Richmond – Today the House Republican Caucus re-elected Delegate M. Kirkland “Kirk” Cox (R – Colonial Heights) to serve as House Majority Leader, the second ranking leadership position in the House of Delegates. Cox, first elected Majority Leader last December, was re-elected with a unanimous vote.

“It is an honor to be re-elected by my colleagues to serve as their Majority Leader, and I am grateful for their continued support,” said Cox. “I am looking forward to working with Governor McDonnell, Speaker Howell, and the entire House Republican Caucus as we continue our focus on creating new jobs and opportunities for Virginia businesses and families.”

Cox has been a member of the House Republican Leadership for eight years, previously serving seven years as the Majority Whip.

As Majority Leader, Cox is one of the leaders of the Republican Caucus and helps advance legislation that supports the conservative principles of the Caucus. He also plays a key role in debating legislation on the floor of the House of Delegates.

In the upcoming Session, Cox will be focused on helping to craft the biennial state budget in his position as Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He will work with Governor McDonnell, Chairman Putney, and Senate Republicans to cut wasteful spending and eliminate unnecessary programs. Cox is no stranger to this task having served on the Appropriations Committee since 2000 and representing the House as a Budget Conferee with the Senate for eight years.

“The voters of Virginia sent a clear message on Election Day that they support the House Republican agenda when they voted to increase the Republican House majority by seven members to an all-time high of sixty-eight delegates,” said Cox. “The Republican Caucus will work hard on behalf of our constituents to create jobs and opportunities across the Commonwealth.”

During this year’s election cycle, Cox served as the Campaign Chairman for the House Republican Campaign Committee and worked with the Republican House challenger candidates on their campaigns. The hard work of all the Republican candidates resulted in the election of fifteen of the twenty Republican challenger candidates. Cox also held the position of Campaign Chairman during the 2009 election cycle when the House Republican Caucus gained six seats.

Speaker Howell added his praise for Cox as Majority Leader. “Kirk is an outstanding member of the House who I rely on time and again for thoughtful analysis and strategic insights on the important challenges and opportunities facing taxpayers, families, businesses and Virginia. Kirk is widely regarded as one of the ‘go-to’ people on the state budget as well as education and veterans issues. Kirk also has done a superb job as House Majority Leader, and I look forward to continuing to work with him.”

Cox holds many other key positions in the General Assembly. He has served on the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the General Assembly’s investigative arm, for twelve years and was the committee’s chairman for two years. He has worked with colleagues from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to identify areas in which state government can improve services for Virginians and eliminate wasteful spending and programs. Cox is also the Chairman of the Higher Education Appropriations Sub-Committee, and Governor McDonnell appointed him to be the Vice Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment. The Commission was established to improve access and affordability for Virginia students at Virginia’s colleges and universities.

Cox has also focused closely on veterans and military legislation as his district is located near Fort Lee. He has introduced over eighty-three pieces of legislation in support of veterans, the military and their families.

“With the elections over, I am ready to continue to work for my constituents and with my colleagues in the House during the upcoming Session to keep Virginia moving forward as national leader in creating jobs and opportunities,” Cox concluded.

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