Virginia Eagle Helen Blackwell

Virginia Eagle Helen Blackwell helped make the difference in a crucial election year when every seat in the Virginia state legislature is up for election. Over the past two years, some of Virginia's leading Republicans have disappointed conservatives by supporting increased state taxes. Eagle Forum President Schlafly sent letters endorsing the conservative candidates in 3 Senate primary contests and 2 House races to Eagle Forum members.Thanks in part to help from Phyllis Schlafly and Virginia Eagle Forum's P.A.C., a strong batch of staunchly pro-life, pro-family conservative challengers won Republican nominations for some key House and Senate seats.

When the votes were counted, four of the five were victorious, with Tricia Stall defeating a RINO incumbent in a primary in Newport News, and Patricia Phillips defeating an opponent in suburban Northern Virginia who spent $348,000 (of mostly his own money) on a Republican party canvass - to her $45,000! Bob FitzSimmonds was unopposed for the Republican nomination and is campaigning vigorously against incumbent Democrat Chuck Colgan in the Manassas area. On the House side, Brenda Pogge triumphed in a good Republican district in the Williamsburg area, and Faisal Gill won the GOP party canvass against school board member Julie Lucas whose greatest accomplishment was mandating full-day kindergarten. The Washington Post's disappointed headline was "Moderates Defeated in Virginia Primary."