RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia lawmakers have approved elevating Court of Appeals Judge Stephen McCullough to the state Supreme Court. McCullough’s election Thursday ends a bitter months-long political battle over the vacant high court seat that has infuriated Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Democratic lawmakers. Republican leaders initially sought to put Court of Appeals Judge Rossie Alston on the bench after rejecting McAuliffe’s selection for the high court. The governor and Democrats want to elect Justice Jane Marum Roush. But Republicans failed to get enough support for Alston and put McCullough’s nomination forward Wednesday. Several Democrats said while they believe McCullough is qualified, they couldn’t support his nomination because of the way the situation was handled.
