Republicans set Jan. 4 mass meeting to nominate candidate for Gainesville Supervisor

A December 19 meeting of the Prince William County Republican Committee decided on using a mass meeting as the mechanism to select its nominee for the Special Election to fill the Gainesville supervisor vacancy, according to a news release on behalf of Denny Daugherty, Prince William County’s GOP chairman.The mass meeting is planned for Jan. 4, 2023, at Battlefield High School in Haymarket and will be open to any registered voter residing in the Gainesville district who promises to support the election of the candidate nominated.

Peter Candland resigned the Gainesville seat effective Dec. 16, triggering the need for a special election in February. The date of the election will be set in a writ to be issued by the Chief Judge of the Prince William County Circuit Court within 15 days of the vacancy. The political parties are required to certify nominees no later than 5 days after the writ is issued. The leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties have urged that the court take the full 15 days, so that they have several days after schools reopen to complete their nomination processes.

The Republican Committee evaluated three methods to choose the Republican nominee. A mass meeting was selected, rather than a convention or “firehouse primary.” The State of Virginia does not make a primary available for special elections, the news release said.

Two candidates have already announced their plans to seek the Republican nomination, Alyson Satterwhite, former Gainesville representative on the county School Board, and Bob Weir, a five-term member of the Haymarket Town Council. Other Republicans will have until 5 p.m. Dec. 28 to put their names in the hopper, the news release said.

That deadline and other details of the mass meeting are contained in a “call” Prince William Republican Chairman Denny Daugherty issued Dec. 20.* One does not have to pre-file in order to participate or pay a filing fee. However, the Committee encourages voters to advise it of their intentions to participate, so it will not have to spend time the evening of the meeting checking to see if they are registered in the district. To do so, voters should go to https://www.pwcgop.gop.

The mass meeting may have to be held sooner if the Circuit Court issues its writ before the end of December. It may instead be later If schools close due to inclement weather on the proposed date. Republicans have scheduled an alternate date of January 7 in the event that occurs.