Despite indications yesterday that his tenure might come to an end, Jeff Frederick will remain as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia:
HOT SPRINGS, Va., Dec. 5 — Frustrated Republican activists allowed embattled state Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick to keep his job Friday at the party’s first gathering since its election losses last month.
Top party officials spoke to the Prince William County delegate about the Nov. 4 election behind closed doors with at least one member questioning his leadership, but the state GOP’s governing body did not try to remove him as some had wanted, according to people who attended the session.
Frederick told the 86-member group that controls his fate that he wanted to remain its leader to win next year’s elections.
“There are a lot better things I can do with my time than work 14 hours a day for free. I’m not here to fail,” he said before the meeting was closed. “We can win these races, but we have to acknowledge the fact that we have a lot of challenges before us. One of those challenges is coming together.”
The state party’s Central Committee still might call an emergency meeting in the next couple of months to try to remove him. But several members interviewed said his opponents lack the votes.
As I said yesterday, 2009 will be the test to see if Frederick stays or goes.
