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Justin Fairfax
Justin Fairfax (Democratic Party) was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He assumed office on January 13, 2018. He left office on January 15, 2022.
Fairfax (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Virginia. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 8, 2021.
Fairfax ran unsuccessfully in 2013 for the Democratic nomination for Virginia Attorney General. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.[1]
Biography
Justin Fairfax was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. During his time as a federal prosecutor, Fairfax served as deputy of the Major Crimes & Narcotics Unit and as a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force.
Fairfax obtained degrees in public policy and law from Duke University and Columbia Law School, respectively. While studying at Columbia, he was part of the Columbia Law Review.[2]
Education
- DeMatha Catholic High School
- A.B. in public policy from Duke University
- J.D. from Columbia Law School
Elections
2021
See also: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Democratic primary)
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (May 8 Republican convention)
General election
General election for Governor of Virginia
Glenn Youngkin defeated Terry McAuliffe, Princess Blanding, and Paul Davis in the general election for Governor of Virginia on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Glenn Youngkin (R)  | 50.6 | 1,663,596 |
 | Terry McAuliffe (D) | 48.6 | 1,600,116 | |
 | Princess Blanding (Liberation Party) | 0.7 | 23,125 | |
 | Paul Davis (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,593 | ||
| Total votes: 3,289,430 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brad Froman (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia
Terry McAuliffe defeated Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Jennifer McClellan, Justin Fairfax, and Lee Carter in the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Terry McAuliffe | 62.1 | 307,367 |
 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | 19.8 | 98,052 | |
 | Jennifer McClellan | 11.8 | 58,213 | |
 | Justin Fairfax | 3.6 | 17,606 | |
 | Lee Carter | 2.8 | 13,694 | |
| Total votes: 494,932 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican Convention for Governor of Virginia
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Glenn Youngkin in round 6 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
|
Total votes: 12,555 |
|||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Merle Rutledge (R)
- Kurt Santini (R)
- Paul Davis (R)
Campaign finance
2017
Virginia held an election for lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam (D) was running for governor, leaving the lieutenant governor election an open race.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was March 30, 2017.
Justin Fairfax (D) defeated Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) in the election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[3]
| Virginia Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Justin Fairfax |
52.77% | 1,368,261 | |
| Republican | Jill Holtzman Vogel | 47.23% | 1,224,519 | |
| Total Votes | 2,592,780 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Justin Fairfax defeated Susan Platt and Gene Rossi in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[4]
| Virginia Democratic Lieutenant Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Justin Fairfax |
49.13% | 252,400 |
| Susan Platt | 39.19% | 201,316 |
| Gene Rossi | 11.69% | 60,041 |
| Total Votes | 513,757 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
Jill Holtzman Vogel defeated Bryce Reeves and Glenn Davis in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.[4]
| Virginia Republican Lieutenant Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jill Holtzman Vogel |
42.73% | 151,998 |
| Bryce Reeves | 39.98% | 142,218 |
| Glenn Davis | 17.29% | 61,517 |
| Total Votes | 355,733 | |
| Source: The New York Times | ||
2013
- See also: Virginia attorney general election, 2013
Fairfax ran for election to the office of attorney general in 2013. He sought the Democratic nomination in the primary on June 11, 2013, but was defeated by state Sen. Mark Herring.[5]
| Attorney General of Virginia Democratic Primary Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Mark Herring |
51.7% | 72,861 | ||
| Justin Fairfax | 48.3% | 68,177 | ||
| Total Votes | 141,038 | |||
| Election results via Virginia State Board of Elections. | ||||
Race background
| Information about this election can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |
|---|---|
|
In March 2013, Governing magazine rated Virginia’s open attorney general seat as vulnerable ahead of the election, citing incumbent Republican Ken Cuccinelli 's decision not to seek re-election.[5] The race to succeed Cuccinelli as attorney general began with contested nomination processes in both parties, with Republicans selecting their nominee at a convention and Democrats holding a primary election. On May 18, 2013, state Sen. Mark Obenshain and state Rep. Rob Bell competed for delegate votes at the state Republican Party closed nominating convention, with Obenshain securing the nomination. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Mark Herring defeated former assistant U.S. attorney Justin Fairfax in the primary election held on June 11, 2013.[6][5][7] In late October 2013, polls indicated that Mark Herring held a narrow lead over Mark Obenshain in the attorney general race. Several organizations engaged in satellite spending efforts ahead of the November election, including:
