Lacey Putney | |
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Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
Acting June 15, 2002 – January 8, 2003 | |
Preceded by | Vance Wilkins |
Succeeded by | Bill Howell |
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
In office January 10, 1962 – January 8, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Charles E. Green Jr. |
Succeeded by | Terry Austin |
Constituency |
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Personal details | |
Born | Lacey Edward Putney June 27, 1928 Big Island, Virginia, U.S. |
Died | August 26, 2017 Goode, Virginia, U.S. | (aged 89)
Political party | Democratic (until 1968) |
Other political affiliations | Independent (1968–2017) |
Spouses |
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Children | 2 |
Education | |
Occupation |
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Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Air Force |
Years of service | 1950–1954 |
Battles/wars | Korean War |
Lacey Edward Putney (June 27, 1928 – August 26, 2017)[1] was an American politician. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from January 1962 until January 2014, making him the longest-serving member in the history of the Virginia General Assembly and one of the longest-serving state legislators in American history. He represented a district centered around his hometown of Bedford for his entire career, and at various times represented parts of neighboring Bedford and Botetourt counties.
Putney, a lawyer from Bedford, was first elected as a Democrat in 1961. He left that party later in the decade and began running as an independent, although he caucused with the Republicans from 1998.[2]
Putney announced in March 2013 that he would not run for reelection in 2013.[3]
In June 2002 Republican House Speaker S. Vance Wilkins, Jr. resigned following revelations that he had paid a staffer to keep quiet about "unwanted sexual advances".[4] Putney, then Chair of the Privileges and Elections committee, served as Acting Speaker until the following session in January 2003, when Republican William J. Howell was elected as Speaker.
Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virginia House of Delegates, 19th district | |||||
Nov 7, 1995[5] | General | L E Putney | 15,330 | 99.90 | |
Write Ins | 16 | 0.10 | |||
Nov 4, 1997[6] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 13,195 | 78.39 | |
Eric D. Thompson | 3,635 | 21.59 | |||
Write Ins | 3 | 0.02 | |||
Nov 2, 1999[7] | General | L E Putney | 12,842 | 80.86 | |
E D Thompson | 3,035 | 19.11 | |||
Write Ins | 4 | 0.02 | |||
Nov 6, 2001[8] | General | L E Putney | 13,285 | 99.95 | |
Write Ins | 7 | 0.05 | |||
Nov 4, 2003[9] | General | L E Putney | 11,393 | 73.42 | |
A M Lipscomb | Democratic | 4,123 | 26.57 | ||
Write Ins | 2 | 0.01 | |||
Nov 8, 2005[10] | General | L E Putney | 19,152 | 99.16 | |
Write Ins | 163 | 0.84 | |||
Nov 6, 2007[11] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 11,908 | 72.56 | |
Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 4,464 | 27.20 | ||
Write Ins | 39 | 0.23 | |||
Nov 3, 2009[12] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 15,297 | 64.13 | |
Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 4,922 | 20.63 | ||
W. H. "Will" Smith II | Constitution | 3,602 | 15.10 | ||
Write Ins | 32 | 0.13 | |||
Nov 8, 2011[13] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 8,883 | 41.61 | |
Jerry R. Johnson | Republican | 6,775 | 31.73 | ||
Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 5,670 | 26.56 | ||
Write Ins | 18 | 0.18 |
As Chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee,[14] Putney blocked numerous electoral reform bills, including the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact[15] and bills to introduce Instant Runoff Voting on a test basis.[16] He then chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee.[17]