Frederick won’t seek another term if he’s named GOP chair

By Lillian Kafka

Published: May 21, 2008

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, R-Woodbridge, said he wouldn't run for re-election if he won the chairman position in the Republican Party of Virginia.

Citing a recent nine-seat loss in the General Assembly, Frederick said he is ready to revamp the party to keep a Republican majority in the house.

His two-year term expires at the end of 2009.

Republicans lost control of the Virginia Senate last fall when Democrats won decisive races in Northern Virginia, including the 39th Senate District in Fairfax and Prince William counties.

"The risk is too great for me to not make the tough decision to eliminate any objections to my candidacy for party chair," Frederick wrote to his supporters in an e-mail Tuesday night.

Frederick announced his plans to challenge Chairman John Hager earlier this year.

He won his re-election bid in the 52nd District of the Virginia House of Delegates in November.

In the e-mail, he stressed his commitment to the GOP.

"I think our party, when we keep our promises and stay true to our principles, we have more to offer and I think most people agree with most of those things," Frederick said during a phone interview on Wednesday.

He has maintained that his duties as an elected public official wouldn't suffer as he ran for the statewide party office.

The Republican Party of Virginia meets on May 31 to elect its chair. Hager is campaigning across Virginia to retain his seat.

"Even though I'm traveling all over the state, I'm taking care of things at home," Frederick said on Wednesday as he prepared to attend a town hall meeting in Woodbridge that night.

"RPV doesn't need a babysitter, but rather someone with vision to set the direction and to hire the right team to establish a solid and reliable infrastructure and implement a sound plan to turn things around and start winning again," he wrote in the May 20 e-mail.

"Nevertheless, I see a great deal of benefit to the party in not having their chairman limited by the legislative calendar, even if then-Senator Randy Forbes handled both his [Republican Party of Virginia] chairmanship and legislative responsibilities well."

Staff writer Lillian Kafka can be reached at 703-878-8065.