Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee chairman and adviser to then-President George W. Bush, received the Virginia Republican Senate nomination and will be running against Democratic nominee Sen. Mark Warner, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
Alan Suderman writes Gillespie bested a former Air Force pilot, a congressional staffer and a consulting business owner at the state party convention and will face Warner in November’s general election.
According to James Hohmann of POLITICO, party officials think Gillespie could win the swing state if Republicans perform well in the midterm elections.
Gillespie won after dominating the first round of voting and asked for unified support from the party this fall, reports Hohmann.
“We have to send a message loud and clearly: the days of the Democratic rule are over,” Gillespie said.
Hohmann writes Gillespie’s campaign organization, dubbed “G-Force,” had support from College Republicans, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), former Tennessee senator Fred Thomson and the Citizens United political action committee.
Mark Obenshain, last year’s nominee for attorney general, introduced Gillespie at the convention in Roanoke, Va. that attended by 2,700 delegates.
