Del. Chris Collins resigns to accept judgeship

Del. Christopher E. Collins, R-Frederick County, has resigned from the House of Delegates and is now a general district judge in Harrisonburg.

Collins resigned from the House effective June 28, according to The Winchester Star. Court records show he took office June 29 as a judge of the 26^th District.

Collins, 49, fills the vacancy created when General District Judge William W. Eldridge IV was elected by the Assembly to the circuit bench. Eldridge was sworn in as a circuit judge May 1.

The Virginia Code allows circuit judges to appoint district judges for terms that expire during the next General Assembly session.

Collins practiced law at the firm of Buchbauer & McGuire in Winchester, according to his biography on that firm’s website. He joined the firm in 2016, the same year he took office as a delegate.

Collins left a career in law enforcement to become a lawyer in 2003, the bio said. He then practiced at Roger Inger PC, primarily doing criminal defense. He was elected to the Frederick County Board of Supervisors in 2009.

At Buchbauer, Collins had a general practice with a primary focus in criminal defense, traffic matters, family law and landlord-tenant disputes, his bio said.

As a delegate, Collins helped pass legislation this year to ban drivers from using any handheld communication device while at the wheel. He also advocated for higher standards for guardians ad litem for children and opposed a proposed increase in Virginia’s minimum wage.

Winchester City Council member Bill Wiley announced June 29 he would seek the Republican nomination to run for Collins’ 29th District seat in the House, the newspaper reported.