Stolle to run for sheriff

Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle will run for sheriff of Virginia Beach.

In announcing his decision, Stolle told The Virginian-Pilot that he is “a cop at heart” and wants to return to law enforcement.

Stolle, 54, was a Virginia Beach police officer who read law to get his license to practice rather than attend law school.

He is a partner in the Hampton Roads firm of Kaufman & Canoles and has been a member of the Senate since 1992. He is a former chairman of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and the State Crime Commission and is the ranking Republican on the courts committee.

Sheriff Paul Lanteigne is retiring. Stolle’s Senate term does not expire until 2010, so that he can remain in the post until he is elected – or afterward if he loses.

Stolle also told The Pilot he has Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that can impair motor skills.

By Alan Cooper