Newly elected Sen. Richard Stuart, R-28th, looks up at his vote for chief senate clerk, as does newly elected 27th District Sen. Jill Vogel during their first day at the State Capitol on Wednesday. photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Sen. Richard Stuart (left) talks with 9th District Sen. Don McEachin as they walk back to the General Assembly Building after the session's first day. photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Lisa Stuart reads bills in the office of her husband, Sen. Richard Stuart shortly before the governor's speech. photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Two of Richard Stuart's children, Catie (left) 12, and Richard Henry, 10, look out the window of their father's third-floor office in the General Assembly building before he is sworn in. photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

- photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

BELOW: Sen. Richard Stuart watches Gov. Tim Kaine exit the General Assembly after the 'State of the Commonwealth' address Wednesday. photos by PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Stuart finding his way around the Senate

By Chelyen Davis

Date published: 1/11/2008

RICHMOND--Richard Stuart rose from his new Senate desk--located in a corner of the Senate chamber, from which he can see little--and joined his 39 new peers in vowing to uphold the state constitution.

Somewhere in the chamber were 30-some friends, family and supporters, who drove from the 28th state Senate district to see Stuart formally sworn in as a state senator, a position he won in last November's election.

He comes in as a member of the minority party, now that Democrats won a narrow majority in the Senate in November, so he didn't get his top picks for committee assignments. Stuart wanted to be on the Transportation and Agriculture committees, but instead has been assigned to General Laws and Technology, Local Government and Rehabilitation and Social Services.

He has a background in law and in local government, Stuart said, and will start learning more about social services.

Stuart did get his pick of offices. He's on the third floor of the General Assembly office building, with wide windows and a view over Ninth Street to the new courthouse being built nearby.

The office is decorated sparsely so far, mostly pictures of his three kids, or of fish, or boats, or the kids fishing on boats. On this opening, swearing-in day, it's also decorated with the kids themselves, sitting in chairs or Stuart's lap.

They left after the swearing-in, which was just as well, because the Senate's first session lasted four hours, well beyond the norm for the opening day session. Stuart's supporters and family and friends who'd come went off to a lunch reception he had arranged, and to which he had intended to go himself.

But some confusion over the Senate rules, as written by the new Democratic majority, caused a delay. Stuart missed his own reception, and was left to eat a sandwich in his office at 4 in the afternoon.

He didn't seem to mind.

"It's exciting and intimidating at the same time," Stuart said of his first day as a member of one of the oldest continuously operating legislative bodies.

Date published: 1/11/2008