Virginia Beach GOP chair ousted in bitter party feud over control and transparency

[RandySF]

In a dramatic late-night vote that capped more than a year of escalating infighting, the Republican Party’s 2nd Congressional District Committee voted Wednesday to remove Laura Hughes as chairwoman of the Virginia Beach GOP, accusing her of mismanagement and failing to perform her duties.

But Hughes says the move was political payback — and an affront to the grassroots Republicans who elected her.

“This was a ‘screw you’ to the Virginia Beach voters,” she said of her detractors’ actions in a phone interview Thursday, “because they wanted this small little group who likes to stay in charge, and they installed a chair that will do their bidding. And I am most likely going to file an appeal with the state Republican party.”

The 11-4 vote took place after four hours of closed-door deliberations at the Chesapeake GOP office, with 15 ballots cast, including five by proxy. The use of proxies and the closed nature of the meeting drew swift criticism from more than 50 Hughes supporters gathered outside, who said the decision undermined transparency and local control.



https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/08/virginia-beach-gop-chair-ousted-in-bitter-party-feud-over-control-and-transparency/