2009 Election results: 3 physicians elected to Virginia House of Delegates
5 November 2009
Republicans made major gains on election night winning all three of Virginia’s statewide offices and expanding their majority in the House of Delegates by at least five seats. Incumbent physician Del. John O’Bannon, M.D. (R-73rd District, Henrico), who won re-election to a sixth term in office, will now be joined in the House of Delegates by Chris Stolle, M.D. (R-83rd District, Virginia Beach) and Scott Garrett, M.D. (R-23rd District, Lynchburg). Garrett defeated Del. Shannon Valentine, spouse of physician C. Michael Valentine, M.D.
Winning by wide margins, the statewide winners are as follows:
- Governor: Bob McDonnell. He is the former Attorney General and has expressed his support for keeping the medical malpractice cap at $2 million.
- Lieutenant Governor: Bill Bolling. He is the incumbent Lt. Governor and will now serve his second term as Virginia’s second-in-command.
- Attorney General: Ken Cuccinelli. He is a state senator representing part of Fairfax County and a patent attorney.
All 100 seats in the House of Delegates were up for election on Tuesday. Eleven races were open seat contests as a result of retirements or primary defeats earlier in the year. While the results of some races may be subject to recounts because of the close margins of victory, it appears that nine incumbents (eight Democrats and one Republican) lost their seats. Between the incumbent defeats and the Republican pick-ups, the make up of the House now will now be 59 Republicans, 39 Democrats and two Independents—20 of the 100 House of Delegate members will be freshman representatives at the start of the General Assembly session in January.
Incumbent Del. Phil Hamilton (R-93rd District, Newport News), who served as the chairman of the House Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee and as vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee and advocated for medicine and health care, was defeated by Robin Abbott, a Newport News attorney. Hamilton’s loss follows public and media scrutiny about an alleged arrangement he had with Old Dominion University to obtain a job in return for securing a budget amendment on behalf of the university.
The November 3 elections leave two Virginia Senate vacancies: District 37, the seat held by Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli and District 8, the seat held by Sen. Ken Stolle (brother of Delegate-elect Dr. Chris Stolle), who won his race for Virginia Beach sheriff. Plans for special elections to fill these seats have not been announced yet.
MSV will be reaching out to the newly elected delegates and statewide leaders to inform them of the society’s legislative priorities as well as to offer MSV as a resource to the policymakers on medical and health care matters.