Home Griego calls for Goodlatte to repudiate Smith grassroots remarks
News

Griego calls for Goodlatte to repudiate Smith grassroots remarks

AFP

harry griegoSixth District Republican congressional nomination candidate Harry Griego called on incumbent Bob Goodlatte to repudiate the recent remarks by former State Senator Ralph Smith in Smith’s intra-party contest for Sixth District Republican Chairman.

“Mr. Smith referred disparagingly to the hard working grassroots members of our party as ‘outliers’ and accused them of not being ‘real’ Republicans. It’s unfortunate that he would see passionate, principled, and engaged members of the Republican party, who feel betrayed by their elected officials, as ‘outliers’ and say that they are ‘pervasive’ in a derogatory sense. These are the rank and file of our party, people like myself who for so long have been told to stay silent and trust the party leadership. The truth is that they, like myself, are tired of being treated like we exist only to prop up the entitled elected class.  These folks are not ‘outliers’, they are the heart and soul of the Republican party. I believe that they have a right to be heard, respected, listened to, and properly represented – both in the party leadership structure and in Washington.”

“It is public knowledge that Bob Goodlatte asked Ralph Smith to run – he is Bob’s handpicked candidate. Because of this close and public association, I believe it is right and necessary for my opponent to publicly repudiate Mr. Smith’s remarks against the grassroots of our party – or risk the voters concluding that he holds the same opinion of the grassroots as Mr. Smith,” Griego said.

“I’m running for Congress because I respect the Constitution and respect the grassroots who expect us to preserve and defend their liberties. We need a Congressman who will be a representative, not a ruler – and who will represent us to D.C., not represent the D.C. establishment to us against our will.”

Griego’s campaign website can be found at www.HarryGriego.com.

 




Featured Video

 

AFP

AFP

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora and YouTube. Support AFP by signing up for our newsletter and/or powering our work with a one-time or monthly contribution.

Latest News

uva football jahmal edrine
Football, Go 'Hoos

UVA Football: What the now-dismissed Jahmal Edrine case did to the 2026 season

uva football jahmal edrine
Football, Go 'Hoos

Rape, abduction charges against former UVA Football player Jahmal Edrine dismissed

The rape and abduction charges against former UVA Football player Jahmal Edrine have been dismissed, less than a month before Edrine was set to go before an Albemarle County jury for a scheduled four-day trial.

louise lucas abigail spanberger
Politics, Virginia

Spanberger on Louise Lucas indictment: ‘Presumed innocent until proven guilty’

Gov. Abigail Spanberger is taking the closest thing to the high road that she can take with respect to the news that her political nemesis, Louise Lucas, has been charged in a multi-count racketeering indictment by the Trump DOJ.

healthcare
Football, Go 'Hoos

UVA Football: Update on the injury list, with notes on key guys who are ‘out,’ ‘doubtful’

ty jerome uva basketball
Basketball, Go 'Hoos

UVA Basketball: Ty Jerome goes 45-7-6 for Memphis in season-opening win

northern virginia
Virginia

Virginia State Police trying to track down family of deceased Colorado man

richmond map
Virginia

Richmond man arrested in connection with Sept. 25 fatal hit-and-run