The outcome of the election was initially too close to call, but after a recount, Herring won the seat by 907 votes out of 2,209,183 votes cast. | |
Endorsements
Fairfax's 2013 attorney general campaign was endorsed by The Washington Post and Sen. Tim Kaine’s 2012 U.S. Senate campaign treasurer and Virginia businessman, Warren Thompson.[11][12]
Primary election polls
| Attorney General of Virginia - 2013 Democratic Primary Race | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Justin Fairfax | Mark Herring | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Public Policy Polling (May 24-28, 2013) | 19% | 22% | 59% | +/-5.5 | 322 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Justin Fairfax did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Fairfax's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Education Justice Reform Healthcare Housing |
” |
| —Justin Fairfax's campaign website (2021)[14] | ||
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Fairfax participated in a survey created by Ballotpedia. The survey was designed to let our readers know more about the candidates and feel confident that they are voting for the best person to represent them. The survey questions appear bolded, and Fairfax's responses follow below.
| “ | Virginia's economy is headed in the right direction. Under Governor McAuliffe, we have been able to create 200,000 new jobs in Virginia and bring about $16 billion in additional capital investment. I want to continue that kind of forward- thinking, economically focused leadership in Virginia by growing small businesses, increasing the minimum wage, and expanding workforce training and development. Grow Small Businesses. 97% of all businesses in Virginia are small businesses. Along with his work as an attorney, Justin also works with his wife running her dental practice, and has a firsthand understanding of the challenges of running a small business. As Lieutenant Governor, he'll work to ensure small business have what they need to succeed. Increase the Minimum Wage. Justin believes that Virginia workers deserve the right to earn a livable wage in order to support and create economic security for their families, and he'll fight to raise the minimum wage to ensure they can. Expand Workforce Training and Development. There are 175,000 "middle-skill" jobs — jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a 4-year college degree — currently going unfilled in Virginia. Justin would support expanding programs that offer the training to give Virginians who are out of work the necessary credentials to fill these "middle-skills" jobs.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
| “ | All Americans deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare. I believe that the government's role is to provide robust consumer protections and ensure fair play in the insurance market. We need policies established to protect people who, either because of their economic situation or their health condition, would not be offered affordable coverage by private insurers. I am a strong supporter of President Obama's signature Affordable Care Act, and as Lieutenant Governor I will fight any effort to repeal or weaken it. I have been deeply troubled by the efforts of the current federal administration to undermine the enrollment process and to weaken the exchanges, but I pledge to support these crucial policies in any way that I can. The advances in health coverage achieved by the Affordable Care Act have been broad and meaningful. Even the law's strongest critics have been forced to acknowledge the value and importance of its policy achievements. Under the ACA, young people can stay on their parents' plan until the age of 26. This is a foundational piece of economic security for a young person, allowing them to get a job without worrying about half of their budget being eaten up by health costs as they begin their financial life. Having pre-existing conditions cannot stop people from being covered. Moreover, insurers cannot discriminate against women by charging them more for insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, patients get free preventative health screenings which not only prevent costly medical problems later in life, but also reduce the cost of insurance by allowing medical professionals to intervene before health problems grow more severe and more expensive. It's also the right thing to do morally-- it saves lives. I will fight to expand Medicaid in Virginia. We will continue our efforts to expand Medicaid, which would cover 400,000 Virginians who are not covered today and are stuck in the so-called Medicaid Gap. Expanding Medicaid would create upward of 30,000 new, high-paying jobs in growing sectors. Virginia has already lost billions of dollars by not expanding Medicaid. Furthermore, I will fight any attempt to block-grant Medicaid. If Congress were to block-grant it, the consequences would be disastrous; it would cost Virginia $1.5 billion, 685,000 Virginians would lose their health insurance, and about 51,000 Virginia jobs would be lost.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
