It’s a trending observation among Loudoun’s political establishment: Scott York has shifted way back to the right this year. He’s endorsed paleo-conservative clan scion Dick Black, developer-darling Ken Reid, and virulent homophobe Eugene Delgaudio with a now-famous hug. At Leesburg Patch, Jim Barnes distills York’s history and contrasts it with the campaign he’s running today.
This year, York surprised many observers by announcing his decision to run for the chairmanship as a Republican, which means that he will first have to defeat conservative Steve Stockman at the Republican convention to receive the party’s nomination. Another surprise came when York and Delgaudio expressed support for one another and literally embraced one another. Strange bedfellows, indeed!
York has now publicly endorsed Dick Black for the Virginia State Senate. When serving in the House of Delegates, Black was regarded as one of the most conservative members of the General Assembly, known mostly for his crusades and political stunts in opposition to abortion, gay rights, and “pornography” in the libraries.
York also recently secured the endorsement of Black’s son-in-law, Mick Staton, who served on the Board from 2004-2007, and who was a member of the coalition that stripped York of some of his powers. – Jim Barnes
It’s telling that Mr. York sought the endorsement of Mick Staton. Mr. Staton is a man who helped disempower the Board Chair to the point where Mr. York had to seek recourse from the General Assembly in Richmond to restore his authority. It is also telling that Mr. York has spent the past four years endorsing and working with our great Democratic leaders, like Kelly Burk and Mark Herring, only to abandon his principles and friendship in order to secure his right to the Chairmanship nomination from the Loudoun Republicans.
Mr. Barnes is right to speculate, “But I also can’t help but wonder if his endorsements of Delgaudio, Black and others will be hard to digest for independents and Democrats who have supported York in the past, but who may find Democrat Tom Bellanca to be the more appealing candidate in the general election this fall.” Tom Bellanca is a knowledgeable, passionate businessman from the Dulles area, and a long-time member of Loudoun’s community. His quiet, consensus-building leadership is the antidote for the severe, and attention-grabbing shift of Scott York. Or rather, an appropriate answer to Mr. York’s return to his roots on the far right of Loudoun’s political spectrum.
Scott York has lost my respect.
Also, York endorsed Reid of all people. The man has gone off he deep end, imo. Here is who he endorses for office in LC – Eugene and Reid so far. I assume also Higgins and Clarke as well? Black get thrown in for good luck.
Come on Scott what are you doing here? I think he has lost my vote at this point. He has obviously jumped in with the developers board-in-waiting.
Do recall that York’s “powers” that were supposedly “stripped” from him were not statutory, but “traditional”.
I.e., when the county created the Chairman At Large position as opposed to electing a Chair annually from among the body (as the school board does, and the BoS does with Vice Chair), they were apparently so eager they didn’t do their homework, and didn’t attend to which duties they wanted that seat to keep.
Consequently, the only ones delineated in law are the standard duties of the position already enumerated in state code.
When the 2003 BoS took office, they set the Rules of Order as is done EACH YEAR, and specified who did what.
Those foaming at the mouth over the loss of the usual majority latched onto that as a means to express their outrage, and claimed he had been “stripped of power”.
No, they simply weren’t assigned to him that year, as they had to be if he were to have them at all, since they were NOT attached to his position when it was created.
The general assembly thing was silly, and adds to the rest of the Loudoun only legislation we are collecting.
We really need to update our form of government!
That would definitely make things interesting. I don’t see any indication that Mr. Burton has any interest in doing anything other than serving as Blue Ridge Supervisor, though.
I think Tom does have a chance of winning the race for Board Chair. Some things would have to swing his way, but crazier things have happened!
I would like to point out that Scott York did not GET redress from the general assembly until after the Republicans lost their majority on the BOS. The HOD was just fine with stripping the Chair of power as long as their folks were the beneficiaries.
Personally, I would like to see Jim Burton (I) run for Chair. Burton has a good shot at beating York, which frankly I don’t think Bellanca does.
If Burton runs for Chair, then Bellanca could run for the Blue Ridge seat, which he DOES have a shot at winning.