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Fellow Republican,

Welcome back to the Republican Rundown, a look at what RPV is doing across the Commonwealth.

On Wednesday, May 18, the Republican Party of Virginia held a Candidate’s Forum for Republican Candidates in the 7th Congressional District at the Dorthy Hart Community Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Candidates that attended included Supervisor Yesli Vega, Supervisor David Ross, Derrick Anderson, Supervisor Crystal Vanuch, and Gina Ciarcia. State Senator Bryce Reeves was unable to attend.

RPV Chairman Rich Anderson moderated the Forum, asking each candidate a variety of questions on topics ranging from National Security and Foreign Policy to Border Security and Education. Each candidate was given an opportunity to make their case to voters about why they are the best candidate to represent the Virginia 7th in the 118th Congress.

Whichever candidate voters select to be the Republican nominee, the Republican Party of Virginia is dedicated to working alongside them to unseat Radical Democrat Abigail Spanberger in November. Spanberger’s support of far-left policies has contributed to rising inflation, soaring gas prices, and a myriad of other crises that are adversely affecting Virginia families. The Republican Party primary elections will be held on June 21, 2022.

CANDIDATE TRAINING SCHOOL HEADER: https://virginia.gop/candidate-training-school/

We are excited to announce the launch of the Republican Party of Virginia's Candidate Training SchoolS, taking place in early June!

This educational service aims to prepare potential candidates for the exciting challenge of running for office. Our goal is to equip our candidates with the necessary tools to see success in a political campaign.

The curriculum for Candidate Training School provided will cover messaging, data, volunteer recruitment and retention, strategic planning, fundraising, social media, and a number of other topics. We're focusing on the basics of running a successful campaign at any level, from Town Council, to the Board of Supervisors, to the State Senate.

If you or someone you know has an interest in running for office as a Republican in 2022 or 2023, check out the list of Candidate Training School locations and dates below, and click the link to sign up!

SPECIAL EVENT: 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATE FORUM | TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2022 AT 7PM | ZEIDERS AMERICAN DREAM THEATER | 4509 COMMERCE ST. VIRGINIA BEACH VA 23462

We are excited to announce our third Congressional District Forum which will take place in the 2nd Congressional District.

RPV Chair Rich Anderson: Virginia Republicans support our law enforcement officers with increased funding, not just lip service.

There are more than 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. As we celebrate National Police Week this week, we seek to honor those who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe.

During the months of April, May and June 2020, the number of law enforcement officers who quit their jobs increased by 24% across the nation, even as urban areas across the country were burned by violent protesters.

As elected Virginia Democrats and their enablers agitated for defunding the police and revoking qualified immunity, many realized that the very politicians who were supposed to have their backs were now abandoning them.

“Defund the Police” became a rallying cry for the far left. Democrats continue to preach this even today, refusing to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who wake up every day with a heart for serving and protecting us. Some Democrat politicians have retreated — but only because of political reality, the response by an alarmed public, and a realization that their political survival requires strategic retreat.

In September 2020, President Biden said that he would not take funds away from police departments, but would instead divert law enforcement funding to other community projects to lessen the burden on police forces. While this may seem like a sensible policy, an alarming number of his party have continued to take a stand against law enforcement officers.

For example, the New York City Police Department was cut by more than $1 billion. Since then, the city crime rate has risen exponentially, and shootings are up dramatically.

The nationwide murder rate has risen by 30% since the Democrat-led Defund the Police movement began. This is no coincidence. It is a clear case of cause and effect. And it has played out in a number of Democrat-led cities across the U.S.

The Democrat political class at the federal and state level is now in disarray, scrambling to recover from their narrative that, aside from representing a morally bankrupt policy position, has alienated most Americans. Simply put, Americans do not, and should not, trust Democrats with their safety.

Here in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has called for an increase in law enforcement funding. In April, he donated his first quarter salary of $43,750 to a fund that supports law enforcement and first responders. In January 2022, Gov. Youngkin also proposed a plan to increase state funding for local departments by $26 million.

With diminished protection of our communities by law enforcement officers, crime has spiked significantly and the most vulnerable among us are at an elevated risk. Defunding the police has resulted in depressed morale among our sworn and badged law enforcement heroes and has produced an accelerated number of early retirements and resignations, all resulting from significantly reduced capacities in our police departments, sheriff offices, and related agencies.

The single path to ensuring safe communities once again is to ensure that law enforcement departments across the commonwealth have the necessary funding to train, man, and equip their agencies to protect themselves and their communities. For our communities to thrive, elected officials and the bodies in which they serve must fully invest in Virginia law enforcement, not divert and deprive them of resources.

Republicans have always stood with the Long Blue Line that fights every day to protect the rest of us. Our commonwealth and country have experienced the harmful impacts of diminished support by partisan politicians for law enforcement, so imagine life without the protection of law enforcement officers. Who would you call as a burglar or killer broke into your home? Contemplating this simple question leads to only one conclusion.

This week, our hearts are full of gratitude for our law enforcement officers and we take time to reflect on our good fortune to have over 800,000 brave men and women working every day to protect us. They deserve our lasting appreciation — and the appropriate resources to do their jobs. Virginia Republicans pledge to deliver no less.

This piece was originally published Friday, May 20, 2022 in the Roanoke Times

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