Summary
Current Position: State Senator of District 15 since 2000
Affiliation: Republican
Frank Ruff is a leader in reforming economic development to expand current businesses and attract new employers. He has worked with prospective job creators to encourage them to come to our region. From assistance with funding for industrial parks to enhancing tourism, from working with the Governor and local leaders to recruit new industry, to the creation of a much needed law enforcement hazardous driving school, he has been a leader in the fight for small-town communities across the Fifteenth Senate District.
OnAir Post: Frank Ruff
About
Source: Campaign page
Senator Frank Ruff was elected to serve in the Virginia Senate in November 2000 to fill the unexpired term of the late Richard Holland. Prior to Frank’s election to the Virginia Senate, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates since first elected in 1993.
The 15th Senate District includes all of the counties of Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Nottoway, as well as parts of the counties of Brunswick, Campbell, Dinwiddie, Halifax, Pittsylvania, and Prince George, and part of the City of Danville. The 15th District is the largest in the Commonwealth.
Frank’s experience in government and business has made him an effective member of the General Assembly. A retired owner of a furniture business in Clarksville, Frank understands the challenges faced by entrepreneurs who bring jobs to Southside Virginia. A former member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors, he uses his experience and committee assignments to focus on economic development, education, and workforce training in rural Virginia.
Frank is a leader in reforming economic development to expand current businesses and attract new employers. He has worked with prospective job creators to encourage them to come to our region. From assistance with funding for industrial parks to enhancing tourism, from working with the Governor and local leaders to recruit new industry, to the creation of a much needed law enforcement hazardous driving school, he has been a leader in the fight for small-town communities across the Fifteenth Senate District.
Frank led the effort to create scholarships and forgivable loans through the Tobacco Commission as a way to educate the tobacco region’s young people and to encourage them to return to the region to re-establish their roots. In addition, recognizing that there was a gap in skilled labor and that not all young adults wish to pursue a college education, Frank has been a leader in workforce training for today’s needs. He has led the effort to better focus our workforce skills training for today’s economy and available well-paying jobs. He has been a leader in working with potential employers and community colleges to offer workforce training to independent certifications that is offered in several weeks rather than the traditional two year programs. This requires the community colleges to work with area businesses to better understand the skills that are needed in a region. This will transform our community colleges to true centers of workforce training with a focus on faster training as well as quality and independent certification of that training.
Frank and his wife Jessie have four children: sons Frank M. “Miller”, III, (wife – Jessica), Thomas (wife – Michelle), David, and daughter Genny. As well, they have two granddaughters. They are active members of Clarksville Presbyterian Church.
Committees, Boards, and Commissions
Frank’s service to Virginia includes membership on several committees, boards and commissions to include the following:
Senate Standing Committee assignments:
- Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
- Chairs the subcommittee on Economic Development/Natural Resources
- Finance
- General Laws and Technology – Chairman
- House and Senate Joint Rules Committee
- Privileges and Elections
- Rules Committee
Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission – Vice-Chairman
- Education Committee – Chairman
- Executive Committee
- Research and Development Committee
- Southside Economic Development Committee
- TROF Committee
Center for Rural Virginia
Economic Success
- Broadband Advisory Council
- Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates
- Growth and Opportunity Board
- Major Economic Incentive Project Approval Commission
- Small Business Commission
Education Success
- Virginia Board of Workforce Development
- Southern Virginia Higher Education Center
- Mecklenburg Distance Learning Center
Environment
- State Water Commission
- Roanoke River Bi-State Commission
- Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee
Good Government
- Employee Retirement Security and Pension Reform Commission
- Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
Other
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission
- Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation
- World War I and World War II Commemorative Commission
His work also includes responsibilities on national legislative organizations. Frank serves on the Trade and Economic Development Committee of the American Legislative Exchange Council and on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committees of the Southern Legislative Conference and the National Conference of State Legislators
Experience
Work Experience
- Business Owner
2019 to presentfurniture business in Clarksville
Education
University of Richmond
2019 to present
Personal
Born in Bedford County, Virginia on September 22, 1949. Married Jessica Bowne Ruff; member: Clarksville Presbyterian Church.
Contact
Legislative Assistant: Cindy Hosmer
Email:
- Government – district15@senate.virginia.gov
Offices
Capitol Office
Pocahontas Building
Room No: E505
Senate of Virginia
P. O. Box 396
Richmond, VA 23218
Phone: (804) 698-7515
Fax: (804) 698-7651
District Office
P.O. Box 332
Clarksville, VA 23927
Phone: (434) 374-5129
Fax: (434) 955-2224
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Facebook
Politics
Source: none
Recent Elections
2019
| Frank Ruff (R) | 38,471 | 68.30% |
| Virginia M. Smith (D) | 17,793 | 31.59% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 63 | 0.11% |
| TOTAL | 56,327 |
2017
| Frank Ruff (R) | 25,429 | 59.0% |
| Robert Bob L. Wilkerson (D) | 17,658 | 40.9% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 37 | |
| TOTAL | 43,124 |
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System
Finances
RUFF JR, FRANK M has run in 6 races for public office, winning 5 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,498,550
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Committees
General Laws and Technology (Chair)
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Finance
Privileges and Elections
Rules
Appointments
Studies and Commissions
Broadband Advisory Council
Elementary and Secondary Education Funding, Joint Subcommittee
Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument Subcommittee Work Group #2 Fundraising
Employee Retirement Security and Pension Reform, Commission on
General Assembly Building
Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates
Growth and Opportunity Board, Virginia
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
Joint Rules
King, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther, Memorial Commission
Manufacturing Development Commission
MEI Project Approval Commission
Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee, Virginia
Roanoke River Bi-State Commission, Virginia Delegation of the
Rural Virginia Board of Trustees, Center for
Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel
Small Business Commission
Southern Virginia Higher Education Center Board of Trustees
Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission
Virginia Preschool Initiative, Joint Subcommittee
Water Commission, State
Wireless Communications Infrastructure Group – Joint Subcommittees of House Commerce & Labor, Senate Commerce & Labor, and Senate General Laws & Technology
Workforce Development, Virginia Board of
World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission, Virginia
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
New Legislation
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System
Issues
Source: Government page
The issues most common to our area are: Budget/Taxes, Job Creation, Business Regulation, Healthcare, Public School/College, Environmental/Uranium Mining, Renewable Energy, Road and Transportation/Gas Tax, Seniors, Veterans, Gun Rights, and Right to Life. If you share these concerns or have others, I would love to hear from you. It is important to me to know how the issues affect you so that I may represent you well.
Your views are important to me, but they must mesh with my view of the role of government in the lives of those of us in Southern Virginia. Please visit the Legislation page. There you will also find links to bills I have sponsored in past sessions.
