RICHMOND, Va. — An outspoken conservative Virginia state senator in a competitive district is announcing his plans to retire.
Republican Sen. Dick Black said Wednesday he would not seek re-election for his northern Virginia seat.
Black's decision to retire could make it harder for Republicans to keep their slim majority in the state Senate. The district is expected to be one of several competitive senate races later this year.
Black is a Vietnam War veteran and former military lawyer. He resigned as state co-chair of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign in 2016 shortly before taking a trip to Syria and promising support for the government of President Bashar Assad, a move at odds with official U.S. policy.
Black also once sent lawmakers plastic fetuses to underscore his opposition toward abortion.
