Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave…
Tom Brock, a Berniecrat who supported Hillary Clinton once she received the Democratic nomination, declared himself a Democratic candidate for Delegate from District 21 within 4 days of the November 8, 2016 general election. There were no other Democratic candidates in HD 21 at the time. HD21 includes portions of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Hillary Clinton carried it in 2016. The seat is currently held by Republican Ron Villanueva. In 2009, Villaneuva won by a mere 14 votes with 15,000 votes cast. The seat was challenged in 2015 but Villanueva won by a margin of 1,533 votes out of only 11,157 cast. Participation rate was only 22%. This year the anti-Trump sentiment is expected to bring a surge of Democratic voters to the polls.
When talking about Virginia Beach politics there is a name that pops up repeatedly, Stolle. Ken Stolle is the Sheriff, Colin Stolle the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Chris Stolle, Republican incumbent, House of Delegates District 83. The Stolle family appears to run the Republican party in the area. An additional Stolle family member, Siobban (Stolle) Dunnavent, is the state senator from Henrico, Senate District 12. This is a well-protected dynasty in the region and they are not afraid to wield their position to the advantage of the family and party. While none of the Stolle clan is running in the HD 21 race themselves, HD-21 is critical. Both Colin Stolle and Ken Stolle are up for reelection this year. A heavy Democratic turnout could cost them their jobs.
On February 8, 2017, Kelly Fowler, a Virginia Beach real estate agent, declared herself a Democratic candidate for the HD21 Democratic primary as well.
Within days of her announcement, a whisper campaign began. Screenshots of truncated Facebook conversations from 2009-2014, taken from both Tom Brock’s and his son’s Facebook accounts, surfaced and were sent to the House Democratic Caucus. On March 23, 2017, Brock apologized to the HDC for the postings, disavowing the sexist comments and allegedly racist sentiments they expressed and released his letter to the press. Brock has continued to deal with that issue here, in his district and in the press. Additional decontextualized Facebook posts were released in early May and have subsequently been sent to TV stations, the Virginian Pilot in Virginia Beach, Richmond Times Dispatch, Roanoke Times and the Washington Post and TV media which have all published them.
However, the hook was baited and the House Democratic Caucus (HDC) just swallowed it. On May 16, 2017, the HDC leaders publicly asked Brock to step down from the primary race. The HDC also took the unusual step of endorsing Brock’s opponent in the primary, violating the spirit of The Party Plan, although The Plan of the DPVA clearly states:
Section 10.11 Party Endorsements
The Democratic Party of Virginia, and any of its components, including county and city Democratic committees, Congressional district committees, the State Central Committee, the State Steering Committee, State Party caucuses, and State Party constituency groups, may not formally endorse contested candidates for office prior to their nominations.
It’s not my job to accuse or defend Brock here. This diary is to raise awareness of some of the perplexing questions that have arisen, the things that just don’t fit.
First, who is the House Democratic Caucus (HDC) and what is its relationship to the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA)? The HDC is a powerful group of House Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly which is separate from the DPVA itself. I spoke with Dr. Ferguson Reid, the first black person elected to the Virginia legislature since Civil War Reconstruction. a civil rights icon and living Democratic trailblazer about this.
“There is no provision in The Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia for the creation of The Senate Caucus or of The House Caucus. They are essentially PACs and their purpose is to raise money for Democratic Candidates. Many contributors think that the money they give goes to all Democratic Candidates, however the HDC determines which candidates they will support. If they think you can't win, no money. (this happens in both the Republican and Democratic Parties on the State and National Level). The elected officials controlling the Caucuses control both Parties, it’s the Tail wagging the Dog”
Dr. Reid went on to say that the HDC even controls candidates’ campaign materials, printing and even their choice of pollsters and campaign managers.
Brock is a supporter of the ERA and a believer in climate change. He has pledged to not accept money from Dominion and Appalachian Power monopolies for his campaign. His platform includes support for public schools, putting an end to gerrymandering, de-militarizing the police, raising the minimum wage, expansion of public transportation, and strengthening unions.
Multiple Daily Kos articles have been published in support of Brock and Brock has taken to Daily Kos himself to talk about the issue.
