Summary
Current Position: State Senator of District 20 since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
Bill Stanley’s political foundation was cemented by the conservative values of his father, a Ronald Reagan Republican who preached the benefits of working hard, personal responsibility, spending less than you earn, and standing by your principals no matter what the cost.
During his tenure, Bill has been a strong voice for Southside and Southwest in Virginia’s Capitol. He has sponsored legislation to spur economic development to create jobs and reduce unemployment in Southside Virginia. Bill’s energy and enthusiasm, grassroots focus, and track record of effective leadership are making a difference for Southside families for future generations.
OnAir Post: Bill Stanley
News
The Virginia Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would abolish the death penalty, a measure that if passed into law would mark a major policy change for a state that over its centuries-long history has led the nation in the number of executions it has carried out.
GOP Sen. Bill Stanley, who had initially co-patroned the measure, angrily spoke against it after Democrats a day earlier rejected attempts from Republicans to amend the bill, including changes Stanley proposed that he said would have guaranteed that people convicted of aggravated murder would never leave prison.
“This could have been coming out today as a bipartisan effort to end the death penalty. Instead it’s a party-line effort,” said Stanley, who also spoke about his personal opposition to capital punishment. He ultimately did not vote.
– January 27, 2021
As the General Assembly session enters its second full week, Senators from southwest Virginia are pushing for sweeping changes in the criminal justice system.
Republican Bill Stanley of Franklin County has been working for changes of his own. The state repealed a law in 1999 that classifies drivers with multiple violations as habitual offenders.
“Once you’re created to be a habitual offender then it enhanced the penalties that you would otherwise face. We’ve now have tailored other options for punishment for those driving offenses,” Republican Senator Bill Stanley said.
About
As the son of a naval aviator, Bill and his family traveled throughout the United States wherever duty called. Returning to Virginia in 1975, the Stanley family lived in both Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia in the last years of Bill’s Father’s naval career. In 1983, the Stanley family purchased a home in Franklin County. Bill graduated from Hampden Sydney College in 1989, the District of Columbia School of Law in 1994, and began his law practice in Northern Virginia with former Attorney General Candidate Gil Davis. One of the first cases Bill was involved in was Paula Jones vs. Bill Clinton which resulted in a favorable 9-0 Supreme Court decision and stood for the position that a sitting President of the United States could still be held to account for his private acts against a private citizen.
After his father passed away, Bill encouraged his mom to fulfill her life-long dream to become an attorney. After she passed the bar in 1998, Bill joined with his mom to start a law firm, locating it back home in Franklin County. They still practice law together, 15 years later in the firm of Stanley, Houchens & Griffith, with offices at Smith Mountain Lake and in the City of Salem.
Bill’s political foundation was cemented by the conservative values of his father, a Ronald Reagan Republican who preached the benefits of working hard, personal responsibility, spending less than you earn, and standing by your principals no matter what the cost.
When Robert Hurt was elected to Congress in 2010, numerous community and political leaders encouraged him to complete the final year of Robert’s term for the 19th Senate Seat. After prayers and consideration with family and friends, Bill decided to seek the Republican nomination. In a January 2011 special election, Bill was elected to become the Virginia Senator representing the 19th District.
One year later after redistricting of the Senate, Bill became the Republican nominee for the 20thSenatorial District and in November of 2011, he was elected as the Senator of the 20th District for a four-year term.
During his tenure, Bill has been a strong voice for Southside and Southwest in Virginia’s Capitol. He has sponsored legislation to spur economic development to create jobs and reduce unemployment in Southside Virginia. Bill’s energy and enthusiasm, grassroots focus, and track record of effective leadership are making a difference for Southside families for future generations.
Experience
Work Experience
- Attorney
2019 to present
Education
- JD
District of Columbia School of Law
2019 to present - BS
Hampden-Sydney College
2019 to present
Personal
Born in Milton, Florida on July 21, 1967. Married Laura Stanley. Member Methodist Church.
Contact
Legislative Assistants: Deborah Duke-Daly, Richard Crouse
Email:
- Government – district20@senate.virginia.gov
Offices
Capitol Office
Pocahontas Building
Room No: E610
Senate of Virginia
P. O. Box 396
Richmond, VA 23218
Phone: (804) 698-7520
Fax: (804) 698-7651
District Office
P. O. Box 96
Glade Hill, VA 24092-0096
Phone: (540) 721-6028
Fax: (540) 721-6405
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook
Politics
Source: none
Recent Elections
2019
| William M. Stanley, Jr. (R) | 32,527 | 70.52% |
| Sherman D. Witcher Sr. () | 13,394 | 29.04% |
| Write-In (Write-in) | 204 | 0.44% |
| TOTAL | 46,125 |
2015
| Bill Stanley (R) | 22,701 | 57.9% |
| Kimberly Elliott Adkins (D) | 16,455 | 42.0% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 67 | 0.2% |
| TOTAL | 39,223 |
2011
| Bill Stanley (R) | 23,975 | 46.8% |
| William Roscoe Reynolds (D) | 23,331 | 45.5% |
| Willis Jeffery Evans () | 3,887 | 7.6% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 37 | 0.1% |
| TOTAL | 51,230 |
Finances
STANLEY JR, WILLIAM M has run in 3 races for public office, winning 3 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,908,430.
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Committees
Local Government (Chair)
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Commerce and Labor
Courts of Justice
Rules
Appointments
Studies and Commissions
Coal and Energy, Virginia Commission on
Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, Board of Trustees
Health Insurance Reform Commission
Henrietta Lacks Commission
Manufacturing Development Commission
New College Institute
Online Virginia Network Authority
Roanoke River Bi-State Commission, Virginia Delegation of the
School Facility Modernization
Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium Governing Board
Subcommittee #1 Agriculture
Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission
Virginia Housing Commission
Water Commission, State
Western Virginia Public Education Consortium
Wireless Communications Infrastructure Group – Joint Subcommittees of House Commerce & Labor, Senate Commerce & Labor, and Senate General Laws & Technology
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
New Legislation
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System
