PRESS RELEASE
Chair Wheeler Recall Effort Shifts to “Reject Don’t Re-elect” Mode
Executive director says: “Citizens want to BE SURE the next four years are without Wheeler!”
Haymarket, Virginia (March 31, 2023) – Citizens seeking to cleanse the county board of “bought and paid-for” supervisors announced a shift in strategy away from recalling embattled Chair Ann Wheeler in favor of ensuring she is not re-elected.
“There is no question Ann Wheeler has failed the citizens of this county,” Coalition executive director Elena Schlossberg said. “The real strategic question is how can those rightfully angry citizens best focus their efforts in addressing this failure? As of today, we’re refocusing one hundred percent of our effort to opposing Wheeler’s re-election, first in the upcoming June primary, two and a half months away.”
Schlossberg noted, “Our community is amazing. We have the heart and courage to do what must be done. We’ve stopped two cash-loaded corporations, Dominion Energy and Amazon Web Services, from putting powerlines through rural and residential areas. We’ve forced a coin-operated, corrupt supervisor to resign with County and Commonwealth’s attorneys on his heels. Now it’s time for this community to send Wheeler packing – for the long-term.”
“The goal has not changed at all.” Schlossberg continued. “Wheeler must go. And this is where some nitty-gritty details end up mattering. We’ve worked hard to get signatures and build momentum … and given Wheeler’s disdain for regular citizens, the community’s enthusiasm for her recall is understandable. But with a primary looming in June and the general election not far off, the best option for this community to guarantee the data-center darling starts her retirement early is to ensure that our democratic process prevents her from being in office.”
“Why shift from ‘recall’ to a ‘reject don’t re-elect’?,” Schlossberg asked. “It’s mostly about timing. It would be challenging to get a formal recall submission completed before the primary. By rejecting her reelection, we guarantee Queen Ann is tossed off her throne for four years.”
Schlossberg added, “Ann has been remarkable in one way … she has shown that despite her cynical suppression of citizen voices and sowing division, she has succeeded in joining this community together, across political ideology, racial and ethnic diversity, and with no daylight between religious differences with one common goal, to restore some semblance of integrity to local government. Bob Weir’s election to the Gainesville supervisor position was a good start. In terms of Ann Wheeler, there’s a lot of work yet to be done at the ballot box.”
“I have nothing but love for – and faith in – our citizens,” Schlossberg concluded, “Despite data center dollars and paid-for puppets, our community turned out in droves in the February special election, crossed party lines, and showed with their voice and votes that this community’s quality of life is not for sale. We will do so again, now on a county-wide stage. We know more cash-propped candidates have entered the race, cynically asking us to ignore the fact that they’re both on the ballot and on the take. We know how to “pull the lever” and will make the difference with our vote.”