Clearly, someone(s) wants to force Tom Brock out of the race. Who did the selective retrieval form Brock’s and his son’s Facebook accounts of 2011 and 2014? Why did the opposition research on Brock appear almost 3 months after he declared his candidacy for Delegate, but within days of his Democratic opponent’s announcement? Who has the kind of skill to do a dig like that in such a short time, especially since some of the information sourced was the Facebook account of Brock’s son, not Brock himself? The quality of the opposition research digging shows support of powerful people. Was it the HDC or the Stolle family? Is it possible that Brock was beginning to show himself as too strong a candidate and awareness was growing that the anti-Trump sentiment seen nationally would be manifested in a tidal wave of Democratic voters in District 21?
Who was the “anonymous source” of the material sent to TV stations and The Virginian Pilot, Richmond Times Dispatch, Roanoke Times and Washington Post? The Richmond Times Dispatch stated, “A source not affiliated with any of the candidates provided the postings to the Times-Dispatch.” Was it the HDC or the Stolle family?
Is it just a coincidence that opposition research on Tom Brock was made public just days after Kelly Fowler announced her candidacy for the same position?
Why is Kelly Fowler, a Democrat, running for House 21? Her husband is a Deputy Sheriff with Ken Stolle. If she wins, her husband’s job as Deputy Sheriff is in peril. Or is it?
Is it just coincidence that Kelly Fowler’s campaign manager, Ty Williams, is the same person who managed Siobban (Stolle) Dunnavent’s opponent’s campaign for state senate district 12?
Why hasn’t the leadership of the HDC and the DPVA investigated these allegations further and denounced the smear campaign against Brock? The HDC, because it’s its own private club, does not have to abide by The Party Plan against endorsing one candidate over another in the primary. How does the HDC benefit if Brock drops out?
Why is the HDC urging Brock to step aside for “racist remarks” but is not denouncing the Confederacy statues along Monument Ave and in Lee Park in Charlottesville that are testaments to a terrible part of our nation’s history?
The Richmond Times Dispatch has published two articles on the issue, both written by reporter Patrick Wilson. The second article included pious statements from members of the HDC decrying the material. Brock provided a statement to the RTD at the reporter’s request but it has yet to be published. The second article also included screenshots of the decontextualized Facebook posts. Is it just a coincidence that this reporter was previously a reporter at the Virginian Pilot in Virginia Beach?
Obviously, someone wants Tom Brock out of the race. And just as obviously, the Stolle family-would prefer a weak Democratic candidate to oppose the Republican incumbent, Villanueva in the November election because a weaker candidate would lose to Villanueva. Kelly Fowler has ties to the Stolle family because of her husband’s job.
Why would the HDC sacrifice a strong Democratic candidate in the race, a move that would likely lead to a Republican win in November? In Virginia Beach, sometimes Democratic officials cooperate with Republicans toward a common goal in a quid pro quo fashion. If eliminating Brock as an opponent to Villanueva is the “quid”, what is the “quo” that the HDC will get in return?
Will the HDC also violate the spirit of Section 10.11 further by providing funding and materials to Fowler over a fellow Democrat in the primary?
2017 is also the year of a Virginia Governor’s election. In the most recent Governor’s race, Virginia Beach went Republican. A strong Democratic turnout for the House Delegate race, particularly in this year of Post-Trump anger, leading to a Dem win in the Delegate race might also translate to a Democratic win in 21 in the race for Governor.
Something smells really bad in Virginia Beach. And it’s not the fish. Tom Brock has clearly fallen victim to the axiom that the internet never forgets, and its content can be manipulated. Because of this, he has become the target of a Dirty Tricks campaign which is receiving increasing attention statewide. The HDC is facilitating this smear and has even gone so far as to violate the spirit of the DPVA Party Plan by endorsing one candidate over another in a primary. By endorsing in this way, they have exposed the DPVA to some legal liability for damages to the Brock campaign. Whatever Brock’s missteps and misstatements have been, the House District 21 voters should make the decision about him, not the HDC or the DPVA. The voters should have the right to choose who represents them. A political party platform is supposed to be something you can stand on and stand for. Hey, members of the House Democratic Caucus, worry your own electoral races and trust the democratic process in HD 21.
Virginia HD 21 - Tom Brock
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