Virginia GOP party to hold nominating convention for primary, sparking 'dumpster fire' backlash

The Virginia Republican Party has decided to hold a nominating convention instead of a primary to select statewide candidates for next year’s election – prompting outgoing GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman to call the state party a “raging dumpster fire.”

State party officials during an online meeting Saturday voted in favor of the nomination process.

The decision has also prompted state Sen. Amanda Chase, to say she’ll run as an independent. 

“Over the past decade, I’ve seen too many of our grassroots candidates get cheated by the Republican establishment elite and political consultants who control these Republican Conventions and I refuse to be another casualty,” Chase, who has strongly supported President Trump’s efforts to uncover Nov. 3 voter fraud, posted Saturday on Facebook. 

The other major GOP candidate to so far declare a run for governor is Kirk Cox, a state delegate and a former Virginia House speaker. 

Riggleman, who has criticized fellow Republican for supporting President Trump’s efforts to uncover voter fraud, is also considering a gubernatorial run as an independent, according to The Washington Post. 

The first-term congressman lost his seat in June when defeated in a party primary by a more conservative challenger.

He made the “dumpster fire” comment this past weekend in a Twitter post.

Chase also has been critical of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s order in June to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond.