Summary
The Virginia onAir Hub is managed by students supporting Virginians to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
- Virginia onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on theVirginia Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: usgov.onair.cc.
- Virginia students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Virginia onAir content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
Find out more about Who Represents Me in Virginia
Learn more about the US onAir Network
2-minute vision video about the US onAir network
OnAir Post: Virginia onAir
About
US onAir Internships
US onAir internships are sponsored by Democracy onAir, a nonpartisan, student-focused, 501c3 nonprofit providing trusted information on governance and elections and an online town square to facilitate more civil, collaborative democracies. Over the past four years with the help of George Mason University faculty, staff, and alumni, Democracy onAir has been working with student interns to develop the US onAir network of 50 state governance and elections Hubs and national US onAir Hub.
The fall 2022 US onAir Internship program is designed to help US students and the public become more informed and engaged voters for the November 2022 elections by way of the US onAir national Hub and state Hubs like this North Carolina onAir Hub. Many of our recent interns have continued working with Democracy onAir in management positions.
We encourage student interns to integrate their internship with their intern courses for credit, class projects, capstone projects, and research work. A five hour per week commitment through Nov. 8 is required for this internship. After Nov. 8, interns can reduce their time commitment especially the week before final exams. All work is done online and unpaid.
Next semester our plan is to have some paid fellowships as well as new onAir networks in democracies throughout the world with a focus on Asian democracies such as South Korea, India, and Taiwan.
Here is a 2 minute video about US onAir internship opportunities.
Fall Intern Opportunities
Virginia onAir Team Leader
The Virginia onAir Hub is looking for a team leader. We prefer team leaders that are active members in their universities student government.
Virginia onAir Managers
The Virginia onAir internship program is for Georgia undergrad or graduate students attending in state or out of state colleges and universities. Managers will focus on one or more of these areas: Curation, Aircasting, and Chapter outreach (see this post for more details on these roles).
In September and October, interns will interact with candidates in their state’s US Senate, US House, Governor, and other state-wide races doing the following:
- Oversee the curation of politician, issue, committee, and other Hub posts
- Oversee the producing and moderating candidate and race aircasts (student produced, livestreamed zoom discussions) and editing videos based on these aircasts
- Oversee the establishment and coordination onAir chapters at Virginia colleges and universities
After Nov. 8, interns will similarly interact with elected representatives, emphasizing finding common ground on key issues and legislation.
Contact usdemocracy@onair.cc.
Virginia onAir Chapters
US onAir will assist Virginia students to establish onAir Chapters in their colleges and universities. The Virginia onAir chapters will be open to all Virginia undergrad and graduate students as well as faculty, staff, and alumni.
Chapter members curate posts on politicians, their committees, issues, and legislation. They moderate online discussions, and help produce aircasts. To learn more about US onAir chapters, go to this post.
To set up your university chapter, contact usdemocracy@onair.cc
Public Engagement
To participate in Virginia onAir and the US onAir Hub discussions and events, all that is required is your first and last name, and a “.edu” email address.
Each state Hub will have its own membership requirements. For example, most state Hubs, once they have a student Hub management team, will start off requiring a .edu email address. Once a Hub’s onAir Council decides it’s ready for the public, it will then be open to any resident of their state.
Your real name and any other profile information will NOT be displayed unless you choose to do so. Your personal information is NOT shared with any other website or organization.
Hub membership will enable you to:
- Ask questions, make suggestions, and give endorsements to your representatives and other politicians;
- Interact directly with Post Authors and Curators giving them feedback, content suggestions, and asking questions,
- Participate in aircast forums, research studies, and surveys,
- Be able to ask questions during onAir livestreaming broadcasts via chat
Supporting Virginia onAir
There are many ways other than interning with US onAir that students and US citizens can engage with and support the US onAir network and the 50 state governance and election Hubs.
- Donate to Democracy onAir
- Sponsor a post, category, or entire Hub
- Purchase an Advocate membership and curate your own posts
For more information how you can support Virginia onAir, go to this post.
State Representatives
Virginia is located in the Southern region of the USA with Richmond as its capital.
Glenn Youngkin (R) is Governor, Justin Fairfax is Lieutenant Governor, and Mark Herring is Attorney General.
The Virginia General Assembly has 40 Senate members and 100 House of Delegate members.
Glenn Youngkin
Current Position: Governor since 2022
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 Governor
Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Glenn learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, Glenn embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.
After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Glenn and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. Glenn landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Glenn played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other frontline public servants and supported hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
For more information, go to this post.
Winsome Sears
Current Position: Lt. Governor since 2022
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 Lt. Governor
Winsome was elected to a majority Black legislative district! No other Republican has done that in Virginia since 1865: She consequently also became the first (and still only) Black Republican woman elected to the House, the first female veteran, and the first legal immigrant woman.
Winsome is a mother, wife and is proud to have served in the United States Marines. She was also a hard-charging Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education and received presidential appointments to the US Census Bureau (where she co-chaired the African American Committee) and the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
In addition to her Masters degree, Winsome also built a successful business as a trained electrician and understands the importance of helping small businesses thrive. However, Winsome is most proud of her community work leading a men’s prison ministry and as director of a women’s homeless shelter for The Salvation Army.
For more information, go to this post.
Jason Miyares
Current Position: Attorney General for District 82 since 2022
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 Attorney General
Former Position(s): State Delegate for 82nd from 2016 – 2021
In November of 2015, Jason Miyares won the open seat to the 82nd District for the House of Delegates by the widest margin in the district’s history while becoming the first Cuban-American ever elected to the Virginia General Assembly. Jason Miyares has brought commonsense conservative leadership and accountability to Richmond while fighting for fiscal discipline and government transparency.
In November of 2015, he won the open seat to the 82nd District for the House of Delegates by the widest margin in the district’s history while becoming the first Cuban-American ever electd to the Virginia General Assembly. Jason Miyares has brought commonsense conservative leadership and accountability to Richmond while fighting for fiscal discipline and government transparency.
US Representatives
Senator Mark Warner
Current Position: US Senator since 2009
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position(s): Governor from 2002 – 2006; Venture Capital from 1989 – 2001
Other Positions:
Chair, Senate Intelligence Committee
Quotes:
Senator Warner is committed to strengthening our national security both at home and abroad, and he believes a strong and engaged United States is fundamental to securing our national interests around the world.
From 2002 to 2006, he served as Governor of Virginia. When he left office in 2006, Virginia was ranked as the best state for business, the best managed state, and the best state in which to receive a public education.
For more information, go to this post.
Senator Tim Kaine
Current Position: US Senator since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position(s): Governor from 2006 – 2010; Lt. Governor from 2002 – 2006; Mayor from 1998 – 2001
Other Positions:
Chair, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support – Committee on Armed Services Budget Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Quotes:
“Tim has made boosting job opportunities for everyone a top priority. Tim is focused on crafting smart defense strategy and reducing the risk of unnecessary war. Tim believes that health care is a right … and has consistently pushed for reforms to expand access to quality care.”
For more information, go to this post.
Virginia’s 11 US House members are displayed in the US House Members “Top Posts” slider. Map of US House Members and their districts.
Rob Wittman
Current Position: US Representative since 2008
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2006 – 2008; Montross Town Council from 1996 – 2005
Quote:
Rob is committed to getting things done. From rebuilding our Navy to increasing access to broadband, to making sure our children have a 21st-century education, he is constantly working for the First District.
Elaine Luria
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 2 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative
Other Positions:
Vice Chair, Committee on Armed Services
Chair, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs – Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Featured Quote:
“Today, too many Americans are working hard and getting less. That’s because politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for them. That’s why I am running for Congress.
The core values of Security, Equality, and Prosperity will serve as my compass in representing the 2nd District.”
For more information, go to this post.
Bobby Scott
Current Position: US Representative for District 3 since 1993
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 3
Other Position:
Chair, Education and Labor Committee
During his tenure in the Virginia General Assembly, Congressman Bobby Scott successfully sponsored laws critical to Virginians in education, employment, health care, social services, economic development, crime prevention and consumer protection.
His legislative successes included laws that increased Virginia’s minimum wage, created the Governor’s Employment and Training Council and improved health care benefits for women, infants and children. He also sponsored the Neighborhood Assistance Act, which provides tax credits to businesses for donations made to approved social service and crime prevention programs.
For more information, go to this post.
Donald McEachin
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 4 since 2017
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 4
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1995 – 2007
Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) was first elected to represent the 4th Congressional District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Congressman McEachin has been selected by his colleagues to serve as a Regional Whip, co-chair of the House Democratic Environmental Message Team, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, and vice-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). During his first term in Congress, Rep. McEachin co-founded the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force and continues to lead the task force as a co-chair.
For more information, go to this post.
Bob Good
Current Position: Campbell County Board of Supervisors since 2016
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 5
Bob Good is running for Congress to bring the conservative principles of financial stewardship and respect for hard working taxpayers back to Washington. President Trump’s policies have delivered a growing, vibrant economy and we must ensure that our representatives back his agenda.
For more information, go to this post.
Ben Cline
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 6 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 6
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2002 – 2017
Ben Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He previously served as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 24th District from 2002-2018. In the Virginia House, Cline chaired the Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 2018, Ben was an attorney in private practice. From 2007 until 2013, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg.
Ben also worked for Congressman Bob Goodlatte, beginning as a member of his legislative staff in 1994 and ultimately serving as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff.
For more information, go to this post.
Abigail Spanberger
Current Position: US Representative since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 7
Other Positions:
Vice Chair, Subcommittees Europe, Eurasia, Energy, & the Environment Subcommittee
Pinned Tweet: The Inflation Reduction Act will lower healthcare costs for Virginians. – Seniors will see Medicare out-of-pocket drug prices capped at $2,000/year – Insulin for Medicare patients will be capped at $35/month – Medicare will finally be able to negotiate drug prices
Featured video: Abigail Spanberger for Congress
OnAir Post: Abigail Spanberger- VA7
Don Beyer
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 8 since 2015
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 8
Former Position(s): Lt. Governor from 1990 – 1998
Congressman Don Beyer is serving his third term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County. He serves on the House Committees on Ways and Means and Science Space and Technology, and is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama.
Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997
For more information, go to this post.
Morgan Griffith
Current Position: US Representative since 2011
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2021 US Senator
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1993 – 2010
Howard Morgan Griffith (born March 15, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician who has been the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 9th congressional district since 2011. The district covers a large swath of southwestern Virginia, including the New River Valley and the Virginia side of the Tri-Cities. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Freedom Caucus.
Griffith was the majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates and represented the 8th district from 1994 to 2011. The district was based in his hometown of Salem and included parts of surrounding Roanoke County.
For more information, go to this post.
Jennifer Wexton
Current Position: US Representative since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 10
Former Position(s): State Senator from 2013 – 2018
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton has been serving the people of Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley for nearly two decades as a prosecutor, advocate for abused children, state Senator, and now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 10th District.
Jennifer comes to Congress with experience in legislating and a deep understanding of Virginia’s 10th district and the issues that matter most to our region’s families. Rep. Wexton looks forward to working across the aisle in Congress to deliver positive results for the people of Northern Virginia and the United States.
For more information, go to this post.
Gerry Connolly
Current Position: US Representative for US House District 11 since 2009
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for US House District 11
Former Position(s): Board of Supervisors – Fairfax County from 1995 – 2007
Congressman Connolly is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations. In this role, he is responsible for shaping government-wide policy for a broad range of issues, including federal workforce and federal agency oversight, federal procurement and information policy, national drug policy, regulatory reform, the United States Postal Service, the United States Census Bureau, and the District of Columbia. He also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Using his extensive background in foreign policy, including as a senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has become a leading voice on foreign assistance reform, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad.
For more information, go to this post.
See Also
Democracy promoting Nonprofits
League of Women Voters of Virginia – Making Democracy Work
Mission
The nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project elevates public understanding of politics and government by organizing and presenting information in ways that are easily accessible and free of partisan bias.
VPAP is fiercely nonpartisan. We do not lobby or take positions on issues. Our singular focus is to give Virginians information they need to make their own decisions.
We were founded in 1997 with one simple premise: If Virginia’s campaign finance system relies upon disclosure, citizens should have the right to know who is giving to whom. Since then, we have expanded our focus to include related topics such as election results, lobbying, the legislative process and redistricting.
Our approach is grounded in verifiable facts drawn directly from government databases. Our integrated methods provide unique and valuable insights into decisions that impact your family and community. Our data visualizations turn complex data into easily digestible information.
In addition, we operate a free news aggregation service. VaNews provides a convenient way to find articles about government and politics that meet high standards for original news reporting.
VPAP’s unique, nonpartisan approach is supported by Republicans and Democrats alike. Our work has won awards from numerous organizations, including the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, the Wilder School of Public Policy at VCU and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Free news sources
VPM PBS
As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects nearly 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in arts and culture, history, science, news and education.
In addition to acclaimed series and documentaries, VPM produces compelling original content across platforms for local audiences and national distribution.
From its Richmond-area newsroom, VPM News delivers award-winning coverage of statewide politics, local government, education and legal issues, as well as the news of the day from NPR. VPM Music is home to a 24/7 blend of classical, jazz and world music serving the Richmond region.
A critical partner for parents, caregivers and teachers of the Commonwealth’s children, VPM offers free access to PBS KIDS content, bespoke educational content through the Science Matters initiative, plus local events and outreach.
VPM operates public television stations VPM PBS, VPM Plus, VPM PBS KIDS, lifestyle channel VPM Create and international program channel VPM WORLD, as well as Richmond public radio stations VPM News (88.9 FM) and VPM Music (107.3 FM, 93.1 FM and 88.9-HD2). In the Northern Neck (89.1 FM) and Southside Virginia (90.1 FM), listeners receive a combination of news and music stations. Audiences can access VPM online at VPM.org, and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Our Mission
To use the power of media to educate, entertain, and inspire.
Our Vision
More connected, informed and empathetic Virginians.
Virginia Mercury
Nonprofit. Nonpartisan. No paywalls. Fair and tough reporting on the policy and politics that affect all of us is more important than ever. The Mercury brings you coverage of the commonwealth’s biggest issues from a team of veteran Virginia journalists.
Wikipedia Entry
Contents
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, 1619.[1][2]
The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and an upper house, the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members. Senators serve terms of four years, and delegates serve two-year terms. Combined, the General Assembly consists of 140 elected representatives from an equal number of constituent districts across the commonwealth. The House of Delegates is presided over by the speaker of the House, while the Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virginia. The House and Senate each elect a clerk and sergeant-at-arms. The Senate of Virginia’s clerk is known as the clerk of the Senate (instead of as the secretary of the Senate, the title used by the U.S. Senate).
Following the 2019 election, the Democratic Party held a majority of seats in both the House and the Senate for the first time since 1996. They were sworn into office on January 8, 2020, at the start of the 161st session.[3][4] In the 2021 election, the Republican Party recaptured a majority in the House of Delegates, then lost it after the 2023 election, when the Democratic Party secured majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Capitol
The General Assembly meets in Virginia’s capital of Richmond. When sitting in Richmond, the General Assembly holds sessions in the Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1788 and expanded in 1904. During the American Civil War, the building was used as the capitol of the Confederate States, housing the Confederate Congress. The building was renovated between 2005 and 2006. Senators and delegates have their offices in the General Assembly Building across the street directly north of the Capitol, which have been rebuilt and opened in 2023.[5][6] The Governor of Virginia lives across the street directly east of the Capitol in the Virginia Executive Mansion.
History
The Virginia General Assembly is described as “the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World.”[7] Its existence dates to its establishment at Jamestown on July 30, 1619, by instructions from the Virginia Company of London to the new Governor Sir George Yeardley. It was initially a unicameral body composed of the Company-appointed Governor and Council of State, plus 22 burgesses elected by the settlements and Jamestown.[8] The Assembly became bicameral in 1642 upon the formation of the House of Burgesses. The Assembly had a judicial function of hearing cases both original and appellate.[9] At various times it may have been referred to as the Grand Assembly of Virginia.[10] The General Assembly met in Jamestown from 1619 until 1699, when it first moved to the College of William & Mary near Williamsburg, Virginia, and from 1705 met in the colonial Capitol building. It became the General Assembly in 1776 with the ratification of the Virginia Constitution. The government was moved to Richmond in 1780 during the administration of Governor Thomas Jefferson.
Salary and qualifications
The annual salary for senators is $18,000.[11] The annual salary for delegates is $17,640, with the exception that the Speaker’s salary is $36,321.[12] Members and one staff member also receive a per diem allowance for each day spent attending to official duties such as attending session in Richmond or attending committee meetings. Transportation expenses are reimbursed.[13]
Under the Constitution of Virginia, senators and delegates must be twenty-one years of age at the time of the election, residents of the district they represent, and qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly. Under the Constitution, “a senator or delegate who moves his residence from the district for which he is elected shall thereby vacate his office.”[14]
The state constitution specifies that the General Assembly shall meet annually, and its regular session is a maximum of 60 days long in even-numbered years and 30 days long in odd-numbered years, unless extended by a two-thirds vote of both houses.[15] The Governor of Virginia may convene a special session of the General Assembly “when, in his opinion, the interest of the Commonwealth may require” and must convene a special session “upon the application of two-thirds of the members elected to each house.”[16]
Redistricting reform
Article II, section 6 on apportionment states, “Members of the . . . Senate and of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly shall be elected from electoral districts established by the General Assembly. Every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and shall be so constituted as to give, as nearly as is practicable, representation in proportion to the population of the district.”[17] The Redistricting Coalition of Virginia proposes either an independent commission or a bipartisan commission that is not polarized. Member organizations include the League of Women Voters of Virginia, AARP of Virginia, OneVirginia2021, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Virginia Organizing.[18] Governor Bob McDonnell‘s Independent Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting for the Commonwealth of Virginia made its report on April 1, 2011. It made two recommendations for each state legislative house that showed maps of districts more compact and contiguous than those adopted by the General Assembly.[19] However, no action was taken after the report was released.
In 2011 the Virginia College and University Redistricting Competition was organized by Professors Michael McDonald of George Mason University and Quentin Kidd of Christopher Newport University. About 150 students on sixteen teams from thirteen schools submitted plans for legislative and U.S. Congressional Districts. They created districts more compact than the General Assembly’s efforts. The “Division 1” maps conformed with the Governor’s executive order, and did not address electoral competition or representational fairness. In addition to the criteria of contiguity, equipopulation, the federal Voting Rights Act and communities of interest in the existing city and county boundaries, “Division 2” maps in the competition did incorporate considerations of electoral competition and representational fairness. Judges for the cash award prizes were Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute.[20]
In January 2015 Republican state senator Jill Holtzman Vogel of Winchester and Democratic state senator Louise Lucas of Portsmouth sponsored a Senate Joint Resolution to establish additional criteria for the Virginia Redistricting Commission of four identified members of political parties, and three other independent public officials. The criteria began with respecting existing political boundaries, such as cities and towns, counties and magisterial districts, election districts and voting precincts. Districts are to be established on the basis of population, in conformance with federal and state laws and court cases, including those addressing racial fairness. The territory is to be contiguous and compact, without oddly shaped boundaries. The commission is prohibited from using political data or election results to favor either political party or incumbent. It passed with a two-thirds majority of 27 to 12 in the Senate, and was then referred to committee in the House of Delegates.[21]
In 2015, in Vesilind v. Virginia State Board of Elections in a Virginia state court, plaintiffs sought to overturn the General Assembly’s redistricting in five House of Delegates and six state Senate districts as violations of both the Virginia and U.S. Constitutions because they failed to represent populations in “continuous and compact territory”.[22]
In 2020, a constitutional amendment moved redistricting power to a commission consisting of eight lawmakers, four from each party, and eight citizens.[23] The amendment passed with all counties and cities supporting the measure except Arlington.[24] The commission failed to reach an agreement on new state and congressional districts by an October 25, 2021, deadline, and relied upon the amendment’s provision that lets the state Supreme Court of Virginia draw the districts in the event that the commission could not do so.[25] The Supreme Court did so and approved newly drawn districts on December 28, 2021.[26] While newly drawn districts will currently first be used in 2023, a federal lawsuit is pending that calls for an election to be held using newly drawn districts as immediately as November 2022. If the lawsuit was successful, it would have required all House districts, which just held elections under the previous districts in 2021, to hold back-to-back elections in 2022 and 2023 under the newly drawn districts.[27]
See also
- Senate of Virginia
- Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia State Capitol
- List of Virginia state legislatures
References
- ^ “The First General Assembly | Historic Jamestowne”. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ “House History”. history.house.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ “Newly-Empowered Virginia Democrats Promise Action”. Voice of America. Associated Press. January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ “Asombra diversidad étnica de nueva Legislatura de Virginia” (in Spanish). Chron. January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020.
- ^ “General Assembly Building Webcams”. virginiageneralassembly.gov. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ “General Assembly Building — Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP”. Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ “About the General Assembly”. Virginia’s Legislature. State of Virginia. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Billings; Warren, M. (2004). A Little Parliament; The Virginia General Assembly in the Seventeenth Century. Richmond: The Library of Virginia, in partnership with Jamestown 2007/Jamestown Yorktown Foundation.
- ^ Barradall, Edward, and Randolph, John. Virginia Colonial Decisions. United States, Boston book Company, 1909. v. 1, p. 63.
- ^ Virginia (1905). Annual Reports of Officers, Boards and Institutions of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Report of the State Librarian, Volume II. p. 543.
- ^ General Information: Senate Archived 2012-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ General Information: House of Delegates Archived May 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ “Virginia Budget”. Legislative Information Service. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Constitution of Virginia Archived June 27, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Art. IV, § 4 Archived June 29, 2021, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Art. IV, Sect. 6 Constitution of Va.
- ^ “Article IV. Legislature – Section 6. Legislative sessions”. Constitution of Virginia. Virginia Law. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023.
- ^ “Article II, Section 6. Apportionment”. Virginia Constitution. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2006 – via Justia.
- ^ “Coalition Members”. Virginia Redistricting Coalition. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014.
- ^ The Public Interest in Redistricting[permanent dead link ] Bob Holsworth, Chair for the Independent Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting, Commonwealth of Virginia, April 1, 2011, pp. 22–27.[dead link ]
- ^ The Public Interest in Redistricting[permanent dead link ] Bob Holsworth, Chair for the Independent Bipartisan Advisory Commission on Redistricting, Commonwealth of Virginia, April 1, 2011, pp. 9–10.[dead link ]
- ^ “Senate Joint Resolution No. 284 Archived December 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (Proposed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections on January 20, 2015) (Patrons Prior to Substitute – Senators Vogel and Lucas [SJR 224])”.
- ^ “Vesilind v. Virginia State Board of Elections” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ “Virginia Redistricting Commission Amendment (2020)”. Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ “2020 November General”. Virginia Elections. Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ “Redistricting Commission to Miss Last Deadline; Supreme Court to Choose Special Masters”. WVTF. November 8, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ “Redistricting process changes impact new maps”. www.cbs19news.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ “Civil rights group asks to join Virginia redistricting suit”. AP NEWS. March 21, 2022. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
External links
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