The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia,the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere,the first elected legislative assembly in the New World and was established on July 30,1619.
Abner Linwood Holton Jr. was an American politician and attorney. He served as the 61st governor of Virginia,from 1970 to 1974,and was the first elected Republican governor of Virginia of the 20th century. He was known for supporting civil rights,integration,and public investment.
William Troy Bolling is an American businessman,politician and educator who served as the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Robert Francis McDonnell is an American politician,attorney,businessman,academic administrator,and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Republican Party
Robert Creigh Deeds is an American lawyer and politician serving as a member of the Senate of Virginia representing the 25th district since 2001. Previously,he was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Virginia in 2005 and Governor of Virginia in 2009. He was defeated in both of those races by Republican Bob McDonnell. Deeds lost by just 323 votes in 2005,but was defeated by a wide margin of over 17 percentage points in 2009. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2001.
2006 Virginia Question 1,the Marshall-Newman Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that defines marriage as solely between one man and one woman and bans recognition of any legal status "approximat[ing] the design,qualities,significance,or effects of marriage". The amendment was ratified by 57% of the voters on November 7,2006. It became part of the state Constitution as Section 15-A of Article 1. In 2014,the amendment was ruled unconstitutional in Bostic v. Schaefer.
Kay Coles James is an American public official who served as secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from January 2022 to August 2023,and as the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. Previous to the OPM appointment,she served as Virginia secretary of health and human resources under then-Governor George Allen and was the dean of Regent University's government school. She is the president and founder of the Gloucester Institute,a leadership training center for young African Americans.
The 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election took place in Virginia on November 3,2009. The incumbent Governor,Democrat Tim Kaine,was not eligible to run due to term limits established by the Virginia Constitution,though others in the state's executive branch were not restricted. Republican Bob McDonnell was elected as Governor as part of a Republican sweep. Republican Bill Bolling was reelected as lieutenant governor,and Republican Ken Cuccinelli was elected as attorney general. The winners were inaugurated on January 16,2010,and served until January 11,2014.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3,2009,in the states of New Jersey and Virginia,as well as in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on November 7,2009. Both state governorships were previously held by Democrats elected in 2005,and both were won by Republicans in 2009;the local Covenant Party maintained control of the governorship of the Marianas. These elections formed part of the 2009 United States elections. As of 2024,this is the last election after which the Democratic party held a majority of governorships.
The following offices were up for election in the United States Commonwealth of Virginia in the November 2009 general election:
Sean Thomas Connaughton is an American attorney who was the Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2010 until 2014. He served as the Administrator of the United States Maritime Administration,an agency of the United States Department of Transportation,from 2006 until early 2009. Connaughton served as Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors from January 1,2000 until his appointment as Maritime Administrator. He is also a lawyer,unsuccessful 2005 Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia,former United States Coast Guard officer,and a retired officer of the United States Naval Reserve. He was confirmed as Maritime Administrator by the Senate on August 3,2006.
The 2013 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election took place on November 5,2013,to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. The incumbent Lieutenant Governor,Republican Bill Bolling,had originally planned to run for Governor of Virginia in the 2013 gubernatorial election,but withdrew upon the entry of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
Levar Marcus Stoney is an American politician who has served as the 80th mayor of Richmond,Virginia since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 through 2016,being the youngest member of Governor Terry McAuliffe's administration.
Janet Vestal Kelly is a former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia,serving from 2010 through 2014 as part of the cabinet of Governor Bob McDonnell. She previously served as Chief Operations Officer of McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign and on his staff in the Attorney General's office. During McDonnell's federal corruption trial,Kelly served as a key witness for the defense.
The 2017 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 7,2017. After the party primary elections were held,the major party nominees were Jill Vogel (Republican) and Justin Fairfax (Democrat). The incumbent Lieutenant Governor,Democrat Ralph Northam,declined to run for re-election in order to run for Governor. In the general election on November 7,2017,Democratic nominee Justin Fairfax defeated Republican state Senator Jill Vogel to become the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. This is the last time that a Democrat won the lieutenant governorship in Virginia.
Kelly Teal Thomasson Mercer is an American Democratic politician,who served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from April 2016 to January 2022. Initially appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe,she continued as Secretary under the administration of Governor Ralph Northam. Prior to her appointment as Secretary,Thomasson served as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor McAuliffe.
Todd Patterson Haymore is an American civil servant who served as Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade in the administration of Governor Terry McAuliffe. He previously served as the Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry under Governor Bob McDonnell and Terry McAuliffe. Prior to these two posts,he served in then-Governor Tim Kaine's administration in the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Laura Worley Novey is a former Virginia Secretary of Education,serving from 2011 to 2013 under Governor Bob McDonnell. Previously working as Virginia Tech's director of state government relations,she was appointed Deputy Secretary of Education in 2010 and was elevated to secretary upon the resignation of Gerard Robinson. She left in 2013 to take a position with the University of Virginia.
The government of Richmond,Virginia,headquartered at Richmond City Hall in Downtown Richmond,is organized under the Charter of Richmond,Virginia and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The Richmond City Council is a unicameral body consisting of nine members,each elected to represent a geographic district. The city of Richmond is located in the 13th Judicial Circuit of Virginia,and its court system consists of a circuit court and four district courts.
The 2011 Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney election was held on November 8,2015,to elect the Commonwealth's Attorney of Henrico County,Virginia,concurrently with elections to the Senate of Virginia and Virginia House of Delegates. Incumbent Republican Commonwealth's Attorney Wade A. Kizer announced that he would be retiring from the position,making it an open contest. Republicans Matthew Geary and Bill Janis and Democrat Shannon Taylor all ran for Attorney,with Taylor beating both in the general election.