| “ | The state has a role to ensure that all of Virginia's workers are compensated at a fair and decent level. The current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour does not do this. You cannot support yourself--let alone a family-- even if you work 40 hours a week at that level. As I have travelled across Virginia, I have seen parents who have to work three minimum-wage jobs just to make ends meet. In a commonwealth where the minimum wage has not kept pace with the rising cost of living, workers and families find themselves increasingly unable to afford basic necessities and have to make devastating choices. 32 other states have adopted minimum wages higher than Virginia's, with many of them—including some Republican-led states—using index formulas to cut out the partisanship of raising the minimum wage. Professional licensing is another important state role that ensures the quality of professional services provided to Virginians. Fundamentally, professional licensing is designed to give consumers the assurance that the professionals they are doing business with are both qualified and competent. I am an attorney who serves clients, and my wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, is a dentist who treats patients. We are held to high ethics and professional competency requirements, but these should not be voluntary--the state, in partnership with private organizations, including professional associations, must play a role in guaranteeing that standards are met.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
| “ | We need to reform our criminal justice system in Virginia and across this country. This is one of the great moral issues of our time. Virginia's system is both morally and fiscally expensive. In many ways, we are hollowing out an entire generation of young people by incarcerating them, especially as the opioid and heroin epidemic explodes in Virginia. As a former federal prosecutor, I know that the current system of mass incarceration is a deeply ineffective system--it simply does not achieve its goals of reducing crime and rehabilitating incarcerated individuals. Virginia taxpayers spend $3 billion every year on our criminal justice system, and about $1.5 billion of that is the cost of incarceration-- spent solely to lock people up. We spend $27,000 per year to house an adult in our state prisons, and we spend $150,000 every single year to house a juvenile in Virginia—the same amount that it would cost to fund a four-year scholarship to one of Virginia's colleges or universities. We've got to change this; the current system's priorities are misplaced. We need to be sure that we fight for all incarcerated young people in Virginia by giving them a chance to rebuild their lives, to repay their debt to society, and to learn valuable skills to get them a job and reintegrate them into their communities. In short, we need to give them a future. As someone who spent a significant portion of his legal career dealing with high-stakes criminal trials that often involved drugs, I understand the importance of being tough on drug trafficking and the violent systems that support it. However, Virginia, and many other states, have gotten it wrong when it comes to low-quantity nonviolent drug offenses. By adopting policies that impose mandatory minimums and overlook the underlying causes of drug abuse, our criminal justice system punishes addiction rather than providing the support needed. The effect is stark, particularly regarding the prosecution of nonviolent drug offenses in low-income minority communities. Substance abuse and mental health issues are treatable, and we should be keeping our most at-risk citizens out of prison. In addition, we need to end the school to prison pipeline. It is clear that zero-tolerance policies, which assign predetermined punishments to specific violations, regardless of the situation or context of the action, have drastically failed. We are sending kids to the police, to courts and to prison over issues that should be handled within a school's disciplinary system. We must look into alternatives to school suspension and expulsion, invest into preventive programs aimed at at-risk youth, and examine mandatory and discretionary policies on school referrals of juvenile offenders to law enforcement. We must adopt practices that encourage positive engagement by law enforcement with the communities they serve. By building and emphasizing relationships in these neighborhoods, trust and communication lines can be strengthened. As Lieutenant Governor, I will support a community-based approach to law enforcement that will build trust and guarantee safety for all of Virginia's families.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
