As many of you may know by now, the General Assembly’s redistricting plan has placed me in the open House of Delegates 2nd District. This seat leans Republican, particularly in odd-number years. Many supporters — ranging from potential constituents to members of the House of Delegates and other elected officials — have called and emailed me since the initial maps first went up on March 29th asking if I was going to run for this seat. Honestly, this opportunity came out of nowhere and I was not expecting it.
In full disclosure, I had been preparing over the past year for a run for the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. Early on, it appeared that my precinct would be shifting into the neighboring Woodbridge magisterial district where I would run against a weak first-term Democrat incumbent who won in 2007 with only a plurality in a four-way race. With the release of the official census numbers and the ensuing redistricting process undertaken by the county, it became clear that my precinct would not be shifting after all.
I have come into contact with many great people who care deeply about the Prince William and Stafford Potomac communities over the past three weeks as I have explored a race for the House of Delegates in this district. At the same time, I began discussing my potential run with both my family and my employer. Unfortunately, we just could not figure out a way to make it work where I could keep my job and adhere to the General Assembly’s schedule. Given the House of Delegates pay level is what it is, I can not give up my job for that and an uncertain job market. As a result, I will not be a candidate for the House of Delegates in 2011.
Thank you to everyone who has offered me their support and encouragement over the past few weeks. It means more to me, Julia and the kids than you will ever know. While I must pass on the honor of being able to serve in the Western Hemisphere’s oldest continuous legislative body, my commitment to working to make our communities better places to live, work and raise our families remains steadfast.
May God bless you, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America.
Jim Riley
