Gear Resignation Leaves 91st Seat Open as Session Begins

By WYDaily Staff Friday, December 31, 2010

Delegate Tom Gear, a Republican from Hampton whose 91st district includes parts of lower York County and Poquoson, has resigned.

Gear tendered his resignation Thursday afternoon, according to a report in the Washington Post. He cited family medical issues, in particular his increasing difficulty dealing with multiple sclerosis and his wife's and sister's struggles with cancer.

The resignation will leave his district unrepresented for much of the General Assembly's session, which convenes Jan. 12. Governor Bob McDonnell will call a special election to fill the seat, but according to the Washington Post report the governor may not hold the election any sooner than 45 days from the time of the formal resignation. That allows for absentee ballots to reach 91st district troops stationed overseas.

The 61-year-old Gear is a former Hampton City Council member. He first ran for office in 1996, losing a city council seat to Mamie Locke. He ran again for city council in 1998 and won a seat. In 2001, Gear surprised many first by running in the Republican primary for the 91st distict seat, then by beating incumbent Phil Larrabee by 40 votes. He went on to win the House seat unopposed.

Gear served as vice-chairman of the House's General Laws committee. He also chaired the subcommittee on Alcoholic Beverage Control and was a vocal opponent to the governor's plan to privatize liquor stores.

Gear was re-elected in 2005, winning handily over former Hampton City Council member Randy Gilliland, who ran as an independent. He was re-elected again, in 2009, winning 48 percent of the vote in a race against Poquoson Mayor Gordon Helsel, Jr., who ran as an independent, and Democrat Sam Eure, Jr.