Melody Scalley faces fence-sitter for GOP House nomination
WILL THE REAL CONSERVATIVE STAND UP?: GOP activist Melody Scalley is running for the 100th House of Delegates seat on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
By Kenric Ward | Watchdog.org Virginia Bureau
RICHMOND, Va. – A fence-straddling Republican who may have swung a Senate election for Democrats last month is contending for the House of Delegates.
And he has many Eastern Shore conservatives spitting sand.
The 100th House district – which stretches from Norfolk to Accomack County – opened when incumbent Democrat Lynwood Lewis moved up to the Senate.
Lewis’ 11-vote squeaker over Republican Wayne Coleman in last month’s special election blocked the GOP from retaining control of the Senate.
Now Robert Bloxom Jr. – who refused to publicly endorse Coleman – is vying to succeed Lewis as a Republican.
Bloxom’s failure to back Coleman may well have tipped the pivotal Senate election for the Democrats. As son of former GOP Delegate Robert “Bob” Bloxom Sr., junior was in position to aid the Republican cause.
Bloxom defended his neutrality in the race by saying Lewis is a personal friend and second cousin to his wife.
Political compromise seems to run in the family. Bloxom’s father was an early endorser of Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor, and now serves as secretary of agriculture.
But with a GOP nomination meeting set for Saturday, Bloxom the younger says he’s all in for the conservative cause.
Saying he “was approached by both Democrats and Republicans to run,” Bloxom nonetheless describes himself as “a small-government Republican.”
Yet Bloxom is late to the party, literally. He did not file an application to become a member of the local Republican unit until Dec. 16.
Melody Scalley — a lifelong Republican, party activist and former GOP House candidate — is squaring off against Bloxom at Saturday’s meeting in Onley.
Because any registered voters in the district – including Democrats – can cast ballots at the mass meeting, Republican activists are ramping up a get-out-the-vote effort for Scalley.
State Sen. Steve Martin issued a call for action Tuesday. The Chesterfield Republican praised Scalley as “a solid conservative with a record of working hard for our limited government principles.
“Melody has the right understanding and respect for the district she is seeking to represent,” Martin said.
Kenric Ward is chief of Watchdog.org’s Virginia Bureau. Contact him at kenric@watchdogvirginia.org or at (571) 319-9824. @Kenricward
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