Politics & Government

Chap Petersen: I'm Not Running for Governor

Petersen announced on his blog Thursday that he would not run in 2013.

State Sen. Chap Petersen has announced that he is not running for governor in 2013, . 

"I did not deny the inquiries, because I was seriously considering it," Petersen wrote on his blog, OxRoadSouth, on Thursday. 

Petersen cited obligations to his family, his law practice and constituents in the newly designed 34th district as the reason he decided not to run. The 34th District consists of portions of Centreville, Vienna, Oakton, Annandale, Burke, Fairfax Station and Fairfax City.

Find out what's happening in Centrevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"To run for public office, a lot of pieces must be in place: family, financial, professional and spiritual. A candidate must also have a vision which is congruent with the moment. Timing is everything," Petersen wrote. 

"After a lot of thought, I’ve determined that 2013 is not my time. I will be actively in support of the Democratic ticket, but I will not be on it."

Find out what's happening in Centrevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

, a close adviser to the Petersen campaign said the only reason Petersen would not run is if Sen. Mark Warner decided to campaign for the seat. But Petersen said he was too busy to mount an effective campaign. 

"To run statewide, you need to commit 24/7 at least a year prior. I can’t make that commitment right now," Petersen wrote. "I can’t even make it in the next 2-3 months."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Centreville