Phillip Puckett
| Phillip Puckett | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 38th district |
|
|
In office December 29, 1998 – June 9, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Jackson E. Reasor, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Ben Chafin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 10, 1947 Russell County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanette Griffith |
| Residence | Russell County, Virginia |
| Alma mater |
University of Tennessee Virginia Tech |
| Occupation | Banking |
| Religion | Baptist |
Phillip P. Puckett (born August 10, 1947 in Russell County, Virginia) is an American politician. A Democrat, he was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1997 and resigned on June 9, 2014. He represented the 38th district, made up of five counties and parts of four others in the southwestern part of the state.
In December, 1998, Puckett defeated two opponents to win a Special Election for the 38th Senatorial District, replacing Jackson E. Reasor, Jr., who had been Senator from 1992 to 1998 (then CEO and President of both the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and the VMDA, since 1998).
He went on to win in four General Elections—1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011—running unopposed in 2003 and 2007. In 2005, Puckett ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He finished last in the Democratic primary, behind Leslie L. Byrne, Viola Baskerville, and Chap Petersen.
Puckett resigned from the Senate on Monday, June 9, 2014, citing family reasons. At that time, Virginia's politicians had been in an impasse over the budget and consideration of the expansion of Medicaid. "The GOP-dominated House [was] firmly opposed, and the disagreement [had] led to a budget standoff that could trigger a government shutdown [if not resolved in under a month]." The Senate had been evenly split, although it was "leaning toward supporting" the governor's expansion program, but, in the 40-seat Senate, Puckett's resignation gave Republicans a 20-19 majority.
In a statement regarding Puckett's resignation, Governor Terry McAuliffe said that he was disappointed because of the impact it would have on negotiations over his desire to expand Medicaid coverage for approximately 400,000 low-income Virginians.
"Under a rule that Senate Clerk Susan Clarke Schaar said had not been exercised in at least 40 years, Republicans on Monday used their new sway to call the Senate back into session Thursday." The newly GOP-dominated Senate joined the GOP-dominated House of Delegates in voting against Medicaid expansion and passing a budget. On June 15, "at the urging of House Speaker William J. Howell, the clerk’s office of the House of Delegates enlisted the help of the Capitol Police to enter Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s unoccupied, secure suite of offices on a Sunday afternoon to deliver the state budget."
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