Virginia sure is getting its share of VP speculation this year. On the Dem side, we’re being bombarded with stories about Sen. Thinskin “Beavis” Gump (D-WashPo), Gov. Timmy! and former Gov. Marky Mark. What has gone less noticed is the growing chorus on the GOP side that is talking about U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor to serve as Sen. John McCain’s running mate. Conservativa today links to a NYPost column that puts forward Cantor for the position.
Eric Cantor is already a star within the party and a future leader of it. He has quickly risen to the No. 4 spot in the House and is on track to go even higher within the next few years. We could very well see a Speaker Cantor within the next 10 years. Would he give the prospect of that up for the possibility of being VP? It isn’t as if McCain’s election is a given here. However, I’ve been checking Virginia election law and do not see where a candidate is prohibited from running for two federal offices during the same election. In fact, the closest that the Virginia Constitution even gets to this issue is:
nothing in this Constitution shall limit the power of the General Assembly to prevent conflict of interests, dual officeholding, or other incompatible activities by elective or appointive officials of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision.
It appears that the General Assembly has not voted to prevent someone from holding dual offices (although that would not preempt federal law on the subject) nor has it addressed the related issue of running for two seats in the same election. Therefore, it would appear based upon this cursory examination that Cantor could run for reelection to his House seat while running as McCain’s VP (and by extension Marky Mark could run for U.S. Senate and as Obama’s VP nominee.)
UPDATE: D.J. McGuire at The Right Wing Liberal had a little more time on his hands than I did earlier and has uncovered that Virginia DOES seem to permit one to run for two different offices in the same election if a candidate for federal or statewide office.
Filed under: 2008 Elections, Eric Cantor, Marky Mark, National Politics, Virginia Politics
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