Will the one of the driving forces of the TEA Party movement in Virginia run for office? Dr. Bob Holsworth over the weekend raised the specter on his Virginia Tomorrow blog that Jamie Radtke would be a formidable candidate, writing that she is far more polished than Sharon Angle and Christine O’Donnell, the Republican U.S. Senate candidates in Nevada and Delaware, respectively. Both won competitive primaries over establishment choices and Ms. Angle, a former state legislator, is leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Ms. Radkte was the lead organizer of the first-ever Virginia TEA Party Convention October 8-9. The event was the largest of its type in the country, drawing nearly 3,000 people, dozens of prominent speakers, a plethora of sponsors and media from all four corners of the country and some from abroad. Think of it as campaign activists, donors, high profile endorsements and media savy, respectively, and you have the makings of a solid candidate.
She handled it all professionally, too, even though her TEA Party activities are volunteer. Only a couple of hours ago, Anita Kumar of the Washington Post’s Virginia Politics Blog, added to the Radtke speculation:
Radtke said if it happens it would not be anytime soon because she is so busy with the tea party movement and because there is no election in the near future (after the midterm election in two weeks).
“It will be something I will consider and think about,” she said.
That may be a bit coy on Ms. Radtke’s part. As astute as she is, she knows there are elections next year in Virginia for the House of Delegates as well as the Virginia Senate. Could a TEA Party come to a GOP primary or general election near you in 2011?
Maybe she means that she likes who is representing her in the House of Delegates or the State Senate which is why she isn’t considering next year.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Family Foundation, srossie. srossie said: TEA Party Queen Radtke May Run For Office http://t.co/XKirelT [...]
David: Why ruin all the fun?
Steve, The Admin
[...] Is Jamie Radtke making moves that would confirm our pre-recent-election speculation that she is int…? It all started after her very successful Virginia TEA Party Convention (see Lynn Mitchell in the Washington Examiner) in October that prompted Virginia politics commentator Dr. Bob Holsworth to write on his Virginia Tomorrow blog that she would be a formidable candidate for office one day. But, we wondered, what office? [...]
[...] we speculated previously (here and here), Jamie Radtke, the organizer of the successful Virginia Tea Party convention in October, [...]