| “ | My campaign's central message is about bringing economic security to all Virginians. To me, that means making sure that all Virginians who want to pursue higher education can do so affordably. Virginia is home to some of the greatest institutions of higher education and research in the world, and as Lieutenant Governor I will fight to protect and expand the great work they are doing. But a key part of that is making college more affordable and accessible to Virginia's students. We must prioritize containing the rising costs to students to attend Virginia's colleges and universities and allowing students to refinance and restructure their often crushing student loan debt. In a job market where employers are increasingly looking for the critical and analytical thinking skills that are developed in college, higher education is naturally in high demand. However, an increasing number of students are being priced out of this market. We need to respond to this by expanding the programs that will allow Virginians to pursue their economic goals. We need to increase access to Virginia's world-class community colleges and emphasize the incredible job credentialing programs in areas like cybersecurity and bioengineering that will fill the over 200,000 high-paying jobs that are currently unfilled in Virginia. At our four-year institutions, we need to prioritize containing costs; the state needs to do its fair share in allocating funds to higher education. But we must also make sure that administrations are being held accountable and that they prioritize financial accessibility for our students. My wife and I both graduated with student loan debt in the six figures, but costs and interest rates have risen substantially since then. If I were to graduate today, I'm not sure that I would have had the same chance to access capital and purchase a small family dental practice with my wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax. When I graduated in the late 1990s, interest rates were at 2%; today, they are closer to 8%. Effectively, our students are paying off loans that have rates that look more like credit card bills than they look like student loans. Instead of focusing on investing in starting their own small business and pursuing their own economic goals, Virginia's graduates are increasingly focused on finding ways to pay their growing student loan debt. I want to change this by allowing our students to refinance their loans at a lower, more manageable rate. I would fight in the General Assembly for a state-supported student loan refinancing authority whose mission would be to design a process by which people can start refinancing their student loans at rates much closer to where they realistically should be. By saving Virginia's graduates hundreds of dollars per month in lower interest payments, they would free up more resources to invest in a home, a car, or a small business and thereby grow Virginia's economy.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
| “ | Virginia needs non-partisan redistricting to ensure that our legislative districts accurately reflect the people who live in them instead of intentionally carving out districts to advance a certain ideology. I support establishing a nonpartisan redistricting process in Virginia. As Lt. Governor, I will work with nonpartisan groups to ensure that the voices of the people do not get drowned out by biased and unfair redistricting. I would also review the constitutionality of any legislation passed by the General Assembly on redistricting and advocate for a non-partisan process for redrawing districts.[13] | ” |
| —Justin Fairfax | ||
Campaign website
Fairfax’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
What kinds of steps does Justin believe will help create more economic security and opportunity for Virginians?
What are some of Justin’s areas of focus for improving our education system?
What can Virginia do to create additional access to quality and affordable healthcare?
|
” |
| —Justin Fairfax’s campaign website (2018)[15] | ||
Noteworthy events
Appeals court upholds dismissal of Fairfax defamation lawsuit in relation to sexual assault allegations
On June 23, 2021, a federal district court upheld a lower court's dismissal of Fairfax's defamation lawsuit against CBS Broadcasting and CBS Corp. in relation to its reporting on accusations of sexual assault against Fairfax.[16]
On February 3, 2019, Big League Politics reported that Vanessa Tyson, a professor at Scripps College in California, said Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004, when Fairfax was a campaign staffer for John Kerry's (D) presidential campaign.[17][18] On February 6, Tyson released a statement detailing the allegation. She wrote, "What began as consensual kissing quickly turned into a sexual assault," saying Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex.[19]
On February 4, Fairfax called the allegations "false and unsubstantiated."[20]
On February 8, 2019, Meredith Watson said in a letter released by her lawyer that Fairfax raped her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University. "Mr. Fairfax’s attack was premeditated and aggressive," Watson said in the letter. She said the details of her attack were "similar to those described by Dr. Vanessa Tyson." Watson called on Fairfax to resign.[21][22][23]
In response to Watson's letter, Fairfax denied the allegation. "It is demonstrably false. I have never forced myself on anyone ever," he said in a statement.[21]
For more details on Fairfax's, Tyson's, and Watson's statements and responses from prominent Democrats, click here.
