Bearing Drift has learned that Northern Virginia Delegate Bob Brink and Virginia Beach Delegate Algie Howell are resigning their seats in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Both Brink and Howell are senior members of the Democratic caucus and both serve on the House Approrpriations Commitee. Brink was first elected in 1998 and represents portions of Arlington and Fairfax Counties. Our sources tell us that he is resigning to take a position with the Virginia Department of Aging.
Delegate Howell was first elected in 2004 and represents portions of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Our sources also indicate he is resigning to take a position on the Virginia Parole Board.
Both of these seats are reliably Democratic, and given the Republican supermajority in the House of Delegates, these losses won’t have a demonstrable impact on the partisanship of the body. They do open up two seats on House Appropriations.
Facts aside, let’s think about this for a minute. Let’s ask the same questions the Democrats have been asking about the Phil Puckett situation.
Why would these two senior Delegates choose to resign after the first session of two year term? Why now?
While both have been reliable Democrats, having both of them gone and replaced with members of the House whom the Governor could recruit and groom is good for him. Could there be a quid pro quo here? Resign and I’ll make sure you land safely? That’s how this works, according to the Phil Puckett attackers.
If we follow the Phil Puckett narrative that has been spun, we should all be up in arms about two members of the General Assembly giving up their seats to take jobs that pay considerably more and provide them with considerably higher pensions. Shouldn’t somebody be calling for a DOJ investigation and FOIAing the Governor?
