Delegate Patrick Hope just issued a statement announcing he will not be a candidate for the Senate. Here's what I just released in response. Click here to sign up to get updates and be the first to know once I make a decision.
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BEN TRIBBETT STATEMENT REGARDING PATRICK HOPE’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF NON-CANDIDACY
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TRIBBETT PRAISES HOPE; SAYS NOW THAT HOPE HAS DECIDED NOT TO RUN, TRIBBETT WILL ACTIVELY CONSIDER RUNNING HIMSELF
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Long-time Virginia Democratic leader Ben Tribbett today strongly praised his fellow Democrat, Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47), on the occasion of Hope’s announcement earlier today that Hope has decided not to seek the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s Senate District 31.
“In his first term in office, Patrick Hope has established an outstanding record of progressive activism. I was very much looking forward to being one of Patrick’s strongest supporters if he had decided to seek the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 31st Senate District”, Tribbett said. “I look forward to an opportunity in the future to support Hope for higher office”, Tribbett added.
“Now that Patrick Hope has decided not to seek this Senate nomination, a large number of his supporters and other Virginia Democrats have urged me to run,” Tribbett noted. “The voters in this Senate district deserve a strong progressive voice in the Virginia Senate, and they also deserve someone who will address local community concerns in all three counties within this district. If I decide to run, I am confident I will provide them with that voice”, Tribbett concluded.
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Ben Tribbett is a long-time Virginia Democratic leader who grew up in Fairfax County. He currently resides in the Rosslyn neighborhood in Arlington. Tribbett has served as the campaign manager or chief consultant to 13 Fairfax and Loudoun county general election candidates- compiling a record of 11-0 in general elections, including 7-0 in Republican held seats that were successfully “turned blue”. In recent years, Tribbett has focused on his technology business in Arlington and running “Not Larry Sabato”, Virginia’s most heavily visited political blog. He is best known for having broken the “macaca” story in 2006 that led to George Allen’s defeat.
The 31st Senate district as redrawn and sent to the Governor for approval includes three counties- Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun. The portions of Arlington County included in the district are areas around Columbia Pike and the Ballston to Rosslyn corridor which include the highest density young voter populations in the Commonwealth. The district then straddles the Potomac River through parts of North Arlington and into Fairfax County, where Tribbett served as President of the Fairfax Young Democrats among other roles. The Fairfax portion of the district includes portions of McLean inside the beltway that are north of Old Dominion Road , all of McLean outside the beltway, all of Great Falls, and portions of Vienna (Colvin/Shouse precincts) and Herndon (Clearview and Sugarland precincts). The district then continues into Loudoun County where it includes most of the district currently known as Sugarland Run, which like Arlington has large pockets of young voters included.
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