Sen. Colgan may call it quits

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -- State Sen. Charles J. Colgan Sr., a political legend in the Prince William region, probably won't seek re-election in 2011.

The Democrat, who represents Manassas, Manassas Park and part of western Prince William County, has served in the Senate since 1976.

That makes him the most senior senator. In fact, only Del. Lacey E. Putney of Bedford, the General Assem-bly's only independent, has served longer -- since 1962.

Colgan also chairs the influential Senate Finance Committee, one of the legislature's two budget-writing panels, which makes him arguably the most powerful senator.

But, at 83 years old, he would be almost 90 by the end of another four-year term.

"I'm not Strom Thurmond," he joked, referring to the South Carolinian who was in the U.S. Senate until age 100.

Colgan also said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer about 2½ years ago.

That hasn't caused him terrible problems, he said, but it is something to consider before making a decision about re-election.

Though he's leaning toward retirement, he said he's leaving the door open "just a crack."

Colgan almost didn't run in 2007, but Democrats persuaded him to give it another go.

Before coming to the Senate, he served four years on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in the 1970s.

"Sen. Colgan has a reputation for hard work, honesty and looking out for the 'little guys,'" says a biography on the Prince William County Democratic Committee's Web site.

In addition to politics, Colgan is a longtime aviator. He began by serving in the Army Air Corps and has most re-cently been in charge at Colgan Air Inc., a Manassas-based regional airline that was sold to Pinnacle Airlines Corp. in 2007.

The senator said he hasn't handpicked a successor should he not run.

But he said a lot of people -- Republicans and Democrats --would be good candidates.

Though Colgan has been re-elected over the years, the current boundaries of the 29th District favor a Republican candidate. However, state lawmakers will change those lines after the 2010 census.

Colgan said Mayor Harry J. "Hal" Parrish II and Del. Jackson H. Miller, both Manassas Republicans, would be good candidates for his seat, as would Prince William Supervisor John Jenkins, a Democrat.

If state Sen. George L. Barker was redistricted out of his current region, the freshman Democrat also would be a good option, Colgan said.

And so would Rex Parr, he said. Parr is president and chief executive of Didlake Inc., a nonprofit that provides rehabilitation and employment services for the disabled.

Meanwhile, Bob FitzSimmonds of Bristow, who has run against Colgan in the past, has already said he plans to compete for the GOP nomination for Senate again next year.

Way before the 2011 election, however, Colgan has a large item on his agenda. That's the state budget.

He said a conference committee set to work out the differences between Senate and House of Delegates fiscal priorities would begin meeting Friday.

Staff writer Jonathan Hunley can be reached at 703-369-5738.