Lt. Gov. Hopeful Jackson To Speak

HARRISONBURG — Local Republicans will host lieutenant governor candidate E.W. Jackson during their monthly First Fridays luncheon at Wood Grill Buffet this week.

 

Jackson, a Chesapeake minister, is one of seven people jostling for the GOP nomination for the position. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat last year.

 

The luncheon starts at noon at Wood Grill, 1711 Reservoir St. Reservations are not required.

 

Local Republicans hosted lieutenant governor candidates Pete Snyder and Susan Stimpson, both of Northern Virginia, at their January event.

 

Jackson, Snyder and Stimpson will join the other candidates for a forum at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown Feb. 9. The event begins at 1 p.m. and is sponsored by the Republican Women of Shenandoah County, among others.

 

Also running for lieutenant governor are Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William; former state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis of Fairfax; Sen. Stephen Martin, R-Chesterfield; and Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of Supervisors.

 

The Republican nominee will be selected at a party-run convention on May 18. Voters will choose a Democratic nominee during a primary in June.

 

Candidates for the Democratic nomination are Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, and Aneesh Chopra, the nation’s first technology chief.

 

The winner in November’s general election will take Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling’s seat for the next four years. Bolling didn’t file for re-election to a third term so he could run for governor.

 

Bolling has since withdrawn his name from consideration for the party nomination for governor, but has not ruled out a bid as an independent candidate.

 

The lieutenant governor is second in line to the governor, but only has the legislative power to break ties in the Senate, which is now evenly divided with 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats.

 

The next Senate election is in 2015.

 

Contact Preston Knight at  574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com