Party from 6-9pm at 1010 Coffee Bar at 1010 Corporate Drive.

Our monthly business meeting will take place at 7pm, then we’ll get back to the party!

Official call is below.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“I believe when you are in any contest you should work like there is always to the very last minute a chance to lose it. This is battle, this is politics, this is anything. So I just see no excuse if you believe anything enough for not putting your whole heart into it. It is what I do.”– Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

We have worked so hard. We have knocked doors, made calls, sent texts, volunteered long hours, walked many miles, and Election Day is finally here. We have put ourselves and our fourteen Republicans on the ballot in Stafford this year in the best position to win. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again – we can win all fourteen of them!

1. If you have not voted yet, you must vote tomorrow. The polls are open from 6am-7pm. Get there however you can. If you can’t figure out how to get there, get in touch with me and we’ll get you there.

2. Make certain that every Republican you know, every Republican in your life has voted.

3. Make certain that anyone on the fence, anyone who might be persuadable, is persuaded and votes.

Put your whole heart into it for one more day. Then we can join together and say: We did it and we did it together!!!

NOVEMBER MEETING

Our November 2021 meeting will be held on Monday, November 8th at 7pm at the Highmark Brewery, 390 Kings Hwy. This will be a joyful celebration, as long as we do not lose it at the very last minute because we stopped working too early. And I know that you have fought so hard and for so long – but you have energy enough for one more day. Official call is below.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.” – Ronald W. Reagan, 40th President of the United States

How do we preserve the last best hope? By working harder than the team trying to sentence us all to a thousand years of darkness. Elections are zero sum – we win or we lose. We have fourteen Republicans on our ballots in Stafford this year. If we all work as hard as we can for these next four weeks, we can win all fourteen of them!

We’ve all been busy with the job, and the family, and life. But now is the time. Take a day if you can, and volunteer to hand out ballots at the early voting at the Government Center near the Courthouse. If you can’t take a day, take half a day. Or an hour. Get off the sidelines. Engage the voters.

We’ve been seeing almost 200 people per day at the early in-person voting. This site is open daily between now and October 30. We need Republican volunteers to be there every day. The Democrats are sending their volunteers every day. You can sign up on the schedule available by clicking here: We need you to volunteer.

We need your family and friends to help as well. We’ll have 27 precincts on Election Day, and one early voting location (the Courthouse) to cover for the remaining four weeks before the election. Election Day is November 2nd. We need you to volunteer for that as well.

If you’re interested in serving as an inside poll watcher (election observer) on November 2, please reply to this message and we’ll get you set up for that as well.

OCTOBER MEETING

Our October 2021 meeting will be held on Monday, October 11th at 7pm at the Paradise Diner at 260 Warrenton Road in south Stafford.

This is our final Republican meeting before our rendezvous with destiny as we win fourteen elections in November! Official call is below.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“But my later experience has taught me two lessons: first, that things are seen plainer after the events have occurred; second, that the most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticised.” – Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States

Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. We’ve seen the Terry McAuliffe show before. Mobs tearing down statues. Growing state budgets. Support for all abortions, even those after birth. Secret backroom deals with China. We can see these events plainly now, but many still don’t. Many think that Virginia will be better off with the confident critics of freedom, of the rule of law, of gender, of men and women in uniform, of moving beyond race, of our way of life, of our faith, and of America.

Those are the people who know the least about what the other options are – tyranny and surrender.

Our fight is critical today, just as President Grant’s was in his day. We’re not in a war, but the threat to our country is every bit as real today as it was back then. It is a battle for hearts and minds. We must reach all of our neighbors with our message. We must stand together and show our values as we work to win. Virginia depends on it just as much now as it did 150 years ago.

SEPTEMBER 17th to NOVEMBER 2^nd GENERAL ELECTION

Early in person voting starts on Friday, September 17th. We need you to volunteer.

Election Day is November 2nd. We need you to volunteer for that as well.

We need your family and friends to help as well. We’ll have 27 precincts on Election Day, and one early voting location (the Courthouse) to cover for the 45 days before the election.

SEPTEMBER MEETING

Our September 2021 meeting will be held on Monday, September 13th at 7pm at 6 Bears and a Goat at 1140 International Pkwy, Fredericksburg. Meet with your fellow Republicans, and plan to win in November! Official call is below.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, but your government only when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain, American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer

The events of the last week on the other side of the world really hit this message home. Elections have consequences. The federal government is not America. The President may be our chief executive, but isn’t our moral leader. The same goes for Virginia’s Governor.

America has had our vision, our ideals, printed and steering us from the start. We have often failed to live up to that promise, but our journey has been one of moving toward those ideals rather than away from them. We teach each generation this vision and each one has worked to bring us closer. We have setbacks, but we always rise stronger again when we can elect those who believe in that vision.

As I write this, 10,000 Americans are trapped in a hostile land with no clear means of escape or rescue. President Biden interrupted his Camp David time to announce to the world that, while the buck stops with him, he takes no responsibility. The White House refuses to commit to helping any of those Americans reach safety, to say nothing of the tens of thousands of Afghans who worked with us, and their families. I support my country wholeheartedly, and I pray for everyone involved.

