VaHigherEd.com

The dust has settled from Tuesday’s election of all 140 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate.  So what does it mean for higher education in Virginia?

The Democrats won four seats in the Senate, increasing their majority membership in that body to 21-19.  The Democratic majority in the Senate bodes well for Governor Tim Kaine and his legislative agenda including the biennial budget and public pre-school for 4-year old children.  Kaine is slated to introduce his 2008-2010 budget on December 17. 

J. Chapman “Chap” Petersen (D) defeated Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R).  George Barker (D) won in the race against incumbent Jay O’Brien (R).  John Miller (D) defeated Patricia Stall (R) in the 1st District’s seat currently held by Sen. Marty Williams (R).  Sen. Nick Rerras (R) lost to political  newcomer and pediatric neurologist Dr. Ralph Northam (D). 

 Two retiring Republican Senators, John Chichester and Russ Potts, chaired powerful committees in the Senate.  Chair of Senate Finance Chichester will likely be succeeded by the senior Democratic member of that committee, Charles Colgan.  The chairmanship of Senate Education and Health, formerly held by Sen. Potts, could go to either Sen. Richard Saslaw (who should become Senate majority leader and is supposedly interested instead in the chairmanship of Senate Commerce and Labor) or Sen. Edward Houck. 

The House now has a 54-44-2 Republican majority.  Prior to the election, the numbers were 58-40-2.  One of the key committee chairmanships that will soon be determined  is that of chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, currently occupied by retiring Delegate Vincent Callahan.  Contenders for the job of HAC chairman are rumored to include Independent Lacey Putney from Bedford and Republican Phil Hamilton of Newport News.   

Posted by Ellen Davenport