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After 44 years in the legislature, Reston Democrat Ken Plum will not be seeking reelection to the House
Del. Ken Plum (D) will not be seeking reelection to the House of Delegates later this year. He has served residents of Reston in the General Assembly for 44 years.
"There comes a time when you would like to be able to continue on, your body says you've probably had enough," the 81-year-old delegate told Patch in a phone interview on Monday. "I will not walk away from the issues that I'm concerned about," Plum continued in his conversation with Patch. "People will still hear from me and I'll still express an opinion and pass some judgments on people who continue in office."
He is expected to make his official retirement announcement Saturday.
Meanwhile, Democrats from his area are ready to launch their campaigns to replace him in the chamber.
Paul Berry announced his campaign Wednesday morning. “I am offering my progressive leadership in the Democratic primary to continue building on Ken’s legacy of transformative change. As the highest-ranking Latino in the Office of Governor Northam, I helped create legislation that kept people in their homes during the pandemic, expanded maternal care access, created an emergency childcare fund, and more,” Berry said. “I am proud to offer my experience for consideration and am excited to announce my candidacy for the 7th District in the House of Delegates. As an educator, union member, and medical reserve corps volunteer I want to advance policy goals that reflect diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Mary Barthelson is also considering running for the nomination, sources say.
Rep.-elect Jennifer McClellan (D) had a very strong performance during the VA-04 special election. She won the race to fill the vacant seat in the House of Representatives with 74% of the vote. Her opponent, Leon Benjamin (R), received just 25% of the vote. McClellan also won in localities that often lean to Republicans.
Virginia designation of state pony long overdue, says Chincoteague mayor
By Samuel Britt, Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — A pony has been the Chincoteague High School mascot as long as anyone can remember, but now it is headed for a bigger arena as the official state pony.
Two Accomack lawmakers introduced bills to designate the Chincoteague pony as the state pony. Virginia will be the 18th state in the country to have an equine member as a state symbol, according to the State Symbols USA website.
Del. Robert Bloxom Jr., R-Accomack, introduced House Bill 1951, and Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack introduced Senate Bill 1478. The Senate measure crossed the finish line first on Friday, Feb. 17 in a unanimous House block vote, despite mention of the ponies in Grayson Highlands State Park.
The recognition for these horses is long overdue, according to John Arthur Leonard, mayor of Chincoteague.
“I mean, we've had worldwide recognition and now the state is finally stepping up and making it official,” the mayor said. “It gives us some pats on the back from the state because sometimes we get left off maps and other things, so it feels good to have some recognition from the state.”
The wild ponies have been a part of the region almost “as long as the state has been settled,” the mayor said, “so they deserve it.”
Some background. You may have heard of Assateague Island horses or ponies. That is where Chincoteague ponies come from, during an annual Pony Swim that has trotted along for almost 100 years. The Assateague herd lives on land shared between Maryland and Virginia, according to the National Park Service.
The most common origin story is that the horses were brought by way of Spanish galleons, according to the mayor.
“They were bringing horses back with them and a couple of the ships wrecked off our shores, and the horses swam ashore and it was just natural pasture for them,” the mayor said. “So they accepted it.”
The popular children's book and true story of “Misty of Chincoteague,” written in 1947 by Marguerite Henry, helped bring appreciation toward the ponies, Bloxom said to House members.
The annual Pony Swim on the last Wednesday of every July is a way to control the herd. The week-long event draws crowds of over 50,000 people, Bloxom said.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co. takes care of the ponies with help from tourists, according to John Hunter Leonard, public relations officer for the station. That is in addition to providing fire and ambulance service to the island’s approximately 3,000 residents, Bloxom said.
“It's been a beneficial relationship, mutually,” John Hunter Leonard said. “So therefore, we take very good care of them as best we can.”
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co., along with a local high school student, were the ones to propose this idea of the state pony to Bloxom, he said.
The Chincoteague ponies are an “economic driver” for Virginia, according to Bloxom. “It's a wonderful tight-knit community … and this is just an extension of them, really,” Bloxom said.
The ponies are auctioned off each year during the Pony Swim. The event raised over $400,000 last year and helps fund the fire department and year round care for the herd, according to Bloxom.
The Chincoteague ponies are a main attraction for tourists, but they are also appreciated by locals, according to Randy Birch, who grew up in Chincoteague.
“At Chincoteague High School, the pony has been the mascot ever since I can remember,” Birch said.
Birch owns Chincoteague Island Adventures, which takes visitors on boat tours to see ponies and local wildlife, in addition to duck hunting.
“It seems like every year, it’s escalated,” Birch said of the Pony Swim. “They’ve done real well with it.”
The ponies that are not auctioned off are rounded up and swim back to Assateague, according to Birch.
Back in the day, after the auction, there would be some “bucking Bronco” rodeo action to see who could stay on a horse the longest and win a prize, Birch said.
“Because of liability reasons, they stopped that way back years ago,” Birch said — along with pony races at the carnival grounds.
As for the wild ponies auctioned off, there doesn’t seem to be any buyer’s remorse, according to John Hunter Leonard.
“Everybody that takes them home says how trainable they are and how willing they are to work with people,” he said. “They seem to have a calm demeanor and they really accept children.”
Lawmakers showed overwhelming support for both bills. A few delegates voted against the House measure— and one even asked if the vote would be recorded as a “neigh.”
Wild ponies also roam in Grayson County, Del. William Wampler, R-Washington, pointed out during the bill’s second reading in the House.
“I would put my auction up against his auction, which I don’t believe there is one, any day,” Bloxom responded. “I would put my salt water cowboys herding up my herd far before they run wild in the mountains and never get herded up at all.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and first lady Suzanne Youngkin have visited Chincoteague Island a couple of times, the mayor said.
“His wife really seems to like the ponies,” the mayor said. “We actually had her on a horse during pony penning.”
The mayor said he hopes the Youngkins come back to “officially sign the bill.”
“Hopefully, he will do that in person on the island,” the mayor said.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.
