David Silek to Remain in Chairman’s Seat of WC Republican Committee Pending 6th District Appeal Decision

Following the regional 6th District Republican Committee ruling of March 31st that there must be another Warren County (WC) Republican Committee Mass Meeting vote in the Chairman’s race between initially recorded winner David Silek and his opponent Scott Lloyd, Royal Examiner reached out to involved parties for reactions.

In a brief recap of the 6th District Republican Committee ruling, we will cite the five base rulings as they were presented to us. Those rulings were:

1/ Voided result of the mass meeting election of February 12;

2/ Voided 102 Membership Cap;

3/ Voided election of David Silek as new Chairman;

4/ Temporary committee until the Mass Election is held;

5/ 6th District Mass meeting decision can be appealed to RPV (Republican Party of Virginia).

Our first callback from the series of phone messages we left was from David Silek. Silek verified that he has 30 days (to April 30, 2026) from the March 31st 6th District ruling to decide on an appeal of those rulings. Our understanding is that pending that decision, Silek will remain in the county committee chairman’s seat. Other current WC Republican “Temporary Committee” officers we are told are Stephen Kurtz, vice-chairman, who replaces Aiden Miller, who held the position during the chairmanship of Tom McFadden Jr., and Front Royal Mayor Lorie Cockrell, replacing Scott Lloyd as committee secretary.

Appeal variables & varying perspectives

“That decision has not yet been made,” Silek told this reporter of an appeal to the RPV of the 6th District ruling, adding, “I see certain benefits to a new election immediately. However, we as a Committee have one primary job to do between now and April 21^st. That is to get everyone in Warren County to defeat this proposal to change Congressional District lines. Sadly, the opposition wished to and seems intent on diverting our attention to the major task at hand. Such actions can only be viewed as seeking to divide this committee and community rather than unite.”

Of the now overturned February 12, mass meeting result that had him winning the Warren County Republican Committee chairman’s seat over Committee Secretary Scott Lloyd by a 225-206 margin, Silek observed that from his perspective, “One side (Lloyd’s) lost an election and actually got caught not counting votes fairly or appropriately, even after three counts of the votes. Yet somehow this behavior was rewarded by people who do not live in this community,” Silek said of the 6th District Republican Committee ruling.

Silek noted that then chairman Tom McFadden Jr. left the mass meeting vote, and that the vice-chairman, Aiden Miller, “didn’t bother to attend it.” So, he wondered at the 6th District Committee allowing those individuals to have an ongoing role in directing the WC Committee moving forward toward a possible appeal.

“Returning it to the status quo is just the most logical thing to do. The Sixth District heard this objection and rejected it,” Scott Lloyd countered of the continued input of former committee officers.

“This is simply laughable,” Silek says, referencing his decision to run for the chairmanship. “Had the old committee done its job, I would not have run! Had the old committee done its job properly, I do not think there would have been a need for change. Mr. Lloyd was part of that failed committee. He admitted not doing his job as secretary and refused or failed to process my application, yet they accepted payment of the fee.”

We noted to Lloyd that Silek had alleged that his opponent, as secretary of the committee, had failed to forward membership applications and fees, including his, for nearly 2 months prior to the Mass Meeting chairman’s election, essentially disenfranchising potential members.

“There was nowhere for me to forward it to,” Lloyd responded, adding, “What I forgot to do was respond to him, reminding him to show up for a meeting to get voted in when he submitted his application. It was a mistake, and I apologized to him for that. He could have just shown up on his own — the information was posted on our website. If he did, we would have held a vote on his (committee) membership.”

As to the 102-member cap being overturned, Silek said: “The former committee never had all of those 250-something seats filled with dues-paying members. Why have them?  They were lucky if they had 15-17 voters at regular meetings. Members of our elected bodies who are Republicans quit the old committee because of the infighting and bickering,” Silek asserted, adding, “We need a healthy, vibrant Committee, not one that has lost its way. The RPV allows for a reduction in size for communities of fewer than 300,000 people. The Committee at 102 is currently full, also something that has not happened in years. As Mr. Lloyd noted in his appeal, they only had 43 people at the Mass Meeting a few years ago. That tells you something.”

Lloyd countered, “They cut out 92 people who submitted membership applications, at least 13 of whom paid their dues, including me. These excuses and evasions are not credible. I think it’s obvious to everyone what they were trying to do, including the Sixth District Committee,” Lloyd said, pointing a finger the other way.

Rather than the skepticism with which Silek met the 6th District ruling, his initially defeated opponent embraced it. “The Sixth District is comprised of Republican leaders from all over the region as far south as Roanoke. They had a detailed presentation of both sets of arguments, and they voted overwhelmingly, 19-5, in favor of our appeal … The Committee did the right thing, and their vote was a positive step for a Party that espouses conservative values, election integrity, and the rule of law.”

The question remains now: If that Silek-led appeal is launched after April 21, 2026, how will the County Republican Committee membership from both sides interact to move forward? Also, will the Republican Party of Virginia agree with the 6th District Committee ruling or come up with another conclusion??

Stay tuned, local political drama fans, as this story continues to evolve.