Something old, something new, something borrowed

And nothing blue. Carl Tate says the gang of eight vying for the GOP nomination in the 20th House District is the "best and brightest our party has to offer." Really? Hum! I can think of a couple local Republicans who should be on any list of the party's best and brightest, yet they aren't on this list. But, it is good to see the bottom of the local barrel isn't on the list either.

Among the crowd, we have a couple trying to make a political comeback after setbacks - Charles Curry and Ray Ergenbright. I can't believe Ray has a chance, but who knows? Curry has the experience and knowledge to make him an attractive candidate, except he ran, as an independent, against a sitting GOP supervisor. They say elephants never forget.

Some like Cliff Fretwell have a background in the party that may help or hurt his chances. He's been invisible for a good while and falls in that "something old" category. Hard to believe they want to go back to the past. Hey, didn't you say these are Republicans?

A number of these guys are pretty new on the public political scene. Will the GOP roll the dice on an unknown? Many conservatives abhor gambling.

Among the newbies, give David Karaffa some credit. While I thought his TV coverage of his announcement was pretty pathetic, he did get his name out there 24 hours and one news cycle before all the others except Dickie Bell. Still, he's a little to fresh on the political scene.

Coming full circle, that brings us back to Dickie Bell, a current member of Staunton City Council. Some say he is also Del. Saxman's choice. He does still seem to be on the inside track. But, after virtually anointing Bell in the wake of Saxman's announcement, GOP leaders backed off. Questions about getting professional leave and some of his actions on council bubbled to the surface. Was the announcement of the forum really a desire to open up the process or a classic case of having second thoughts?

Eight white males. Mostly middled aged. Whatever that means. One older. One younger. A public forum that, given the history of recent Republican meetings, could turn into a stampede of elephants. Homeland security, anyone? Or zookeepers? A deal that may be done before all the shouting begins. Hey, no smoking in the back rooms of schools!

Cluck, cluck, cluck

This one has woken up the barnyard. The Daily News-Record is reporting that Chris Saxman will drop out of the House of Delegates race in District 20. He will apparently have a press conference late today. Saxman was first elected in 2001. According to the article, Saxman wants to pursue his passion - school choice. Perhaps he's going to go work with Mike Farris, a homeschool advocate who once ran for Lt. Governor and set up the Home School Legal Defense Association? Or maybe he's turning his attention to something in 2010 or beyond?

This is great news for Erik Curren, the Democratic nominee. Everyone, including Erik himself, knew going toe to toe with an established incumbent was going to be difficult, if not impossible. Hard to know who the Republican chairs in Staunton, Augusta, Rockingham, and Highland will nominate, but at a minimum, this is a game changer that will energize Curren supporters and Democrats. You can expect new excitement, more dollars, and more attention from the DPVA for the Curren campaign.

I have no inside knowledge who might be on track for the GOP. Some speculation-

Charles Curry sought the nomination in 2001 but was beaten by Saxman. Curry is retired from teaching at JMU, farms in the Mount Solon area and involved with the Farm Bureau, and is a former member of both the Augusta County School Board and Board of Supervisors. But, trying to make a comeback, he ran as an independent for the Board of Supervisors in 2007, losing a close one. Could running against the GOP candidate be held against him?

Another possibility is Bill Kyger, a teacher at TA and Republican member of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors. There have been some rumors that he didn't care for Saxman and he might want challenge him at some point. One has to wonder if they'll pick a candidate from that end of the district since the bulk of the population is in Staunton and Augusta Co.

Former Staunton mayor John Avoli could be a long shot. He's now director of the Frontier Culture Museum and has stayed out of partisan politics in that role. This opportunity may be appealing. Rumor is that he considered seeking the GOP nod in 2001, but decided against it.

Stay tuned. This story has as many legs as a centipede.