Along with Bass, challenger Charles Patullo failed to get enough votes to make it onto the Republican ticket. Party officials did not immediately release vote totals for nominations in the May 1 election.
Bass was appointed to the City Council in June 2009 to fill a vacancy created when former council member Steven S. Smith became a Prince William General District Court judge.
Republicans make up all but one seat on the council, and nominations at the Republican convention tend to bode well for candidates. Democrats nominate their candidate slate Feb. 6.
The Republican convention perhaps saw the biggest turnout in its history, party officials said, with 605 pre-registered delegates cramming into Grace E. Metz Middle School on Saturday morning. Although more than 800 had registered for the event, a couple of hundred skipped the party meeting and the last-minute politicking.
In a speech to the convention, Parrish touted his record and told delegates that Harrover was unprepared to be mayor.
Parrish criticized Harrover for proposing an increase in the BPOL tax — a levy on business, professional and occupational licenses — to fund four new police officers after a triple homicide in February. The proposal never went through.
“If my opponent will raise taxes on businesses, are you next?” asked Parrish, who also chided Harrover for skipping council meetings.
Harrover did not assail Parrish directly in his speech but said Manassas must change the status quo on school performance and long-term planning. His supporters wore stickers with the words “status quo” crossed out.
“I was very surprised the mayor was willing to go as negative as he did,” Harrover said. “It was effective, [but] it’s not typical of the politics here.” He declined to say whether he would support Parrish in the general election.
Many delegates seemed to enthusiastically support Lovejoy, a Point of Woods neighborhood resident who campaigned as an anti-abortion fiscal conservative.
Richard Pennefather, a delegate and area teacher, said Lovejoy had done well organizing Republicans.
“I think there’s a lot of money wasted in the city of Manassas,” Pennefather said. “We have to be more efficient.”
Lovejoy said many residents are looking for a new approach.
“People are interested in a fresh perspective and new ideas, and I think I embodied that,” he said.
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