Record Turnout, Recount Mark Warren GOP Reorganization Meeting

A standing-room-only crowd filled the Warren County fire hall last week as 441 certified voters attended the Republican Committee’s reorganization mass meeting, the largest turnout in local party history.

Former mayor and longtime local official Matt Tederick chaired the meeting after being elected by attendees to preside. Tederick, who has been involved in Republican Party politics since 1995, called the night “historic.”

“We’ve never had a number that large,” Tederick said. He noted that longtime parliamentarian Doug Napier recalled just 19 people attending a similar meeting in 1978.

The evening, however, was not without controversy.

Early confusion centered around slips of paper being handed out before the meeting began. According to Tederick, the papers were distributed by an individual attendee and were not part of the official registration process. Under the Republican Party of Virginia’s rules, committees may require an oath of intent to support party nominees, but Tederick said the papers circulating that night were not directed by committee leadership.

Additional complications arose when Committee Chairman Tom McFadden Jr. left the meeting around 6:30 p.m., prior to its formal start. With the vice chair out of town, responsibility for overseeing registration fell to then-Secretary Scott Lloyd. Meanwhile, the fire marshal temporarily paused entry at times to ensure the room remained within capacity limits.

Silek said that after learning McFadden had left the building, he searched for and found Lloyd. “The two agreed that Lloyd needed to start the meeting since it was after 7:00 p.m.,” Silek said. He added that both candidates agreed they needed to move quickly to the voting process “so that people could vote and leave to allow those who remained outside to enter to register and vote.” That plan, he said, was announced to the crowd.

Despite the crowded conditions, Tederick said the registration team processed all 441 voters within about an hour.

At 7 p.m., registration closed in accordance with the official call of the meeting, a standard procedure at mass meetings statewide. Some social media posts later suggested voters were turned away, but Tederick said he did not witness a backlog once the meeting formally began. Both candidates had agreed that anyone already in line before the deadline would be allowed to vote.

Once the meeting was called to order and Tederick was elected chair, he said the process proceeded smoothly. Committee reports were adopted without objection, something he described as highly unusual for a gathering of that size.

“I’ve never attended a mass meeting anywhere in the Commonwealth where there were no objections,” he said.

The closest moment of tension came during the vote count for committee leadership.

Initial results showed a narrow 217–214 lead for Lloyd over challenger David Silek. Given the slim margin, Credentials Committee Chair Steve Kurtz ordered a second review. Representatives from both camps, Kristen Pence for Silek and Tom Ranieri for Lloyd, sorted and recounted the ballots.

Lloyd noted that the second round referenced during the count was a ballot review, not a new vote by attendees. “It may be worth mentioning that this second round of voting never happened,” Lloyd said, explaining that he kept his remarks brief in hopes that the process could move forward without delay.

During the review, 11 ballots originally placed in Lloyd’s stack were identified as votes for Silek. After the correction, the final tally stood at 225 for Silek and 206 for Lloyd.

Tederick praised the decision to double-check the count.

“If it’s that close, you switch seats and count again,” he said. “That’s how you make sure it’s fair.”

After the meeting, Lloyd also raised concerns about voter eligibility. He said several individuals present appeared to be Democrats. Under Article I, Section A, paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Republican Party of Virginia’s Party Plan, voters who have participated in another party’s nomination process in the past five years must sign a written statement renouncing that affiliation before taking part in a Republican mass meeting.

“There were several prominent Democrats there voting,” Lloyd said. “They have to sign a renunciation of the Democratic Party, and nobody signed it.”

Lloyd said he has requested a list of those who received ballots so the names can be compared with recent primary voting records. He noted that the party has access to those records and said such a review would clarify whether any ineligible votes were cast.

Following the announcement of results, Lloyd indicated he was considering an appeal, citing concerns that some individuals may not have been able to vote and questions about eligibility. Tederick, who previously served on the 6th District Republican Committee and has participated in party appeals processes, said he believes the procedures were properly followed.

“Everything was done in accordance with the rules,” he said. “There’s nothing to appeal.”

Under party rules, any appeal would first go before the 6th District Committee before potentially advancing to the Republican Party of Virginia.

Beyond the close vote and procedural questions, Tederick emphasized the broader significance of the turnout. He said the 441 attendees demonstrate strong grassroots engagement within the party.

The committee adopted the “optional method” for selecting its membership, allowing up to 102 at-large members based on Republican voting strength in the county. All elected Republicans automatically serve as members, in addition to that number.

While only a portion of the 441 attendees will serve as voting committee members going forward, Tederick said the size of the crowd reflects both interest and passion within the local party.

“Win or lose, the goal has to be unity,” he said. “We agree on far more than we disagree.”

The chairman’s term is two years. Party leaders say their focus now turns toward upcoming elections and efforts to increase Republican turnout locally and statewide.

Despite a few early glitches, Tederick said he believes the meeting will ultimately be remembered for its record participation.

“It was a historic night,” he said. “You had 441 people show up to be part of the process. That says something.”