Prince William’s Frederick behind in race for GOP chair

By TYLER WHITLEY, Media General News Service

Published: May 2, 2008

Republicans around the state are being asked to choose between change and continuity in a contest for the chairman-ship of the Republican Party of Virginia.

Former Lt. Gov. John H. Hager, who has been chairman since July and wants to serve a full four-year term, appears to have the lead over Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick of Prince William County, GOP leaders say.

An expected 6,000 Republicans will meet in Richmond on May 30-31 at their state convention to nominate a U.S. Senate candidate and elect a chairman.

Young, conservative and aggressive, Frederick is running with the slogan, "Bold New Leader-ship."

Frederick, 32, a lawmaker since 2004, said the party needs new leadership because it has lost five seats in the House of Delegates and four in the Virginia Senate while Hager has been chairman. He also said Hager has lagged in rais-ing money for the party.

"It's not a slam-dunk, but we are running very well," Frederick said last week during the one-day spring General Assembly session.

Hager, 71, says he has put the party, which has suffered political losses and fundraising deficiencies in recent years, on the right course, so there is no need to change.

"We have had four chairmen in the last five years," Hager said.

Jim Rich of Loudoun County, the 10th District GOP chairman, said: "John is doing the right thing. He is raising money, has put together a good staff, and is concentrating on nuts and bolts. I'm kind of irritated that this [contest] is going on. We don't need this kind of nonsense."

Not so, said Bryce Reeves, the Spotsylvania County chairman. "I think Jeff has a lot of grassroots sup-port," he said. "A lot of people would like to see some change. If nothing else, they want to shake the tree a little bit."

Courtland Putbrese, a Richmond lawyer who is chairman of the Richmond Republican Committee, said Hager has been "very supportive of our committee. He is running real strong here."

Most of the party's eight congressmen and all of the party's congressional district chairmen support Hager.

Hager, a retired tobacco company executive, was lieutenant governor from 1998 to 2002. He unsuccessfully sought the party's nomination to run for governor in 2001. He is considered a moderate.

Hager, who contracted polio as an adult and uses a wheelchair, is a familiar sight at GOP events, showing up, the joke goes, whenever two Republicans get together. Most recently, he has been in the news as the father of Henry Hager, who is to marry President Bush's daughter, Jenna, on May 10.

Frederick owns a political-consulting firm based in Lorton.

The party's state central committee elected Hager chairman in July to complete the term of Ed Gillespie, who resigned to go to the White House as a counselor to Bush.

Hager said Frederick doesn't mention some of the gains the GOP has made under his watch, including the special election victory of Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st. As for fundraising, Hager said the state party's revenues doubled last year to $2 million.

Frederick also has accused Hager of being too cozy with former Gov. Mark R. Warner, now the Democratic candi-date for the U.S. Senate. Hager served in Warner's Cabinet as anti-terrorism czar.

Hager said he had worked closely with then-Gov. Jim Gilmore after Sept. 11 and that Republicans urged him to bring his expertise to the homeland security job after Warner became governor in 2002.

"He's just questioned my integrity; he's just a kid," Hager said of Frederick.

Jason Gray of Colonial Heights, chairman of the 4th District GOP committee, said Hager "will carry the convention. He is running strong."

He also criticized Frederick for running a negative campaign against Hager.

"I'm just talking about his record," Frederick said.

Tyler Whitley is a staff writer for Media General's Richmond Times-Dispatch.