Summary

Twitter

About

Source: Campaign page

Alfonso Lopez is a lifelong Democrat and activist with over 27 years of Federal and Virginia legislative experience on issues critical to the people of Arlington and Fairfax. He has served as an Obama Administration political appointee, Kaine Administration cabinet-level appointee, and a four-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the people of the 49th District. Alfonso also serves as the Whip of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. 

Serving the 49th District in Richmond

Alfonso currently represents the 49th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He successfully championed legislation creating the Virginia Affordable Housing Trust Fund, establishing the Small Business Investment Grant Fund, expanding Medicaid coverage to immigrant mothers and children, and raising the cap on nonresidential solar net metering in Virginia.

Alfonso has been a leader in advocating for the rights of New Americans in Virginia. He worked with Attorney General Mark Herring to expand in-state tuition to kids with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status so that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Alfonso is also helping lead the fight to protect our environment for future generations and grow Virginia’s clean energy industries so that we can build a new Virginia economy. In 2015, he founded the Virginia Environment and Renewable Energy Caucus in the Virginia General Assembly and currently serves as its chair. This bipartisan caucus provides an opportunity for legislators, Administration officials, industry experts, and environmental advocates to work together on environmental legislation and strengthen our economy through sustainable, clean energy investments.

In 2018 Alfonso also fulfilled an ambition – seven years in the making – to create the first Virginia Latino Caucus in the General Assembly’s history. The Caucus deals with issues within the Latino, immigrant, and New American communities from in-state tuition to driver’s licenses to at-risk student funding. He currently serves as the Caucus Co-Chair.

Alfonso earned the Virginia League of Conservation Voters’ Legislative Leadership award in 2015, the Virginia Interfaith Center’s Legislator of the Year award in 2014, the Virginia Housing Coalition’s Legislative Leadership award in 2013, the Virginia Sierra Club’s Energy Freedom award in 2013, and the Virginia Education Association’s Rookie of the Year award in 2012. He also maintains a perfect score for his voting record from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Equality Virginia, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, the Virginia Education Association, and the Virginia A.F.L.-C.I.O.

As a member of the House of Delegates, he serves on the Science and Technology Committee; Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee; Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee; the Virginia Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation; the Virginia Small Business Commission; the Virginia Commission on Employee Retirement Security and Pension Reform; and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

Helped Lead President Obama’s Efforts to Create New Jobs

Alfonso served as the Assistant Administrator for Congressional and Legislative Affairs of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this position he led SBA efforts to enact legislative proposals in economic development, job creation, lending, contracting and innovation. He helped lead the SBA effort to pass the Small Business Jobs Act which successfully opened up the credit markets for small businesses and entrepreneurs and created $12 billion in tax relief for small business owners. 

Advisor to Governor Tim Kaine

Alfonso served as Governor Kaine’s Director of the Virginia Liaison Office in Washington, D.C. where he directed and supervised all Congressional and Federal Relations for the Commonwealth. He also served as the Governor’s representative to the National Governors Association, Democratic Governors Association and the Southern Governors Association. Alfonso was the highest ranking Latino in the Kaine Administration. He also served as the Deputy Policy Director on Governor-Elect Kaine’s Transition Team.

Democratic Leader

Alfonso currently serves as the Whip of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. In this role, he works with the Democratic Leader and Caucus Chair to track legislation and coordinate messaging during the General Assembly Session. In 2015, he served as Campaign Chair and Political Director of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. In this capacity, he led the Caucus’s campaign efforts resulting in the pick-up of four new Democratic seats in the House of Delegates.

Before becoming a member of the House of Delegates, Alfonso was twice elected the Deputy Chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. He has also served as the President of the Arlington Young Democrats and as an elected Steering Committee Member of the Democratic Party of Virginia. He is a former President of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia (DLOV) and former At-Large Member of the Democratic National Committee where he served on the Credentials Committee and as the Southern Regional Vice-Chair of the Hispanic Caucus.

