Politics & Government

County Chairman Is Considering U.S. Senate Campaign

Corey Stewart may seek the U.S. Senate seat that Democrat Jim Webb is leaving behind.

County Chairman Corey Stewart said during a Feb. 9 CNN interview that a U.S. Senate seat is on his mind after Democrat Jim Webb announced on the same day that he is not going to run for re-election.

Obviously, if Stewart were to beat George Allen for the Republican nomination and then go on to win the U.S. Senate seat, he would not remain as county chairman if he were to win that position.

Stewart's Democratic challenger for the county chairman spot, Babur Lateef, today is challenging Stewart to make a choice: Prince William County or Washington, DC.

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“Corey Stewart has some serious explaining to do to the people of Prince William County,” Lateef said. “Yesterday, he made it clear Prince William County would take a back seat to his political ambitions for higher office.  Today, I challenge Corey Stewart to give the people of Prince William County the answers they deserve. Will he run for higher office or will he actually focus on the county he is supposed to serve?  He can’t do both.”

Stewart stated in a Feb. 9 press release that Webb's departure represents a great opportunity for a Republican to regain the seat (Webb beat Allen to win the seat in 2006). Stewart said many grassroots Republicans and "Tea Party patriots" have urged him to run for U.S. Senate.

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"As Chairman of the second largest county in Virginia, I have the type of profile that is needed to win in November of 2012. In order for a Republican to be elected statewide in Virginia, they must do well in Northern Virginia, and this is something that I have already demonstrated that I am able to do," Stewart said.

But Stewart also said that his first priority is to the "voters of Prince William County."

Mixed messages? Lateef thinks so.

Kevin McNulty, who is Stewart's aide, said today that Stewart's focus is on Prince William County. He said Stewart never said during the CNN interview that he is going to run for the Senate seat.

“All he said was that the decision that Senator Webb is not to run again made him think about it," McNulty said. "He didn’t say he was going to do it.”

McNulty said there is political chatter about Stewart running for the U.S. Senate seat, and that there is the possibility that he will, but "he is firmly committed to running as chairman for Prince William County."

 "If Dr. Lateef has such a problem with Chairman Stewart's leadership, he should start to distinguish what his plan is and what he plans to do instead of attacking the chairman," McNulty said.

Lateef's website does not contain any positions, plan or political beliefs. But there is a message that, "Over the next few weeks we will be launching our official website." Lateef also isn't the definite challenger for the chairman's seat; he would need to defeat Gary Friedman, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination.

Stewart also has another person running for the GOP in Haymarket Town Councilman Bob Weir.

McNulty said Lateef ought to be thinking about how he is going to beat Friedman, not Stewart.


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