Twelfth district Sen. Walter Stosch sent an email to constituents last night in which he announced (with references to George Washington and Ecclesiastes) that he will not run for re-election in 2015:
I know it is now my time to exit. I am able to pick the time to leave and go out on top, a crowning and personally satisfying close to my official role in the Senate. I look forward to time for personal enjoyment and new opportunities for community service in the future.
Interesting tone.
Stosch was one of the Gang of Five that drove conservatives nuts a decade ago — to such an extent that Stosch faced a strong primary challenge from Joe Blackburn in 2007 that nearly toppled the incumbent (and who was one of Joe’s top advisors in that campaign? Boyd Marcus). Stosch more recently was one of three Republican proponents of a Medicaid expansion scheme that ultimately failed in the last session. One of the others backing the idea, John Watkins, is also retiring. The third, Emmett Hanger, faces a primary challenge.
Of course this will set off a scramble to replace him, with any number of people running the numbers and burning up the phones this morning. Del. Peter Farrell is a possibility, as is former Del. Bill Janis and many, many more.
The seat is fairly safe for a Republican of any stripe. Ed Gillespie carried it in 2014 over Mark Warner, Ken Cuccinelli beat Terry McAuliffe there in 2013 and Mitt Romney won the district convincingly in 2012.
Let the jockeying begin…
