After more than three decades in Congress, Virginia Republican Rep. Frank Wolf announced Tuesday that he will not seek an 18th term in 2014, leaving a seat up for grabs in Northern Virginia.
Earlier this year, former Alabama Congressman Artur Davis, who switched parties to become a Republican in 2012 and now lives in Northern Virginia, expressed openness to a possible 10th District run if Wolf retired.
“Well, if Frank Wolf ever retires, maybe…” He told The Washington Examiner in March.
More recently, an internal poll commissioned by Davis and conducted by a Republican polling outfit over the summer found that — in the event Wolf did retire — no clear Republican frontrunner exists among a group consisting of Virginia State Sens. Jill Holtzman Vogel and Dick Black, Virginia State Dels. Barbara Comstock and Tim Hugo, and Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart.
While Wolf is officially out, Davis would not provide The Daily Caller with any hints about his future political plans, instead praising Wolf’s tenure in office.
“Today should be an occasion to reflect on Frank Wolf’s service and his leadership on issues from veterans to national security, and the brave compassion he demonstrated in casting votes on food stamps and immigration that reflect that conservatism can have a heart,” Davis emailed TheDC.
“I will monitor the field that develops in the next several weeks in the hope that a responsible center-right candidate will emerge, one who gives Republicans a chance to keep this district and who will represent the best of the Virginia Republican Party,” he added.
In 2008, Barack Obama carried the 10th district by 3 percentage points and in 2012, Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 1.1 percentage points.
Meanwhile the 74 year-old Wolf said in a statement that he plans to work for human rights and religious freedom causes.
“As a follower of Jesus, I am called to work for justice and reconciliation, and to be an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. I plan to focus my future work on human rights and religious freedom – both domestic and international – as well as matters of the culture and the American family,” Wolf said.