On September 12, 2019, Fairfax filed a defamation lawsuit against CBS Broadcasting and CBS Corp., alleging they published false statements from the women who accused him of assault. CBS News said in a statement, "We stand by our reporting and we will vigorously defend this lawsuit."[24] On October 3, 2019, Fairfax filed an amended lawsuit alleging that Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a former aide to Stoney, and the aide's wife were involved in the release of statements by Tyson. The amended lawsuit read, "The timing and circumstances of these false and salacious allegations demonstrate that it was a political hit job—a deliberate and calculated effort to permanently harm Fairfax’s political and professional career and to attempt to prevent him from becoming Governor of Virginia."[25] Stoney said he was not involved in the release of Tyson's statement.[26]
CBS filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on November 1, and a hearing was held December 6. On February 11, 2020, a federal judged dismissed the suit, writing that Fairfax had "not plausibly alleged that CBS engaged in actionable defamation or published the challenged broadcasts with 'actual malice' or that CBS intentionally inflicted emotional distress."[27][28] Fairfax appealed the ruling.[29][30] The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal on June 23, 2021.[16]
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Governor of Virginia |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Virginia Lieutenant Governor, "Justin E. Fairfax," accessed February 1, 2019
- ↑ Justin Fairfax Official Campaign Website, "About Justin," accessed March 25, 2013
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 Primary Filing," accessed May 12, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Governing, "The 2013-2014 Attorneys General Races: Who's Vulnerable?" March 25, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Va. GOP settles on Cuccinelli, Obenshain and Jackson for November ballot," May 19, 2013
- ↑ Blue Virginia, "Virginia Primary Election Results Live Blog," June 11, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Planned Parenthood targets Mark Obenshain in ad," October 29, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "Michael Bloomberg hits Virginia attorney general candidate," October 29, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, "National Republican group gives an additional $660K to Obenshain campaign for Virginia AG," October 26, 2013
- ↑ Patch.com, "Meet Democratic Attorney General Candidate Justin Fairfax," June 7, 2013
- ↑ Justin Fairfax for Virginia Attorney General, "Sen.-Elect Tim Kaine’s Treasurer Endorses Justin Fairfax for Virginia Attorney General, Will Join National Leader in the Legal Profession as Campaign Co-Chairs," December 20, 2012
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Justin Fairfax's campaign website, “Home,” accessed April 6, 2021
- ↑ Justin Fairfax for Virginia Lt. Governor, "Justin On The Issues - Frequently Asked Questions," June 10, 2017
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax defamation suit dismissal upheld by federal appeals court," June 23, 2021
- ↑ Big League Politics, "UPDATE: Stanford Fellow Hints At Possible Justin Fairfax Sex Assault," February 3, 2019
- ↑ Vox, "Justin Fairfax, in line for governor of Virginia, faces sexual assault allegation," February 6, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, "Vanessa Tyson, Accuser of Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Describes Assault," February 6, 2019
- ↑ Twitter, "Justin Fairfax on February 4, 2019," accessed February 7, 2019
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Washington Post, "Second woman accuses Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault," February 8, 2019
- ↑ Politico, "Second sexual assault claim triggers call for Fairfax impeachment," February 8, 2019
- ↑ Twitter, "Ben Jacobs tweet from February 8, 2019," accessed February 8, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "Virginia Lt. Gov. Fairfax files $400 million defamation suit against CBS," September 12, 2019
- ↑ WAVY, "Lt. Gov. Fairfax claims political rivals helped release initial sexual assault allegation," October 3, 2019
- ↑ Richmond Free Press, "Lt. Gov. Fairfax files amended suit in $400M defamation case," October 11, 2019
- ↑ Associated Press, "Virginia Lt. Gov. Sues CBS for Airing Sexual Assault Accusations," December 7, 2019
- ↑ [cnn.com/2020/02/11/media/cbs-justin-fairfax-lawsuit/index.html CNN, "Judge dismisses Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax's lawsuit against CBS," February 11, 2020]
- ↑ Law.com, "Justin Fairfax Swaps Lawyers as Appeal in CBS Defamation Case Moves Forward," May 27, 2020
- ↑ WRIC, "Lt. Gov. Fairfax appeals dismissal of defamation suit over CBS interviews on sexual assault allegations," July 28, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ralph Northam (D) |
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 2018-2022 |
Succeeded by - |
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