RICHMOND — The chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia said Monday that he’ll step down from the position at the end of the year as GOP leaders regroup following heavy losses in the Nov. 4 statewide elections.
“While it seems like we are in the cold, dark depths of winter right now (we are), I am supremely confident that Republicans will continue to fight for the values embodied in the Republican Creed, which can lead us to a victorious spring,” state Sen. Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg) wrote to the state Republican Central Committee on Monday, referring to the party’s statement of conservative values favoring free enterprise and individual liberty. The state party chose Peake as chairman in April.
Republicans knew 2025 would be a tough year for them in Virginia. The party that holds the White House has lost the state’s governor’s race every time but once over the past half-century, and Democrats pumped enormous resources into Virginia as a referendum on President Donald Trump.
But the magnitude of Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s 15-point win over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears caught almost everyone off guard. And Democrats not only swept statewide offices by winning for lieutenant governor and attorney general, but they also picked up a whopping 13 seats in the House of Delegates to create a 64-36 majority in that chamber.
Democrats already controlled the state Senate, which was not on the ballot, so the party will enjoy consolidated control of state government after January.
Republican finger-pointing has been rife on social media, with some putting blame on party leadership and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) — who, like all Virginia governors, is prohibited by the state constitution from seeking a consecutive second term.
The election results “are a damning indictment of the [Republican Party of Virginia’s] entrenched leadership,” Loudoun County party chairman Scott Pio posted on X a few days after the election. Pio had challenged Peake for the chairmanship earlier in the year, and on Monday thanked the senator for “taking the humble way out” but called on other party leaders to step aside as well.
Waverly Woods, a member of the Republican Party committee in Virginia Beach, said Peake and Youngkin were part of an “elite” establishment that alienated rank-and-file members around the state and didn’t do enough to whip up support for candidates. “It’s like they wanted to lose,” she said.
The governor waded into internal battles over local party control in Hampton Roads, Woods said, and “Mark Peake sat there and let it happen and did nothing.” The conflict demoralized volunteers and left the party rudderless on Election Day, Woods said.
A spokesman for Youngkin and his political action committee did not respond to a request for comment Monday night.
In Peake’s letter, he thanked Youngkin and all of the party’s candidates for their “support, partnership, and commitment to our shared values.” He said he was resigning as of Dec. 31 to devote himself to being a state senator, with the General Assembly session set to begin Jan. 14.
The next chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV), Peake said, will need full energy to combat efforts by Democrats to push through a proposed amendment to the state constitution that, if approved by voters, would let lawmakers draw new congressional districts and, theoretically, gerrymander in favor of Democrats.
“These will be crucial months that the Chairman of the RPV will need to vigorously lead the fight against the Democrats’ blatant Power Grab,” Peake wrote. “Accordingly, I will be stepping down so that the RPV can elect a new Chairman who will be able to devote their full time, energy, and attention to defeating this Referendum and then leading us to victory in the 2026 U.S. Senate and Congressional races.”
The Republican Party of Virginia holds its annual “Advance” this weekend in Williamsburg, where the need to secure new leadership is sure to be a major topic.
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