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7th Congressional District Convention
May 5, 2018 @ 10:30 am
OFFICIAL CALL
District Convention of the Seventh Congressional District of the Republican Party of Virginia
May 5, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. Local Time at James River High School
As Chairman of the Seventh Congressional District Committee of the Republican Party of
Virginia (“Committee”) and pursuant to the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of
Virginia and as recommended and directed by the Committee, I, Benjamin J. Slone, III, do
hereby issue this Call for a District Convention to be held at James River High School, 3700
James River Road, Midlothian, Virginia 23113, or its alternate site, starting at 10:30 a.m. local
time on May 5, 2018 for the following purposes:
1) Nominating a Republican candidate for the office of U.S. House of Representatives for
the Seventh Congressional District of Virginia (“District”);
2) Electing a District Chairman of the Committee; and
3) For the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the convention.
Qualifications for Participation
All legal and qualified voters of the Seventh Congressional District under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, regardless of race, religion, national origin or sex, who are in accord
with the principles of the Republican Party and who, if requested, express in open meeting
either orally or in writing as may be required, their intent to support all of its nominees for
public office in the ensuing election, may participate as members of the Republican Party of
Virginia in its mass meetings, party canvasses, conventions or primaries encompassing their
respective election districts. In addition to the foregoing, to be in accord with the principles of
the Republican Party, a voter shall not have participated in the nominating process of a party
other than the Republican Party within the last five years. A single exception to this
requirement shall be approved for a voter who renounces affiliation with any other party in
writing, and who expresses in writing that he or she is in accord with the principles of the
Republican Party and intends at the time of the writing to support the nominees of the
Republican Party in the future. Any voter that utilizes the foregoing exception, and thereafter
participates in the nomination process of a party other than the Republican Party, shall not
have the benefit of the exception identified in this paragraph thereafter. Within 30 days of
receipt, the Committee shall provide a copy of this signed renunciation statement to the
Republican Party of Virginia, to be maintained for a period of 5 years.
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Registration
Convention registration shall begin at 9:00 AM on May 5, 2018 and shall end at 11:00 AM that
same day. The Convention shall be called to order at 10:30 AM.
Balloting
All contests shall be by majority vote. Upon completion of the first ballot, if the contest has not
been decided by majority vote, another ballot shall be held to decide the remaining contest,
and the candidate who has received the lowest vote will be dropped after each ballot.
Subsequent ballots shall be so conducted until the contest has been decided by majority vote.
Balloting shall not begin before 11:30 AM.
Composition of Convention
The District Convention shall be composed of delegates and alternate delegates of the
respective units within the District (“Unit”) which they represent. Representation shall be
based on a percentage of the total number of Republican votes cast in each county and city in
the last gubernatorial and presidential election combined. Each unit is allowed one (1)
Delegate Vote for each 250 Republican votes cast or major portion thereof. Each unit shall be
entitled to at least one (1) Delegate Vote. The delegates and alternates shall be elected in
county and city mass meetings, party canvasses or conventions that shall be called for this
purpose in conformity with the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia by each
unit committee. The number of votes for each Unit are set forth below:
Unit Delegate Votes Max # Delegates
Amelia 32 160
Chesterfield 400 2,000
Culpeper 87 435
Goochland 60 300
Henrico 345 1,725
Louisa 71 355
Nottoway 24 120
Orange 69 345
Powhatan 81 405
Spotsylvania 170 850
Military 1 5
Totals 1,340 6,700
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Military Provision
Declaration. Otherwise Qualified Military Members (active duty members of the Virginia
National Guard, the United States Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, or Coast Guard),who seek
to be represented at this Convention, and who because of the obligations of their official
military orders, are unable to attend their respective Unit mass meeting, canvass or convention
called for the purpose of selecting delegates to this Convention, and that in lieu of selecting
delegates to represent them from their respective Unit they instead wish to be represented by
the Military Delegation, shall send an e-mail declaration to the Chairman at [email protected]
not later than March 22, 2018. Such Declaration email shall include attached; a signed
statement of intent to support all Republican Nominees in the General Election, an affirmation
of their official military orders precluding their attendance, and their email address for
correspondence. The Chairman or his designee shall respond by email to each Military Member
to confirm the receipt of each email declaration.
Candidate Preference Ballot. Subsequent to the receipt of the Declaration, Qualifying Military
Members will be sent a Ballot Preference Form to be returned by email. Qualifying Military
Members shall be entitled to cast a Candidate Preference Ballot to convey their ordered
candidate preferences for each public office (first choice, second choice, third choice, etc.). The
Ballot shall be available at the RPV website (and at the Committee website if one exists). The
Ballot Preference Form shall be returned to the Chairman at [email protected] not later than
April 7, 2018. The Ballot Preference Form shall be emailed to each declared Military Member
within seven (7) days of the receipt of (i) the Member’s declaration, or (ii) the filing deadline for
candidates for public office, whichever is later. The deadline to return the ballot shall be at least
twenty-one (21) days prior to the Delegate Certification deadline set below. The Chairman or
his designee shall be responsible for tallying the results of the Candidate Preference Ballots,
and reporting the results to the Committee and the candidates for public office on or before
April 13, 2018, which is at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Delegate Certification deadline set
below. The Chairman or his designee shall respond by email to each Military Member to
confirm the receipt of each emailed returned ballot.
