RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Republican House Speaker William J. Howell will face a primary opponent next year if he runs for re-election. Former Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman Susan Stimpson announced Tuesday that she is running against Howell. A former ally of the speaker, Stimpson says in a news release that Howell has “lost his way” by supporting tax increases. Howell has not said whether he will run for re-election. The 71-year-old was first elected in 1987 and became speaker in 2003.
