RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly has chosen a state appeals court judge to fill an opening on the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Judge Teresa Chafin was elected Thursday to replace Justice Elizabeth McClanahan. She announced earlier this year that she will retire in September.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the process included some controversy. Chafin's brother - state Sen. Ben Chafin - lobbied his Republican colleagues on her behalf.
Sen. Chafin did not vote Thursday when the Senate voted 36-0 to elect his sister to the Supreme Court.
Teresa Chafin is a former Circuit Court judge who was installed on the Court of Appeals in 2012. That was a year before her brother was elected to the House of Delegates. She shifted to the Senate in 2014.
