To the Editor:

Lori Carlson’s response to the letter to the editor that I and others in the 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts signed, which stated Rex Alphin should not receive the Republican nomination on June 13, is incorrect and can’t stand without a response.

Lori refuted our letter with her opinion, not facts. Our letter was based on facts and backed by public records. Of the many topics to address, we chose two main topics that should be of concern to all Republicans.

First, tax hikes. In the five years that Rex has been on the Board of Supervisors, he has voted three times to raise taxes. Do we want a delegate who votes for tax hikes or do we want someone that will fight for alternative ways to cut spending first? As Republicans, we believe in limited government and in people keeping more of their money.

Second, who is Rex Alphin? Nobody in the Republican Party, outside of maybe a few in the Isle of Wight Republican Committee, seems to know him. Rex has never publicly shown his support for Republican candidates or their stance on Republican values during elections. To my knowledge, Rex has not joined a Republican Committee, yet he wants Republicans to help him get elected. Those in organizations like the Ruritan Club, ladies groups, etc., would you vote for someone that just walked in the door and said, “Vote for me!” even though they have never been associated with your organization? Maybe you would seek out leaders in your organization to give you some insight on the person asking you to vote for them? The Republican leadership that signed the letter that Lori Carlson carelessly disregards believes these facts matter, which is why we chose to speak out. Why would Lori tell people to ignore the facts?

The letter we submitted wasn’t solely authored by Brandon Howard. While Brandon penned the first draft, there was collaboration among the leaders as to the contents of the final version. Brandon was not purporting that he represented the leadership of said districts. Nowhere in that letter was it stated that ALL leadership in the congressional districts approved the letter, but rather only those that signed it. If a District Chair, City and County Unit Chairs, and State Central (the governing body of the Republican Party of Virginia) members are not local leaders in our party, then who is?

Let me be blunt. We see how difficult it is for Trump to “drain the swamp;” perhaps we should keep the swamp creatures out before they get in. It is much easier to have a true Republican delegate fighting for us in the General Assembly than to have to constantly redirect a delegate towards Republican ideas and values. Let’s have our battles with the Democrats and not within our party. You now have the facts, so don’t ignore them. No to Elect Rex Alphin Delegate 64th District.

Wayne Cunningham,
Chairman PGCRC
Member, 64th Republican Legislative District
Committee