House Republican Leader C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), issued the following statement:

“Lt. Gov. John Hager was the quintessential Virginia gentleman, and public servant. His life was lived in service to our country and our Commonwealth. From the first moment he took the gavel in the Senate chamber, John Hager showed that he was above politics, and put the good of the Commonwealth ahead of all. Though confined to a wheelchair, he stood head and shoulders above his peers.

“It speaks to his character that any time a major Republican office needed a candidate, John Hager‘s name was one of the first to everyone’s lips. His wife and children are in our prayers. He will be sorely missed, and our Commonwealth and country are darker today in his absence.”