Since 2013, he has regularly served as a surrogate, media spokesman, and speaker for Democratic candidates and campaigns in Virginia. In 2016, he also served as the Whip Captain for Ambassador Clinton’s Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Service to the Community

Alfonso has served on numerous Arlington and regional Boards and commissions.  He was a Member of the Arlington Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission from 2003 to 2006 – where he chaired the Health and Human Resources Committee and was a Member of the Public Safety Committee. He was also the Board Vice Chair of the Shirlington Employment and Education Center and the Board Co-Chair of the Arlington Veterans’ Memorial YMCA.  In 2006, he served on the Commonwealth Coalition’s, Virginia State Advisory Board.  In this position he worked as a part of a State-wide effort to fight Republican attempts in the General Assembly to pass a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage in Virginia.  He is currently a Member of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership’s State Board.

Arlington, Fairfax Roots and Education

Alfonso’s father came to this country at the age of 19 with $260 in his pocket and the dream of a better life. He worked as a bus boy and waiter, learned English and started attending school. He graduated from Northern Virginia Community College in 1975. Then he took one class a semester every year until he graduated from George Mason University – one month before Alfonso graduated from high school. His mother devoted her life as a teacher and guidance counselor in Arlington Public Schools to helping immigrant children continue their education after high school. Instilled with his parents’ values of hard work and success, Alfonso graduated from Vassar College and received his law degree from Tulane University Law School. He was chosen as a 2003 Fellow of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Husband and Dad

Alfonso and his wife, Sarah Zevin, live in Arlington with their sons Aaron and Gabe. They have been active in the Arlington community for many years.

Experience

Work Experience

• Partner
  Public and government relations/services firm
  2019 to present

Education

• BA
  Vassar College
  2019 to 1992
• JD
  Tulane University Law Schoo
  2019 to 1995

Personal

Birth Year: 1970
Place of Birth: Williamsport, PA
Gender: Male
Race(s): Latino
Spouse: Sarah Mitte Zevin
Children: Aaron and Gabriel

Membership & Affiliation: Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership (state board member)
Arlington Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission (former member and HHR subcommittee chairman)
Virginia Environment and Renewable Energy Caucus (founder and co-chairman)
Arlington Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (former member)
Shirlington Employment and Education Center (former board vice chairman)
Arlington Veterans’ Memorial YMCA (former board co-chairman)
Commonwealth Coalition (former statewide advisory board member)
Democratic National Committee (at-large member), Hispanic Caucus (Southern Region vice chairman)
Democratic Party of Virginia, State Central Steering Committee
Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia (former president)
2012 Democratic National Convention (Virginia delegate)
Virginia Latino Caucus (founder and co-chairman)

Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout (1988)
Arlington Young Democrat of the Year (2003, 2004)
Virginia Young Democrat of the Year (2004)
Virginia Bicycling Federation, Bicycling Friendly Award (2012)
Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Legislative Hero (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Legislative Leadership Award (2015)
Virginia Education Association, Rookie of the Year (2012), Solid as a Rock Award (2013, 2014, 2015)
Virginia Housing Coalition, Legislative Leadership (2013)
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Legislator of the Year (2013)
Sierra Club, Energy Freedom Award (2013), Leadership Award (2015)
Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling, Outstanding Legislator (2013)
Warren G. Stambaugh Outstanding Democrat of the Year (2013)
Virginia Young Democrats, Young Democrat for Life Award (2015)

Contact

Legislative Assistant: Kevin Saucedo-Broach
Administrative Assistant During Session: Lynn Yarbrough

Email:

• Government – DelALopez@house.virginia.gov

Offices

Capitol Office
Pocahontas Building
900 E. Main St,
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 698-1049

District Office
P.O. Box 40366
Arlington, VA 22204
Phone: (571) 336-2147

Web

Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr

Politics

Source: Campaign

2019 Legislative Agenda

Members of the House of Delegates are limited to the introduction of a maximum of 15 bills during the 2019 legislative session. Below, you will find the list of bills introduced by Alfonso this year, grouped by issue area. Please click on the name of the bill for more information about individual pieces of legislation.

Education

HB 2388: Virginia DREAM Act—Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students

Over 1,000 students (including many in the 49th District) currently enrolled in Virginia colleges and universities are under threat of losing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and with it, their hopes of being able to afford tuition at Virginia’s state colleges and universities. This bill will grant access to in-state tuition at Virginia colleges and universities to undocumented students. It would also cover Virginia residents seeking asylum in the United States and their children. These children know no other home but Virginia. We have invested in their education from kindergarten through twelfth grade. This legislation will allow us to fulfill our investment so that these students can stay in the Commonwealth and help build a new Virginia economy. I have been working on this legislation since my first year in the House of Delegates and will keep fighting until it is the law of the Commonwealth!

Environment

HB 2391: Solid Waste Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act

Tens of thousands of tons of municipal solid waste are dumped into Virginia’s landfills each year, which then leech almost a million tons of methane—a greenhouse gas—into the Earth’s atmosphere. This bill would seek to address that problem by charging a fee for each ton of out-of-state waste dumped into Virginia landfills, the proceeds of which would then be deposited into a special account dedicated to addressing the effects of climate change in Virginia.

HB 2395: Creating a Hazardous Waste Site Inventory

Virginia currently does not have a one-stop list of all the sites in the Commonwealth that pose a hazard to human health or the environment from toxic substances. The public has a right to know if one of these sites is in their community and poses a hazard to public health. This bill simply consolidates existing lists of hazardous waste sites maintained by the state and federal government and puts that information in a format that the public can easily access. It also provides a mechanism for DEQ to add new sites as it becomes aware of them.

Affordable Housing

HB 2389: Securing a Dedicated Source of Funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund

This legislation implements the recommendations of the Virginia Housing Commission that the General Assembly dedicate 20% of the recordation tax collection each year over $325 million to the Housing Trust Fund. We must create a dedicated source of revenue for our Housing Trust Fund if we want to make a substantive investment in affordable housing throughout Virginia. I believe that housing infrastructure and affordable housing should be a State concern on par with education, transportation, environmental protection, economic development, and the social safety net.

Gun Violence Prevention 

HB 2399: Closing the Background Check Loophole

When a background check is requested by a licensed dealer in Virginia, the State Police have until the next business day to complete the check or the gun can be legally sold. In compliance with expert guidance from the FBI, my bill closes that loophole and gives State Police five business days to conduct the background check so that we can ensure an individual who would otherwise fail the check does not walk away with a gun.

Supporting Small Businesses & Growing Our Economy

HB 2398: Small Business Definition Reform

Since I was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, I’ve been working to improve Virginia’s definition of small business in the Small, Women, and Minority-owned (SWaM) public procurement program. Under the current definition, a business in Virginia is considered “small” if it has fewer than 250 employees or less than $10 million in annual revenue. This overly broad, one-size-fits-all standard makes it difficult for truly small, women, and minority-owned businesses to compete with large companies that still qualify under the definition. My legislation moves Virginia closer to a more realistic—and more fair—SWaM procurement process.

Strengthening the Social Safety Net

HB 2397: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Opt-In to Improve Services

This bill allows Virginians who have previously been convicted of a drug-related felony to still obtain the TANF benefits they need to make ends meet and build a better life for themselves and their families.

Increasing Public Safety

HB 2394: Protecting Children and Firefighters from Dangerous Chemical Flame Retardants

Flame retardants in upholstered furniture and children’s products are not needed, ineffective, and no longer required by state regulators. Despite not being required in Virginia, manufacturers nationwide have added them to upholstered furniture and a variety of baby products to comply with a 1975 California flammability standard. In 2013, California changed its requirements, but this legislation would ensure that products sold in Virginia are free of the worst of these chemicals to protect the health of both firefighters and children. Flame-retardants added to polyurethane foam products have been shown to be ineffective in fire protection. They generate excessive smoke and toxic chemical byproducts that expose firefighters to a toxic soup, including cancer-causing chemicals.

Criminal Justice Reform

HB 2488: Ending the Suspension of Driver’s Licenses for Those Unable to Pay Court Fines or Fees

After working on this issue for a couple years, I am proud to be carrying the Governor’s bill to end the suspension of driver’s licenses due to the inability of someone to pay a court fine or fee. In Virginia, there are 647,517 individuals with suspended licenses only for non-payment of court fines and costs. Many Virginia residents rely upon their driver’s licenses to get to work and complete other necessary daily tasks. When a person’s driver’s license is suspended, they may face a difficult dilemma: obey the suspension and potentially lose their ability to provide for their families, or drive anyway and face further punishment, and even imprisonment, for driving while suspended. As Governor Northam said, we should not be putting families in this situation and we should be punishing folks for being poor.

Protecting Vulnerable Virginians

HB 2392: Repealing Laws that Require the Reporting of Undocumented Immigrants to the Federal Government

This legislation would repeal several sections of the Virginia Code that mandate the reporting of undocumented immigrants to federal authorities by various law enforcement officials and county clerks. It would also prohibit the police from reporting the immigration status of any crime victims or witnesses. This is necessary in order to encourage bona fide victims and cooperating witnesses of crimes to come forward, report crimes, and assist in prosecutions without fearing that their immigration status will be questioned. It strikes the right balance between giving police the latitude they need to effectively investigate violations of state and local law and giving immigrant victims and witnesses the limits and reassurances they need to feel safe about contacting the authorities. This will improve improve overall public safety across the Commonwealth.

HB 2393: Banning Child Labor on Tobacco Farms

Between May and October 2013, Human Rights Watch interviewed 141 children, some as young as seven, who worked on US tobacco farms in 2012 or 2013. The children worked in four states—North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia—where nearly 90 percent of tobacco grown in the US is cultivated. Young children should not be working in direct contact with tobacco. They are especially vulnerable to nicotine poisoning due to their size and stage of development. Indeed, a recent report from the Surgeon General suggests that nicotine exposure during adolescence may have lasting negative consequences for children. In order to protect kids from the hazards of tobacco farming, this legislation prohibits the employment of a child under the age of 18 to work with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves unless he or she is employed by a parent or guardian that owns their own farm/business.

HB 2396: Requiring Notification after Breach of Passport & Military ID Information

In Virginia, there is currently no provision that mandates immediate notification to people whose passport numbers or military ID numbers are stolen in a security breach. This bill would fix that hole in the Virginia Code.

HB 2610: Repealing the Reporting of Immigration Status by Colleges & Universities

This bill would repeal sections of the Virginia Code mandating that institutions of higher education report the immigration status of their students in certain cases.

HB 2802: Creating a Civil Rights Division within the Office of the Attorney General

I have been working with the Attorney General and his office to create a Civil Rights Division with the authority to investigate civil rights abuses across the Commonwealth.

Making It Easier to Vote

HB 2390: Automatic Voter Registration

This bill would provide for the automatic voter registration of Virginia citizens through the Department of Motor Vehicles—along with an opt-out for those who choose not to register. This bill will encourage more participation in our elections and ensure the protection of voting rights for all Virginians!

Recent Elections

2019

2017

2015

2013

Source: Virginia Legislative Information System

Finances

LOPEZ, ALFONSO H has run in 4 races for public office, winning 4 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $475,159.

Source: Follow the Money

Committees

Delegation

Minority Whip (2016-)

Committees

Militia, Police and Public Safety
Science and Technology
Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Subcommittees

Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources – Subcommittee #3

Appointments

Chesapeake Subcommittee
Employee Retirement Security and Pension Reform, Commission on
House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources
House Militia Police and Public Safety
House Science & Technology
Intergovernmental Cooperation, Virginia Commission on
Potomac River Basin Commission
Small Business Commission

Voting Record

See: Vote Smart

New Legislation

• Chief Patron
• Chief Co-Patron
• Co-Patron
• Proposed Budget Amendments

Source: Ballotpedia

Issues

Civil Rights

Social and Economic Justice

Education

Top-Notch Schools for Every Child

“Every child deserves an outstanding education that prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. To continue to create jobs and remain competitive in the global economy, we must provide the funding necessary to keep our public education system among the best in the nation.”

In the General Assembly, Alfonso successfully:

• Fought for teacher pay raises, including a 5% raise passed in the 2019 session.

• Worked to defeat legislation allowing the State Board of Education to impose charter schools on any school district in the Commonwealth.
• Led the fight against legislation that would have created a backdoor for mandatory censorship of educational materials, regardless of the context in which the material was being taught.

As Delegate, Alfonso will support legislation that will:

• Increase participation in Pre-K programs. Science tells us that 90% of a child’s brain development occurs before age five. We must expand voluntary Pre-K programs for more four-year-olds.

• Provide funds to reduce class sizes and meet Virginia’s Standards of Learning.

• Create programs to help special needs, non-English-speaking and gifted students.

• Expand opportunities for Northern Virginians in the state colleges and universities.

• Increase funding, access and support for Virginia’s vibrant community college system.

• Ensure that teachers are paid a quality, professional wage—not just in Northern Virginia—but all over the Commonwealth.

Environment

Health Care