Party
Independent
District
59: Counties of Albemarle (part), Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna (part), Nelson, and Prince Edward (part)
Took Office
January 1986
Left Office
January 2012
Copatroning Habits
62% of bills he has copatroned were introduced by Republicans. Of all of the copatrons of his bills, 70% of them are Republicans. Of all of his fellow copatrons of the bills that he copatroned, 56% of them are Republicans.
Bio
Though Del. Abbitt is a Republican -- he votes with Republicans and caucuses with Republicans -- he labels himself as an independent. This may well come from his recognition that his political reputation is inherited from the long-lived political career of his father, Watkins Abbitt Sr., who represented the area in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat for 25 years.