But I am also fighting to win the next election. Elections matter at every level. They matter at the federal level. They matter at the state level, and they matter at the local level where we live most of our lives every day. We have one of the best slates of candidates I have ever seen, from the statewides, to the House of Delegates, the county Board of Supervisors, and the School Board. These people are patriots, and they will make us proud every day as they serve in these roles. As long as we can get them over the finish line.

Reminders – events this week:
This Thursday, August 19, the Glenn Youngkin campaign is hosting a volunteer training/meet and greet at the Fredericksburg HQ – 311 Central Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Refreshments at 6pm and training afterwards. This will be a great opportunity to meet other volunteers and learn the ins and outs of the campaign software. The training will be critical to joining super Saturdays moving forward. You can RSVP by emailing davida@youngkinforgovernor.com

Super Saturday this Saturday, August 21 at 9am. Meet at Senator Richard Stuart’s office – 150 Riverside Parkway, Suite 107, Fredericksburg, VA 22406. We will knock doors in Stafford until about 1pm, and then all the volunteers will be given an opportunity to get pictures with Tara Durant and Glenn Youngkin at Tara Durant’s Red, White, and Blue BBQ.

Tara Durant’s Red, White, and Blue BBQ – this Saturday, August 21 from 2-5pm. Please RSVP due to expected attendance. Anyone can RSVP here – https://taradurant.com/red-white-and-blue-bbq/

Prosecco on the Patio with Gina Ciarcia – this Sunday, August 22 from 2-4pm. Reserve your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prosecco-on-the-patio-tickets-166863377855

What’s Next:
Voting begins on September 17 and lasts through November 2. The things we do in the next month lay the groundwork for getting all of our voters to the polls. The work that we have put in so far will pay dividends, and we will retain control of our local boards. We will take back the House of Delegates. And we will elect our Republican nominees as the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General. That is a day I will be proud to support the government of Virginia once again.

In liberty,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary” – James Madison, 4th President of the United States

have a deep and abiding respect for the Father of the Constitution. In his sentiment that men are not angels, he clearly captures the ideals of America’s founding. Ambition must counter ambition, and only when sufficient support can be convinced can Congress act.

Of course, the Democrats want our federal government to run like a dictatorship. Like they run our state government. Trust in government at every level is incredibly low, a mistrust which is well earned. Yet they want the government at every level to have more power over our lives, over our choices, and over our thoughts.

We need our Republican candidates to win our elections in the Commonwealth this year. We need to knock doors, and make calls, and talk with our neighbors, and most of all make certain our supporters vote! We’re counting on each of you to do your part!

NOVEMBER 2^nd GENERAL ELECTION

Early in person voting starts on Friday, September 17th. We need you to volunteer. We need your family and friends to help as well. We’ll have 27 precincts on Election Day, and one early voting location (the Courthouse) to cover for the 45 days before the election.

ELECTION INTEGRITY WORKSHOP

The Virginia Fair Elections Coalition (VFE) consists of grassroots organizations and groups whose goal is to support free and fair elections in Virginia. As part of efforts to restore trust in Virginia’s elections, the coalition is hosting an Election Integrity workshop in Stafford at 6pm on Wednesday, August 11. The workshop was developed by Dr. Clara Belle Wheeler, a senior fellow with the Virginia Institute for Public Policy and a former member of the Virginia Board of Elections. Click here for more information or to register.

AUGUST MEETING

Our August 2021 meeting will be held on Monday, August 9th at 7pm at Amy’s Cafe at 103 W Cambridge St, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. Come and have dinner, a nice cocktail, meet with your fellow Republicans, and plan to win in November! Official call is below.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” – Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940-1945, 1951-1955

The Democrats love socialism. At least they don’t seem to understand how it works, because only a truly evil person could understand how bad socialism is and still try to impose it on others. We know better – we understand that our inalienable rights come from God. We understand that any attempt at socialism requires the political power to limit the pursuit of happiness, to undermine liberty, and eventually to take human life. It is not a mistake when that happens – it is built into the system.

We understand that all people are created equal and a just system requires equality before the law, and equality of rights. Unfortunately, those promoting socialism are confused and think the true path is to seek equality of outcomes, despite effort or ability. In order to achieve equal outcomes, you must oppress those who achieve and take the fruits of their labor. If people resist when socialists try to seize their property, the only answer is aggression – take things at the point of the spear in order to spread the wealth around.

As for me, I’ll take liberty! I’ll take free market capitalism every time! I’ll fight for these rights every time!

NOVEMBER 2^nd GENERAL ELECTION

I know that it seems a long time away, but mark your calendars now. We must be active and help our candidates win in November. And November is coming early again this year. Early in person voting starts on Friday, September 17th. We need you to volunteer. We need your family and friends to help as well. We’ll have 27 precincts on Election Day, and two early voting locations (the Courthouse and the Stafford Airport) to cover for the 45 days before the election.

JULY MEETING

Our July 2021 meeting will be held on Monday, July 12th at 7pm at Amy’s Cafe at 103 W Cambridge St, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. Official call is below.

You’ll also notice that we have an item for endorsements for county offices. The Republican party does not have a candidate for the Supervisor election for Garrisonville, and one of the candidates is seeking our endorsement. There are also four School Board elections taking place this year. At least one candidate is seeking our endorsement. Additional information will be sent to the active members before the July meeting.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman