The embattled chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia is giving up his seat in the House of Delegates and wants his wife to take his place at the General Assembly.
Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, R-Prince William, sent an e-mail to "friends" this morning in which he said he would not seek a fourth term in the House.
"For me, it has always been about serving -- not power or position -- and because God has opened up other doors for me, I am glad to be of service elsewhere," Frederick wrote.
Frederick said his seat needs to go to "someone who will get the job done to meaningfully address the challenges we all face.
"Amy Frederick is just that person to continue the work I started."
Frederick said his wife has not yet fully committed to run but has an exploratory Web site, www.VoteAmy.com.
"As a mom and someone who has spent her career and life working for those less fortunate and providing a voice to those that needed one, I think she'd make a great delegate," Frederick wrote.
Frederick's announcement comes less than a month after the chief fundraiser for the state GOP quit, branding the party "dysfunctional."
It was the latest in a series of continuing attacks Frederick faces on his chairmanship, largely from veteran activists who fault him as not doing enough to prevent GOP setbacks last fall.
In addition to losing the state to Democrats in the presidential election for the first time in 44 years, Republicans gave up another U.S. Senate seat and lost the majority in Virginia's U.S. House delegation.
-- Joe Macenka and Olympia Meola
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