The Republican state senator, who calls herself “Trump in heels” and lost the June 20 primary for Virginia’s 12th Senate District, told The Virginia Star her reasons for not launching a write-in campaign in the general election.
“Many of you have asked if I’m organizing a write-in campaign this year in Senate District 12. I’m currently not organizing a write-in campaign,” said State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield County), whose district changed since her reelection in 2019. Chase lost to former State Senator Glen Sturtevant.
The state senator said she was still troubled by how the primary voting was handled, but the effort involved in a write-in was too considerable a challenge.
“Too much work with little return because of the amount of time, energy, and effort to educate voters,” the state senator said. “I do 100 percent believe there was maladministration during early voting, and still think there should be consequences for those who were involved in that malfeasance.”
A week after the primary, Chase filed an election complaint regarding election officials allowing a Sturtevant campaign team member access to the early voting machines. She also said she was considering a write-in challenge against Sturtevant.
“The Sturtevant campaign manager was the only Republican campaign in a three-way primary to be invited to the certification of the early voting machines,” Chase said.
“The Republican Party of Virginia leadership should hold those people accountable so that this never happens again, and the people can have confidence in the election process,” she said.
“I’m going to instead spend my time finishing up my responsibilities in the Senate and resting up before potentially running a statewide race next year,” she said.
In May, the Chase campaign disclosed that it had learned from the Chesterfield County registrar’s office that Sturtevant’s campaign manager, Lauren Fulcher, was selected by Chesterfield County GOP Chairman Leslie Haley as the Republican representative inspecting the early voting machines.
The Chase campaign said the campaign manager originally signed in as “Lauren Fuller,” but the registrar staff insisted she use her real name.
On election night, Chase was the leading candidate until the early voting machine ballots were counted, putting Sturtevant ahead by 346 votes.
In a statement after Election Day, Chase said someone had to hold the county chairman and the Sturtevant campaign to account.
“We’re not asking for a recount. A recount won’t correct the problem. We will never know for sure if there were bad actors in the early voting certification process,” the state senator said.
“We’re asking for those who acted illegally to be held accountable for their unethical actions during early voting.”
Chase’s decision to forego the write-in campaign means she will not further aggravate party leaders, as she plans a run for statewide office.
Another GOP state senate primary hopeful, Matt Strickland, is already launching his own write-in campaign for the commonwealth’s 27th Senate District, won by State Assemblywoman Tara Durant. Strickland, an Army combat medic veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Star he is running his write-in campaign because he is incensed that Durant supporters sent out mailers claiming he supported transgender ideology in the schools, among other smears.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made his party-winning control of the upper chamber one of his top priorities. Going into this year’s off-cycle election, Democrats have a 22-18 majority with five seats in place.
Suppose Republicans fail to gain control of the Virginia Senate. In that case, the governor’s agenda for the last two years of his one-term-limited term remains stalled, and also, with it, his ambitions for further public service in the US Senate or the White House.
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Neil W. McCabe is a staff reporter for The Virginia Star.
Photo “Amanda Chase” by Virginia Office of the Governor. CC BY 2.0. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Ron Cogswell. CC BY 2.0.
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