By Jen DiMascio
Rob Whittman, a Virginia state representative and field director for the state health department, this week won a special election to replace Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.).
Davis, the ranking member of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee, and longtime supporter of the shipbuilding industry, died Oct. 6 from breast cancer.
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has already appointed Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) to replace her on the committee; Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) has been named ranking member of the HASC readiness panel.
But the Republican party plans to bring Whittman on to the committee.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he wrote a letter several weeks ago saying that it is his intent to put Whittman on the HASC “at the earliest possible time.” There are no current openings, Boehner noted.
Meanwhile, the race to replace Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), ranking member of the HASC air and land subcommittee, is shaping up.
A primary runoff is likely next June, according to Jeff Bell, executive director of the Burlington County Republican Party.
That county has not endorsed a candidate yet, but the likely candidate is Chris Myers, the vice president of business development for Lockheed Martin [LMT] Maritime Systems & Sensors. Myers also serves as the deputy mayor of Medford, N.J., and is a co-chairman of Romney’s New Jersey presidential campaign effort.
Ocean County Republicans have already endorsed Jack Kelly, a county politician, for the job.
State Sen. John Adler is expected to be the Democratic candidate.
Saxton told Defense Daily yesterday that he will make an announcement about whom he supports within the next month.