Military Delegates. Persons who would otherwise qualify to be a Delegate from their local unit
may request to be a Delegate to the Military Delegation instead. Such persons shall submit a
pre-file statement to the local unit in accordance with the pre-file requirement in the local
unit’s Call, or if none, directly to the District Convention Chairman at [email protected] not later
than April 13, 2018. Such Pre-file statement or form shall include a statement of intent to
support all Republican Nominees and their preference for candidates for public office, if any,
along with any pre-file fees for Delegates specified in the Call. Current or former active duty or
reserve military or military family members are highly encouraged to serve as Military
Delegates. No one may serve as both a Delegate of the Military Delegation and a Delegate
representing their local unit.
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Over-filing. In the event that more candidates for Delegate to the Military Delegation have pre-
filed than are allowed, Delegates shall be selected by the respective candidates for the highest
public office in proportion to the first-choice results of the Candidate Preference Ballot. (e.g. If
Candidate A for Governor receives 50% of the votes cast for first choice on the Candidate
Preference Ballot for Governor, Candidate A shall select 50% Delegates allowed from the pool
of pre-filed Delegates). In this case, candidates for the highest office shall select their Delegates
at least seven (7) days prior to the Certification deadline set below.
Military Delegation Voting at Convention. The Military Delegation shall be instructed to vote in
proportion to the Candidate Preference Ballot results of all Military Members. Unless the Call or
the Convention Rules specify otherwise, Military Delegates shall be free to cast their vote as
they wish for votes other than votes for a nomination for public office.
Candidacy Filing Requirements
Any person seeking election to the offices listed above under "Purposes" must file a written
declaration of candidacy and a filing fee with the Chairman at FML, 3064 River Road West,
Goochland, Virginia 23063, to be received by 5:00 PM, January 29, 2018. Postmarks shall not
be considered.
Required filing fees are: House of Representatives – $6,960.00; Seventh District Chairman –
$1,000.00; – payable by check, made out to the Seventh District Republican Committee. If the
number of qualified individuals who meet the filing requirements to any of the positions
outlined in the “Purposes” does not exceed the maximum number that can be elected, the
election for that position will be canceled and that person will be declared elected to that
position. The RPV Party Plan, Article VIII, Section A, Item 9 will apply as follows: If the number
of persons pre-filing as candidates for election for all offices to be decided upon at the
convention does not exceed the number to be elected, then the candidates shall be declared
elected by the Republican Party and the convention shall be cancelled.
District Convention Registration Fees
Every Delegate and Alternate Delegate elected to the 7th District Convention is requested to
pay a voluntary $25.00 registration fee. In order to vote in any election for District Chairman or
State Central Committee member, the $25.00 registration fee is a mandatory requirement.
Voluntary and required fees shall be paid to the Unit represented, and the Unit will forward the
aggregated fees to the Seventh District Convention Treasurer.
Certification of Delegates
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The delegates present in a given delegation shall designate which alternate delegates shall vote
in the place of an absent delegate except where the electing body electing the delegates has
determined another method of alternate delegate selection. The said delegates and alternate
delegates to the District Convention so elected shall be certified in writing with their respective
names and addresses including zip codes and phone numbers over the signatures of the
permanent chairman and permanent secretary of the unit mass meeting or convention, or of
the unit chairman of the unit committee which may have conducted a party canvass to select
the delegates and alternate delegates. ALL CERTIFICATIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE DATE OF
LOCAL MASS MEETING, PARTY CANVASS OR CONVENTION must be postmarked not later than
seven (7) days prior to the convening of said convention, said certification deadline being April
28, 2018. After the filing deadline of the certification, no change may be made except a
certified alternate delegate may be made a delegate. A copy of the published call of the
convention, mass meeting or party canvass called for the purpose of selecting delegates and
alternate delegates to said convention, must accompany the certification with the date of
publication included. A delegate or alternate delegate is not certified until his name, address
and phone number has been provided on the certification. Certification should be mailed or
delivered as follows: Original – Chairman, Ben Slone, FML, 3064 River Road West, Goochland,
Virginia 23063; Second Copy – District Secretary, Ann Beauchamp, 144 Black Walnut, Richmond,
Virginia, 23238; Third Copy – For the unit’s records
Convention Committees
The District Chairman shall appoint the Chairman, and each Unit Chairman shall appoint one
member, to the following Convention committees: Credentials, Rules, Resolutions and
Nominations. No confirmation of these committees shall be required by the Convention.
Authorized and paid for by the Seventh District Republican Congressional Committee