Jan 5, 2023 - Politics

Flashback: When Virginia's House fell into chaos

Ned Oliver

Then-House Clerk Bruce Jamerson’s big gavel didn’t do much to maintain order. Photo: Courtesy Library of Virginia

As House Republicans in Washington, D.C., fight over who should lead the chamber, it's worth taking a moment to remember the time the Virginia Capitol fell into chaos amid a leadership fight.

Flashback: There was jeering, shouting and pounding on desks in the House of Delegates.

It was 1998, and Democrats still dominated in Virginia. But Republicans had made big gains, putting them on the cusp of controlling half the House seats — if only Democrats would agree to seat three new GOP delegates before the vote for speaker.
That's all per a Washington Post story from the time, shared this week by present-day political reporter Michael Pope at WVTF.

The loud play for power, which you can relive right now on YouTube courtesy of the Library of Virginia, didn't work, and after a five-hour standoff, Democrats re-elected their speaker.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that Michael Pope works at WVTF, not WVCE.

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Flashback: When Virginia's House fell into chaos

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