| Birthname: | Lacey Edward Putney |
| Lacey Putney | |
| Office: | Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates |
| Term Label: | Acting |
| Term Start: | June 15, 2002 |
| Term End: | January 8, 2003 |
| Predecessor: | Vance Wilkins |
| Successor: | Bill Howell |
| Office1: | Member of the Virginia House of Delegates |
| Term Start1: | January 10, 1962 |
| Term End1: | January 8, 2014 |
| Preceded1: | Charles E. Green Jr. |
| Succeeded1: | Terry Austin |
| Birth Date: | 27 June 1928 |
| Birth Place: | Big Island, Virginia, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Goode, Virginia, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic (until 1968) |
| Otherparty: | Independent (1968–2017) |
| Children: | 2 |
| Signature: | Lacey Putney signature.png |
| Branch: | United States Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1950–1954 |
| Battles: | Korean War |
Lacey Edward Putney (June 27, 1928 – August 26, 2017)[1] was an American politician. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from January 1962 until January 2014, making him the longest-serving member in the history of the Virginia General Assembly and one of the longest-serving state legislators in American history. He represented a district centered around his hometown of Bedford for his entire career, and at various times represented parts of neighboring Bedford and Botetourt counties.
Putney, a lawyer from Bedford, was first elected as a Democrat in 1961. He left that party later in the decade and began running as an independent, although he caucused with the Republicans from 1998.[2]
Putney announced in March 2013 that he would not run for reelection in 2013.[3]
In June 2002 Republican House Speaker S. Vance Wilkins, Jr. resigned following revelations that he had paid a staffer to keep quiet about "unwanted sexual advances".[4] Putney, then Chair of the Privileges and Elections committee, served as Acting Speaker until the following session in January 2003, when Republican William J. Howell was elected as Speaker.
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia House of Delegates, 19th district | |||||
| Nov 7, 1995[5] | General | L E Putney | 15,330 | 99.90 | |
| Write Ins | 16 | 0.10 | |||
| Nov 4, 1997[6] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 13,195 | 78.39 | |
| Eric D. Thompson | 3,635 | 21.59 | |||
| Write Ins | 3 | 0.02 | |||
| Nov 2, 1999[7] | General | L E Putney | 12,842 | 80.86 | |
| E D Thompson | 3,035 | 19.11 | |||
| Write Ins | 4 | 0.02 | |||
| Nov 6, 2001[8] | General | L E Putney | 13,285 | 99.95 | |
| Write Ins | 7 | 0.05 | |||
| Nov 4, 2003[9] | General | L E Putney | 11,393 | 73.42 | |
| A M Lipscomb | Democratic | 4,123 | 26.57 | ||
| Write Ins | 2 | 0.01 | |||
| Nov 8, 2005[10] | General | L E Putney | 19,152 | 99.16 | |
| Write Ins | 163 | 0.84 | |||
| Nov 6, 2007[11] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 11,908 | 72.56 | |
| Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 4,464 | 27.20 | ||
| Write Ins | 39 | 0.23 | |||
| Nov 3, 2009[12] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 15,297 | 64.13 | |
| Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 4,922 | 20.63 | ||
| W. H. "Will" Smith II | Constitution | 3,602 | 15.10 | ||
| Write Ins | 32 | 0.13 | |||
| Nov 8, 2011[13] | General | Lacey E. Putney | 8,883 | 41.61 | |
| Jerry R. Johnson | Republican | 6,775 | 31.73 | ||
| Lewis B. Medlin, Jr. | Democratic | 5,670 | 26.56 | ||
| Write Ins | 18 | 0.18 | |||
As Chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee,[14] Putney blocked numerous electoral reform bills, including the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact[15] and bills to introduce Instant Runoff Voting on a test basis.[16] He then chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee.[17]