Virginia Lawmaker Suddenly Quits

Virginia state Sen. Phillip Puckett (D) “is expected to announce Monday that he is resigning his state Senate seat, suddenly giving Republicans a 20-19 edge in the chamber and dealing a setback to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s push to expand Medicaid,” the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.

“Puckett’s stunning resignation throws Democratic budget strategy into chaos and opens the way for Republicans to seize control of the chamber and reorganize its committees with GOP majorities.”

“Del. Terry Kilgore (R), chairman of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, said he is interested in Puckett taking a job with the commission and has discussed it with him… Kilgore also said he believes the difficulty Puckett’s daughter, Martha P. Ketron, has had in gaining Senate approval for a judicial appointment given his status as a sitting senator ‘played a big role’ in his decision to resign.”

First Read: “Wow. This entire episode was so brazenly transactional, it’s stunning.”