The current Speaker of the House of Delegates, Kirk Cox, will not seek a leadership position in the minority party when Democrats take control of the House in January.
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Cox, who rose to speaker in 2018 after nearly three decades in the House, will return to the lower chamber as a delegate and not as speaker.
He called the loss of Republicans’ majority “disappointing.”
“It just wasn’t our year. The judicial gerrymandering, millions of dollars in outside money, and difficult national environment all contributed in their own ways,” Cox said. “We ran great candidates, both incumbents and challengers, and had a compelling message. I’m grateful for each of you and proud of the campaigns you ran.”
Cox is also losing his chief of staff, Matt Moran, who will be joining the law firm Gentry Locke and later registering as a lobbyist.