Delegate Nick Freitas
By Kim Smith
Most of you know that our Republican Delegate, Nick Freitas, will not have his name listed on the official ballot for the November 5th election. To say that this was a perfect storm is putting it mildly. [MCRC Chair] Jim [Smith] decided to chronicle it – and the paper is over 23 pages long with a 57-page attachment.
There are several important considerations in this saga. The first is that Nick has represented us well for the past four years – with a committee assignment that led him to be part of the actual process of protecting our first amendment rights, both in the regular session and in the special session. His position on life is well-known, as are his speeches and attendance at rallies on the subject. He is truly the voice of freedom and liberty, placing laws and the supreme law – the U.S. Constitution – where it rightly belongs above all else but God.
Nick has been the voice of the people – not just us but so many others. His speeches against injustices, his speeches supporting our rights, his remarks about over-regulation and its effects on our economy, his remarks on life, and, among many others, his remarks on liberty have been heard by people far beyond our borders – and in one case at least were heard by 12 million people. His following seems to be nationwide.
We had the privilege of being invited to the inaugural meeting for the new class of potential college Republicans at the University of Virginia Thursday night. Nau Hall was quite full – with at least 60 students in attendance, half of whom were new to the college and its many opportunities to engage with communities. Nick was the featured speaker, and it was the first time I'd heard him in a formal setting in person. For about forty-five minutes, we could have heard a pin drop – no squirming, rustling, side conversations, just rapt attention.
His explanations of the differences between capitalism and socialism were magnificent – and easy to understand. His views on the liberty we grew up enjoying – and the 200 years before us – were awesome. There were so many issues addressed that there's simply not room to share here. After a photo-op with the students, there was apparently an opportunity for them to sign-up on the dotted line – and the vast majority there did! I spoke with a student who had been unsure when he attended the meeting. He came up to me to chat, and he summarized it in a few words: "That was awesome. I'm sold." Nick quite literally brought us a group of people with Future of the Republican Party stamped on their foreheads.
Now to the practical:
Our Representatives to the House of Delegates must first be nominated by what is know as the LDH (Legislation District – House), in Nick's case, District 30. This happened unanimously last December. Because of several computer glitches, the notification did not reach the intended recipient at the State Board of Elections. So another meeting was held to choose a nominee. Again, Nick was the unanimous choice of the Chairs of the Republican Units in Orange, Culpeper and Madison. When that was not "good enough", the question became "should we nominate someone else or should we go for a write-in campaign?". The LDH wanted NICK as our candidate. A write-in was the choice.
So, fellow Republicans, we have a challenge facing us. Can we pull off what appears to be the biggest write-in campaign thus far in Virginia's history? It is amazingly easy to cast a write-in ballot. In the House of Delegates section, just fill in the rectangle – or oval or square on the other counties' ballots – and write NICK FREITAS on the line next to the bubble.) We just need to inform people that it's happening – every single voter in Madison County (and Orange and part of Culpeper, too).
Door-knocking is going on throughout LDH30, including in Madison. There will be postcards sent; telephone calls made; Meet and Greets held – and a forum in Culpeper on October 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Daniel Technology Center that features Nick and his challenger, among others. On Election Day – and the two Saturday mornings preceding the election, the polls will be manned with outside workers to help this effort from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Help by spreading the word however you can. Volunteer for an hour or two or days if you can.
You all are well aware of what's at stake if we lose the House of Delegates (and the Senate). So, let's do everything possible to make this effort a resounding success. If you have ANY questions, please just call!
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