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Owen B. Pickett | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | G. William Whitehurst |
| Succeeded by | Edward Schrock |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates | |
| In office January 12, 1972 – December 30, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Richard D. Guy |
| Succeeded by | Glenn R. Croshaw |
| Constituency |
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| Chair of theDemocratic Party of Virginia | |
| In office 1980–1982 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Davis |
| Succeeded by | Alan Diamonstein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1930-08-31)August 31, 1930 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2010(2010-10-27) (aged 80) Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | |
| Profession |
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Owen Bradford Pickett (August 31, 1930 – October 27, 2010) was aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromVirginia. He is the last Democratic representative from the district who served more than two terms.
Pickett was born inRichmond, Virginia, on August 31, 1930. He graduated fromVirginia Tech in 1952 and theUniversity of Richmond School of Law in 1955. Pickett was admitted to the Virginia State bar in 1955, and practiced law in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Pickett served as a member of theVirginia House of Delegates from 1972 until 1986, representing a district centered onVirginia Beach. During this time, he also served as chairman of theDemocratic Party of Virginia from 1980 until 1982.[1]
Pickett was considered the unopposed favorite for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1982 to run for the seat of retiring Democratic-turned-independent U.S. SenatorHarry F. Byrd Jr. In announcing his candidacy, Pickett paid tribute to theByrd Organization, the political "machine" led by Senator Byrd's father, the late Virginia Governor and U.S. SenatorHarry F. Byrd, Sr. The reference enragedState SenatorL. Douglas Wilder of Richmond, who found Pickett's glowing references to a political machine that supported segregation unacceptable. Wilder said he would mount an independent candidacy if Pickett won the Democratic nomination.[2] Pickett realized that Wilder was serious, and concluded that he would likely lose a three-way race with Wilder and the Republican nominee, CongressmanPaul Trible. He pulled out of the race, and the Democrats instead nominated Lt. GovernorRichard Joseph Davis, who lost narrowly to Trible in the 1982 general election.
Meanwhile, voters ofVirginia's 2nd congressional district elected Pickett in 1986 to become their U.S. Representative. Re-elected several times (and facing no opponent in 1998), Pickett represented the district from January 3, 1987, until January 3, 2001, announcing in 2000 that he was not a candidate for reelection to the 107th Congress. TheOwen B. Pickett U.S. Custom House inNorfolk, Virginia, was named in his honor in 2001.
Pickett died on October 27, 2010, after several years of ill health.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett | 54,491 | 49.46% | |||
| Republican | A. Joe Canada Jr. | 46,137 | 41.88% | |||
| Independent | Stephen P. Shao | 9,492 | 8.62% | |||
| Write-in | 49 | 0.04% | ||||
| Total votes | 110,169 | 100% | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 106,666 | 60.53% | |
| Republican | Jerry R. Curry | 62,564 | 35.51% | |
| Independent | Stephen P. Shao | 4,255 | 2.41% | |
| Independent | Robert A. Smith | 2,691 | 1.53% | |
| Write-in | 32 | 0.02% | ||
| Total votes | 176,208 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 55,179 | 74.95% | |
| Independent | Harry G. Broskie | 15,915 | 21.62% | |
| Write-in | 2,524 | 3.43% | ||
| Total votes | 73,618 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 99,253 | 56.03% | |
| Republican | J. L. Chapman IV | 77,797 | 43.92% | |
| Write-in | 83 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 177,133 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 81,372 | 59.05% | |
| Republican | J. L. Chapman IV | 56,375 | 40.91% | |
| Write-in | 55 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 137,802 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 106,215 | 64.77% | |
| Republican | John F. Tate | 57,586 | 35.11% | |
| Write-in | 195 | 0.12% | ||
| Total votes | 163,996 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 67,975 | 94.29% | |
| Write-in | 4,116 | 5.71% | ||
| Total votes | 72,091 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district 1987–2001 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
