Cranwell Won't Run For LG

C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, told supporters in a brief email today that he will not run for lieutenant governor next year.

Cranwell, a 30-year fixture in the House of Delegates who plans to step down from his post when his term expires in 2009, practices law in Roanoke.

"This past Sunday, after much thought, I decided I could not make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together,'' he wrote. "Thus, I will not be a candidate for statewide office in 2009."

Former Finance Secretary Jody Wagner and Jon Bowerbank, a wealthy businessman from Russell County, are seeking the Democratic nomination. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) will face lawyer Patrick Muldoon for the Republican nomination.