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Delegate Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, has made it known for a few years that he wanted the job of being speaker of the House of Delegates in West Virginia.
More quietly but equally well known was House Majority Whip Scott Varner's interest in the position.
The Marshall County Democrat has worked under Speaker Robert S. Kiss, D-Raleigh, for his entire seven-term tenure in the Legislature, spending the past decade as whip. Since the longstanding speaker decided in January he was taking a break from public life, political observers assumed Varner wanted Kiss' job, but Varner now has made his intentions official.
In a news release issued this week, Varner said he has the unanimous backing of the House Democrat leadership team, which he hopes will translate to support from other House Democrats.
All members of the House Rules Committee, which includes chairmen of the four major committees and other high-ranking delegates, said they support Varner as the next speaker.
Thompson, on the other hand, made his announcement for the speaker's race...