County GOP Chairman Jacob Alderman said the party sold more than 300 tickets for the fundraiser, which brought in over $30,000 to support local political efforts. The evening featured prominent conservative speakers including Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega, and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.
A Focus on Diversity and Conservative Values
Vega reflected on key milestones, including her election as the first Latina on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and Sears’ historic win as the first Black woman to serve as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor. She described these achievements as “evidence of the Republican Party’s openness to diverse leadership.”
The 2025 GOP statewide ticket aims to continue that narrative: Sears, a Jamaican-born immigrant, is running for governor; John Reid, an openly gay nominee, is running for lieutenant governor; and Jason Miyares, the son of a Cuban refugee, is seeking re-election as attorney general.
Sears emphasized her campaign priorities, including energy, education, economic development, and public safety. She positioned herself as a champion of deregulation, low taxes, and pro-business policies, saying these would attract and retain employers across Virginia. Sears backed the use of nuclear and fossil fuels, drawing a sharp contrast with her likely Democratic opponent, who she said has accepted $265,000 from Clean Virginia, a group advocating for clean energy.
Heritage Foundation President Targets Spanberger
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts launched a direct attack on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, calling her voting record more extreme than that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Bernie Sanders, despite her moderate branding. Roberts pledged that Heritage’s political action committee would invest heavily in the 2025 election to defeat Spanberger and promote conservative values across the state.
Spanberger, a former CIA officer and federal law enforcement agent, has represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District since 2019. She gained attention for flipping a Republican-held seat in a historically conservative region and has positioned herself as a centrist voice within the Democratic Party. Spanberger has frequently advocated for bipartisan legislation and served on the House Agriculture and Foreign Affairs Committees.
In 2023, she announced she would not seek re-election to Congress and would instead run for governor of Virginia in 2025. Voters chose Eugene Vindman, a Democrat, to replace her in Congress.
Data Center Controversy Looms Over Event
Despite the celebratory tone, the evening was not without controversy. Several business leaders tied to the data center industry were spotted near the head tables, reigniting a heated local debate.
Data center development has become a flashpoint in Prince William County politics, particularly in the west where large parcels of land and proximity to high-voltage lines have made the area attractive to developers. Since Democrats gained control of the Board of Supervisors in 2019, scrutiny has grown over campaign contributions from the industry.
In the 2023 elections, Democrats were widely criticized for accepting large donations from data center developers. Some contributions reportedly flowed through other elected officials—such as Delegate Luke Torian (D-24), who received tens of thousands of dollars from data center interests despite facing no general election opponent. Torian then donated similar sums to the Prince William Democratic Committee. Critics like Bill Wright, a vocal opponent of data center sprawl, dubbed the practice “Reverend Luke’s ‘spin cycle,’” and pointed to similar patterns in donations from State Senators Jennifer Carroll Foy and Jeremy McPike.
Alderman addressed the controversy in a statement to Potomac Local News, reaffirming the GOP’s support for business growth and local decision-making. “The Republican Party is a natural partner to businesses, small and large,” he said. “We believe Prince William should be a good place to live, work, raise a family and operate a business. It is up to our local representatives to strike the right balance between these priorities.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin echoed that sentiment, recently vetoing HB1601, legislation that would have curtailed data center expansion by giving the state greater authority over siting decisions and requiring additional environmental studies. The bill, introduced by Delegate Josh Thomas (D-Prince William), was supported by most local legislators. In his veto message, Youngkin wrote: “While well-intentioned, the legislation imposes a one-size-fits-all approach on communities that are best positioned to make their own decisions.”
Silent Protest Outside the Event
Outside Fox Chase Manor, about 25 activists held a silent protest. They declined to speak with reporters, saying their signs—which referenced national figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk—spoke for themselves. The protest’s direct connection to the event or its speakers remained unclear.
