ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997 TAG: 9704110044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Richard Cullen, a Republican activist and former federal prosecutor, is Gov. George Allen's top choice to succeed Attorney General Jim Gilmore in June, a source said Thursday.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that Cullen had told colleagues at the law firm McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe that ``he thinks the appointment is likely.''
Cullen said Allen has not offered him the job and declined further comment.
Gilmore has said he will resign June 11 to run full-time for governor. Allen will appoint a caretaker attorney general to serve the remainder of Gilmore's term, which ends next January.
If appointed, Cullen would temporarily hold a post he considered running for this November. He abandoned a campaign for the GOP nomination last summer for unspecified personal reasons.
Neither Cullen nor Ken Stroupe, the governor's spokesman, would say whether Cullen, Allen and Gilmore have met to discuss the job. Gilmore did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Aides to Allen and Gilmore said Cullen, who co-chaired the governor's commission on parole abolition, would be well qualified to run the staff of 130 lawyers.
``Richard Cullen is obviously being considered,'' Stroupe said. ``I would not characterize that any further except to say he is an obvious leading candidate.''
He said Allen has set no deadline for a decision, but would like to have a successor in place before Gilmore leaves.
The administration is looking outside the attorney general's office for a Gilmore's successor because the natural successor, the chief deputy attorney general, does not meet Virginia's legal qualifications for the top job.
David E. Anderson has been licensed to practice law in Virginia for only three years, two years shy of the constitutional requirement for attorney general.
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