William Weldon "Ted" Bennett, Jr. (born December 24, 1940, in Halifax, Virginia

Halifax, Virginia

Halifax is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States, along the Banister River. The population was 1,389 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County.-Geography:Halifax is located at ....

) is an American politician. A Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

 1990–2002. On March 13, 2009, he announced that he was running for reelection to his old seat in the 60th district after his Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 successor, Clarke Hogan

Clarke Hogan

Clarke N. Hogan is an American politician of the Republican Party. From 2002 to 2010 he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates...

, announced his own retirement.

Early life

Bennett was born in Halifax County, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

, receiving a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree in 1963 and a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 in 1966. He then went into law practice in Halifax County.

Political career

Bennett served one term (1976–80) as Commonwealth's Attorney

Commonwealth's Attorney

Commonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....

 for Halifax County and the independent city

Independent city

An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...

 of South Boston

South Boston, Virginia

South Boston is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census.- History :On December 8, 1796, the General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd's Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for...

.

He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1989. Bennett was co-chair of the Science and Technology committee 2000–01.

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