PETERSBURG – Saying the outcome of the election is more important to her than “vindication” by the Petersburg Democratic Committee, the president of the city’s NAACP said Thursday she will not fight ejection from the local party over creating a social-media reel for an independent challenger against the only certified Democrat running for City Council.
In a long Facebook post, Pat Hines maintained that she still thought she would withstand a scheduled Thursday night vote to oust her. However, she said she would “unburden and release” the committee members who had vowed to support her.
Hines said she is still “all in” to support the state and national Democratic tickets, but she still plans to support Belinda Baugh over incumbent Darrin Hill in the Nov. 5 election for the Ward 2 council seat. Hines said she had given her word to Baugh, a longtime friend, to back her and was not going to let party membership stand in the way of her beliefs.
“I must also remain true to my convictions,” Hines said in the post. “I cannot bend the knee to support the local candidate just because he certified as a Democrat.”
A major topic of Facebook discussion
The issue set off a Facebook firestorm this week after Hines said she was being pushed out of the committee for violating its bylaws that members can only publicly support Democratic-backed candidates. It reads, “No Democratic committee member or officer of any Democratic committee shall publicly SUPPORT, ENDORSE OR ASSIST [emphasis included] any candidate opposed to a Democratic nominee.”
Hines, who joined the committee last year, said she created the reel for Baugh – who she also called a “lifelong voting Democrat” – based on their friendship. She also noted that she does not, and has never lived, in Ward 2, which encompasses southeast Petersburg.
However, she has been involved in Ward 2 politics previously. She supported Marlow Jones in his unsuccessful bids against Hill for the seat. Jones, who was redistricted into Ward 1 with the latest U.S. Census, now represents Ward 1 on council.
Jones, referring to himself as a public servant and observer “from outside your party,” issued an open statement to the Petersburg Democratic Committee encouraging members not to support Hines’ removal.
“The Democratic Party should be a welcoming space for all voices – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and beyond. Rejecting individuals based on personal disagreements or misunderstandings diminishes the very foundation of your party,” Jones wrote. “Instead, let’s celebrate our differences and recognize that every opinion enriches the conversation.”
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Reel became a 'priority'
Hines said in her statement that she remained perplexed by how a social-media reel could have caused such a controversy at a time when the direction of the nation is at a crossroads.
“People are truly amazed how a Facebook reel became a priority with all the work that is needed and required!” she said. “Reality is, our election will not be won solely with Democrat votes.”
Petersburg Democratic Committee chairperson Janell Bland Sinclair said she has personally experienced bullying from the Facebook backlash. Still, she added, it’s all about following the rules – and the rules are different when you sign up to be a committee member.
“Anyone can be a Democrat, but there is a difference between being a Democrat and being an officer or member of a Democratic committee,” Sinclair wrote in a statement. “As a member/officer, we voluntarily commit to adhering to the written rules.”
First injection of party into local races
This is the first year that council candidates in Petersburg could seek major-party backing for their campaigns. Before this year, local candidates could only run as independents.
To get the party backing, a candidate had to be put on the June 5 primary ballots. Of the six candidates running for council this November (Wards 4 and 6 are also contested), Hill was the only one to seek a party nod.
Because he was the only one to file in either party, Hill essentially got the nomination by acclimation.
The other council candidates on the ballot are incumbent Charlie Cuthbert and Michael Edwards in Ward 4, and incumbent Annette Smith-Lee and Tonya Brown in Ward 6.
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'I must lead by example'
In her statement, Hines said she was dropping opposition to the committee vote to reunite the Democratic community behind the state and national tickets. “With only 68 days until Election Day, I must lead by example,” she wrote.
Petersburg has long been considered a true-blue Democratic stronghold in Virginia and national party circles.
While Hines called the community support “deeply moving,” she also said the ultimate goal was to support Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively, over GOP candidate and former President Donald Trump.
“This historic election is far more important to me than vindication from this Dems committee,” Hines said. Harris is vying to become the first woman, and woman of color, to hold the presidency.
“ Mich elle O bama said it best, “We just don't have time for foolishness.’ We must redirect our efforts, time, and resources towards getting voters to the polls,” Hines said. “The overarching goals for this historic election could have devastating repercussions.”
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No stranger to controversy
This is the second year in a row that the Petersburg Democratic Committee has found itself amid controversy over membership.
In December, Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham resigned his committee position after he was featured in campaign material for GOP Del. Kim Taylor’s re-election bid. The material included a photo of Parham standing with Taylor and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, also a Republican, and indicated that Parham had endorsed Taylor over Democratic challenger Kimberly Pope Adams. Taylor went on to eke out a whisker-thin victory over Pope Adams in an election decided by recount.
Parham resigned on the eve of a scheduled committee vote to remove him. He told The Progress-Index at the time that he was still a Democrat, “just not involved with the local committee.”
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: 'Lead by example': Petersburg NAACP president won't fight removal from Democratic committee
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