Jim Gilmore: Friend of the Republican Party

The CRP is officially neutral in the Republican presidential primary, as it should be. Further, as Chairman I generally avoid commenting on individual candidates or campaigns, this to avoid the appearance of favoring one candidate over another. We're for whomever our national convention nominates -- in the meantime, they're all better than Hillary Clinton.

That having been said, it's easier to comment on a candidate once they are no longer in the running.

This weekend, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore exited the presidential primary contest, citing the enormous financial challenge posed by the compressed primary schedule. Gone are the days when a candidate can focus on a few early primary contests and build the momentum needed to build a campaign during a months-long primary schedule. The barriers to entry in this market have been vastly expanded.

Governor Gilmore is a great friend to the Republican Party as a result of his long record of putting Republican ideas into action as Virginia Attorney General, Governor, and as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. I've known Governor Gilmore for many years, and had the opportunity to personally witness his principled leadership when he chaired the federal Internet Tax Commission (formally known as the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce), where he steered the body in a firmly anti-tax direction.

The word on the street is Gov. Gilmore may again run for Virginia Governor (the state has a one-term limit for governor, but it's not a lifetime ban, just a prohibition on consecutive terms), or for the U.S. Senate in the event Sen. Warner (R) steps down.

In any case, Gov. Gilmore is a principled leader with a demonstrated record of success, and we look forward to seeing him in office again in the future.