Senator pitches sister for possible Supreme Court opening

Southwest Virginia’s Sen. Ben Chafin is urging fellow Republicans to move his sister – Judge Teresa Chafin – from the Court of Appeals to an anticipated vacancy on the state Supreme Court, sources tell the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The paper said some legislators were expecting Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan to soon announce retirement from the court. The timing of such a change was unclear, the paper said.

Update: McClanahan has advised that she will retire effective Sept. 1.

McClanahan is the only Southwest Virginia justice on the high court, and the General Assembly historically has tried to maintain a geographic balance on the court. That is one reason the senator was recommending his sister, sources told the paper. Her potential candidacy had been discussed within the Southwest Virginia delegation of the General Assembly, the paper said.

Teresa Chafin was named to the Court of Appeals in 2012.

McClanahan, 59, was elected to the Supreme Court in 2011, succeeding retired Justice Lawrence L. Koontz Jr.

The paper said Chafin was described as “sensitive to the optics” of putting a legislator’s sister on the high court.

Chafin last year blocked the nomination of 29^th Circuit Judge Henry A. Vanover who was up for re-election with the unanimous endorsement of the Dickenson County Bar Association. Chafin then advanced the husband of one of his law office associates to fill the slot. Shortly afterward, leaders in Dickenson County named the county courthouse after Vanover.

Updated Jan. 25 to note official word on McClanahan’s retirement. New story to follow.