VIRGINIA: Former AG Ken Cuccinelli Withdraws Name From State Supreme Court Consideration

The protests apparently worked. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Republicans in the Senate and House of Delegates are poised to elect Court of Appeals Judge Stephen R. McCullough of Spotsylvania County to the Supreme Court of Virginia, after former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took himself out of the running.

“Teiro and I gave serious and prayerful consideration to accepting this honor,” Cuccinelli said in a statement released by the Senate Republican Caucus.

“As attractive an opportunity to serve the commonwealth on the court would be, it simply is not the right time for our family.”

Cuccinelli strongly backed the nomination of McCullough, who served as senior appellate counsel under Cuccinelli in the Attorney General’s Office before he was elected to the Court of Appeals.

“Having worked with Steve McCullough during my service as Attorney General, I know he has a spectacular mind, is principled on the law, and has been an outstanding Appeals Court jurist,” Cuccinelli said. “He is an excellent choice to serve as justice.”

The General Assembly elected McCullough to the Court of Appeals in 2011. His term expires in 2019.

RELATED: Cuccinelli was on Fox today stumping for Ted Cruz.