Anderson Advance Letter
I’m writing to notify you that we are cancelling the 2020 Donald J. Huffman Advance that was scheduled for the weekend of December 4-5 at the Homestead Resort. After consulting at length with the SCC Executive Committee on the evening of November 16th, I reluctantly made this decision in the best interest of our party and members.
Due to the Governor’s amended, misguided, and arbitrary COVID-19 restrictions, we have been forced to cancel the 2020 Donald. J Huffman Advance. In his no-questions-allowed video message just before the close of business this past Friday, he limited gatherings to just 25 people (down from 250).
Here is the way forward for the 2020 Donald J. Huffman Advance and our next meeting of the RPV State Central Committee (SCC):
37th Annual Donald J. Huffman Advance: The Republican Party is the party of law and order. We are not the Democrat Party of violence, riots, looting, property destruction, and personal injury that we have seen in recent months across our country. In that spirit, we will comply with recent Executive Orders that have the force of law (hold that thought until later in this communication). We are therefore cancelling the December 4-5 RPV Advance. Members who have made room reservations at the Homestead may cancel their reservations through November 25th with no penalty. Likewise, RPV will refund all fees associated with meetings and meals at the Advance. After the first of the year, we will reassess the situation, poll our members, and consult with the SCC for a possible follow-on decision to hold the Advance in the spring. Please watch for details, and in the meantime, thank you to members of our Republican family who planned to attend this year’s Advance. I send a special shout-out to the members of the RPV Arrangements Committee, which has focused for months on planning an outstanding event for us all. SCC MEETING: The business of our great Republican Party of Virginia must go forward, and our SCC meeting planned in conjunction with the Advance will still go on. It’s now scheduled for 10am on Saturday, December 5, and will be on the Zoom platform as we’ve been doing since March. We’ll provide sign-on credentials to all SCC members, and all Republicans may watch via livestream on the RPV Facebook page.
ABOUT THAT THOUGHT THAT I ASKED YOU TO HOLD: The decision to cancel the 2020 Donald J. Huffman Advance was a difficult one not easily made. While we should exercise reasonable protocols to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19 infection, we should remember always that this cancellation results from the overreaction of an authoritarian Governor who will be remembered by Virginians as an autocrat and a documented racist who has disrupted the lives and Thanksgiving of our citizens, harmed Virginia small businesses, exerted economic hardship on Virginia families, stymied the education of our children, and hampered the mental and physical wellness of our people. He has quarantined our economy and our Constitution, while concurrently administering a dysfunctional elections system in our Commonwealth. His wrong-headed actions—and Republican respect for law and order—are why we have cancelled the 2020 Donald J. Huffman Advance, a vital activity in the public life of our Commonwealth and party.
While I regret bringing you this disappointing news, I want you to know how much we respect and value your contributions to our party, your belief in the Republican Creed, your love of country, and your devotion to making lives better for all Virginians. As I have traveled the Commonwealth, I am continually amazed by the selfless service you render, and I am proud to be part of your Republican family.
You are the best Now, let’s fight and win in 2021!
