Del. Watkins Abbitt to Retire, Will Not Seek Re-election

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By MARVIN HAMLETT, Editor, Times Virginian

Watkins M. Abbitt announced on Tuesday, May 17, that he will not seek re-election in this November's Virginia General Assembly.

Abbitt will officially retire on Jan. 10, 2012, after spending 26 years in the General Assembly representing the 59th District in the House of Delegates.

"I just want to do some other things," Abbitt said. "It was a very difficult decision, and I've been thinking about it for a year or more."

A lifetime Appomattox resident, Abbitt was elected to 13 terms and built a solid reputation in the behind-the-scenes politicking that goes on in Richmond.

But his retirement is also bittersweet, leaving a notable void in Appomattox representation. In fact, Abbitt's seniority had elevated to No. 5 in Richmond, and was about to leapfrog to No. 4.

In addition, Abbitt's seniority allowed him to secure memberships on the most powerful Assembly committees, such as Appropriations, General Laws and Rules.

Abbitt's retirement also marks the end of one the last political dynasties for the Central Virginia area. Watkins' father, the late Watt Abbitt Sr., served as a Virginia congressman.

"Well, my father was in it for 24 years and retired at 65 and I've been there for 26 years and I'm retiring at 67," Abbitt said. "Maybe he and I just came to same conclusion at about the same age."

Abbitt will leave behind a legacy of several proud accomplishments, the most recent of which involved the development of High Bridge Trail State Park.

Abbitt was critical in the funding and implementation of the park, which starts in Cumberland and has a destination point in the Town of Pamplin.

"I would not have gotten out if we hadn't agreed to get a park in Pamplin," Abbitt said. "That was a saving grace for Pamplin, and I'm certainly very proud of that."

Abbitt said he is also proud of his role in the James River State Park's funding and creation, as well as the U.S. 460 Bypass in Appomattox.

Abbitt also played a key role in securing $2.5 million in Tobacco Commission funds for the Museum of the Confederacy planned in Appomattox. "We got $2 million and then I was able to go back and get another half-million dollars," Abbitt said.

A Democrat-turned-Independent, Abbitt said he was proud of his voting record, too.

"I was in there for 26 years and voted for only one tax increase, and that was a two-cent gas tax the first year I was there," he said.

Along the way, however, the job of being a delegate began to take its toll on Abbitt.

"The job became like a full-time job, and it doesn't pay as well as Congress. I make $17,640 a year," Abbitt said.

Abbitt said being a delegate was like having two full-time jobs. One was the actual lawmaking that comes with being an elected representative, and the second involved working the communities to ensure staying elected. "It takes most of your weekends, and I'm tired," Abbitt said with a chuckle.

Despite announcing his retirement, Abbitt says he wants to stay involved in government, but not as an elected official in Richmond.

"I intend to stay involved," he said. "I'm going to take a year and look at what my options are. I'm not considering a state job right now. I don't want to live in Richmond. I want to live in Appomattox. If something is offered to me, I wouldn't take it right now."

All in all, Abbitt said he has but one "crowning achievement" since his first election win in 1985.
"And that was being a voice for rural Virginia," he said.

It remains to be seen who will fill Abbitt's seat in the 59th District, but it's almost certain that the eventual winner will be a candidate from the Republican or Democrat parties.

Abbitt, as an Independent, is one of the last such candidates in Virginia. Lacy Putney is another.

"It wasn't too difficult for me, being an Independent, because I had been up there a long time and built up some friendships," Abbitt said. "But it's difficult to get elected as an Independent."

So who will be next for the 59th District, which includes the counties of Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, and Nelson, along with parts of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Prince Edward?

"I always worry about (who will represent the 59th District next)," Abbitt said. "We need somebody with business experience. Somebody who runs a business on a budget. It's gonna take the same philosophy."
That was the philosophy of Abbitt, who managed a local insurance business and a real estate business as a platform to being elected.

Since then, he is proud to say that Virginia is the "best managed state in the nation, the best state to raise children who become successful, and the best to do business."

Virginia is also rated 41st in the nation for the least tax burden on its citizens.

Abbitt is a 1962 graduate of Appomattox High School and a 1970 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in economics.

"It's been an honor and privilege to represent this district, especially for the people of Appomattox," Abbitt said. "Appomattox folks have always been special to me, and I appreciate their support."

Abbitt and his wife, Madeline, currently reside on a farm near the community of Vera.