Ken Stolle
{{Short description|American politician (born 1954)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| birthname = Kenneth William Stolle
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| caption =
| state_senate = Virginia
| district = 8th
| term_start = January 8, 1992
| term_end = January 13, 2010
| preceded = Sonny Stallings
| succeeded = Jeff McWaters
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age | 1954 | 7 | 7}}
| birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| party = Republican
| spouse = Debbie
| children = Whitney, Kenny, Ross
| residence = Virginia Beach, Virginia
| alma_mater = Berry College (BS)
| profession = Lawyer; Police officer
| committees =
| website = [http://www.kenstolle.com www.kenstolle.com]
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = United States Navy
| serviceyears = 1983–1991
| rank = Lieutenant
| unit = U.S. Naval Reserve
| commands =
| battles =
| awards =
}}
Kenneth William Stolle (born July 7, 1954) is an American politician of the Republican Party. He was a member of the Senate of Virginia from 1992 to 2010. He represented the 8th district in Virginia Beach.{{cite web | title = Senator Kenneth W. Stolle; Republican - District 8 | work = Senate of Virginia | url = http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/23b0c13df27a5ef585256fc7004febb2/9249dc9d28f543ce85256aa00071999e?OpenDocument | accessdate = December 1, 2008}} Stolle also served as the sheriff of Virginia Beach from 2010 to 2023.
Personal life
Stolle's father was in the United States Navy. Stolle attended London Central High School in England, and graduated from Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach in 1972. He then attended Berry College, getting an Interdisciplinary B.S. degree in Criminal Justice in 1975.{{cite web | title = About Ken | work = Ken Stolle; Virginia Senate | url = http://www.kenstolle.com/web/about.html | accessdate = January 26, 2009}}
Stolle served as an officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department from 1976 to 1987. Among other duties, he was a narcotics detective and SWAT team leader. He read law while on the police force and was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1983. The same year, he was commissioned in the United States Naval Reserve. He served eight years in Naval Intelligence on drug interdiction matters.
Stolle left police work to become a full-time attorney in 1987.
Political career
Stolle became chair of the local Republican committee in Virginia Beach in 1989. In 1991, he was elected to the state senate, defeating Democratic incumbent Moody E. "Sonny" Stallings, a Virginia Beach lawyer. He was unopposed for reelection in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007.*{{cite web|title=Election Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Election_Information/Election_Results/Index.html |accessdate=April 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617084700/http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Election_Information/Election_Results/Index.html |archivedate=June 17, 2010 }}
In 1997, Stolle ran for Attorney General of Virginia but finished third in a four-way Republican primary with 20.8% of the vote, behind state senator Mark Earley, who went on to win the general election that year, and Secretary of Public Safety Jerry Kilgore, who was elected to the office four years later in 2001.{{cite web|title=Official Results; Republican Party Primary Election - June 10, 1998 |work=Election Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/Election/results/1997/PriRepAG.htm |accessdate=April 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513190932/http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/Election/results/1997/PriRepAG.htm |archivedate=May 13, 2008 }}
Stolle was chair of the Senate Courts of Justice committee 2000–07.{{cite web | title = 2000 session; Senate Courts of Justice | work = Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System | url = http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?001+com+S3 | accessdate = April 4, 2009}} The Virginia Bar Association honored him with its Distinguished Service Award for his work improving Virginia's indigent defense system."VBA honors Stolle, Warner, life members' Virginia Lawyers Weekly (July 30, 2007)
In 2007 Stolle's younger brother, Chris Stolle, ran for the 83rd district Virginia House of Delegates seat of retiring Republican Leo Wardrup. He was defeated by Democrat Joe Bouchard, 50.6% to 49.2%.{{cite web | title = November 6, 2007 Official Election Results; Virginia Beach city | work = Election Results | publisher = Virginia State Board of Elections | url = https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2007/196E44FA-8B19-4240-9A44-737216DAA55D/Unofficial/00_810_s.shtml | accessdate = April 6, 2009}}
On April 3, 2009, Stolle announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for sheriff of Virginia Beach, after incumbent Paul Lanteigne announced his retirement. Stolle also made public the fact that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about three years earlier. Stolle won the election and became sheriff in 2009.{{cite news|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/republican-easily-wins-stolles-state-senate-seat|title=Republican easily wins Stolle's State Senate seat|last=Applegate|first=Aaron|date=January 13, 2010|publisher=The Virginian-Pilot|accessdate=March 24, 2010}} He also won subsequent elections in 2013, 2017 and 2021, before announcing his retirement in 2023.{{cite web |title=Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle announces retirement |url=https://vbso.net/news/virginia-beach-sheriff-ken-stolle-announces-retirement |website=vbso.net |access-date=February 19, 2025 |date=August 2, 2023}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite web | title = Senator Kenneth W. Stolle; Republican - District 8 | work = Senate of Virginia | url = http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/23b0c13df27a5ef585256fc7004febb2/9249dc9d28f543ce85256aa00071999e?OpenDocument | accessdate = December 1, 2008}}
- {{cite web | title = Ken Stolle; Virginia Senate | url = http://www.kenstolle.com}} (Constituent/campaign website)
- {{cite web|title=Election Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Election_Information/Election_Results/Index.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617084700/http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Election_Information/Election_Results/Index.html |archivedate=June 17, 2010 }}
External links
- {{cite web | title = Senator Ken Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) | work = Richmond Sunlight | url = http://www.richmondsunlight.com/legislator/kwstolle/}}
- {{cite web | title = Virginia Public Access Project; Kenneth W. Stolle | url = http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/home/416}}
- {{C-SPAN|35869}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stolle, Kenneth W.}}
Category:Republican Party Virginia state senators
Category:Politicians from Virginia Beach, Virginia
Category:21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly