William C. Wampler Jr. Explained

Birthname:William Creed Wampler Jr.
William C. Wampler Jr.
State Senate:Virginia
District:40th
Term Start:January 8, 1992
Term End:January 11, 2012
Preceded:Jack Kennedy
Succeeded:Bill Carrico
State Senate2:Virginia
District2:39th
Term Start2:January 13, 1988
Term End2:January 8, 1992
Preceded2:James P. Jones
Succeeded2:Madison Marye
Birth Date:9 September 1959
Birth Place:Bristol, Tennessee, U.S.
Party:Republican
Spouse:Mary Baker Thurmond
Children:2, including Will
Residence:Bristol, Virginia, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of Tennessee
Occupation:Insurance
Allegiance:United States
Branch:United States Army
Serviceyears:1981–1984 (Active)
1984–2002 (Reserve)
Rank:Colonel
Unit:U.S. Army Reserve

William Creed Wampler Jr. (born September 9, 1959) is an American politician. A Republican, he was a member of the Senate of Virginia from 1988 to 2011. He represented the 40th district in the southwest corner of the state, which included Dickenson, Lee, Scott and Wise Counties and parts of Washington County, along with the cities of Bristol and Norton.[1]

Early and family life

Wampler was a child of former U.S. Representative William Creed Wampler, Sr. and his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Wampler. He was educated in the local public schools, then at the University of Tennessee across the state line. Wampler received a B.A. degree in political science (as had his father from Virginia Tech years earlier) and joined the U.S. Army reserves, where he rose to the rank of Major in the 80th Branch (ARMOR).[2]

Career

Senator Wampler sells insurance and is active in his local Episcopal Church, as well as the Jaycees and the Appalachian Independence Center.[3]

Wampler was elected to the Virginia Senate to represent his native Bristol and adjacent counties in 1987. The district was numbered the 39th Senatorial district. It was renumbered as the 40th before the 1991 election. He defeated Democrat J. Jack Kennedy Jr. in 1991 by winning 52% of the vote, and ran unopposed for re-election in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 before announcing that he would not seek re-election in 2011.[4] Before retiring from the Virginia Senate, Wampler often served on the Senate Finance Committee and on the Budget Conference Committee.[5]

He has also served on the Executive Committee of the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission.[6] He was succeeded in the Senate by Republican Charles William Carrico.

Wampler's father, William C. Wampler Sr., was a member of the United States House of Representatives. His son, Will Wampler III, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2019.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Senate of Virginia bio
  2. Bruce F. Jamerson et al., The General Assembly of Virginia 1982-1995, p. 184
  3. General Assembly 1982-1995
  4. Web site: Virginia Elections Database » Search Elections. Virginia Elections Database. February 2, 2018.
  5. Web site: Virginia Politics Blog - House, Senate name teams to negotiate state budget. voices.washingtonpost.com . August 24, 2010.
  6. News: Michael Martz . Michael . Retired senator 'is paid handsomely' for NCI role . October 22, 2022 . Richmond Times-Dispatch . August 8, 2015 . en.