When Will McDonnell Resign?

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the Republican nominee for governor, will resign in the coming weeks to campaign full-time, according to sources close to McDonnell.

The news is not surprising. In recent years, attorneys general of both parties have resigned during the annual legislative session to run for governor.

If McDonnell leaves during the session, the House and Senate, controlled by two different parties, will appoint a replacement. But if he waits until later, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) picks a successor.

Last week, McDonnell raised some eyebrows when he was seen chatting up legislators at the General Assembly Building, along with chief deputy attorney general William C. Mims. Mims, a former Republican legislator from Loudoun County, is expected to be the top choice to replace McDonnell.

"I wouldn't read anything into that,'' said J. Tucker Martin, McDonnell's spokesman.

Martin said McDonnell and Mims were discussing McDonnell's legislative priorities with lawmakers. "Sometimes a meeting is just a meeting,'' he said.