Virginia Senate

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The Virginia Senate is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. There are 40 state senators representing 40 single-member districts. The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia presides over the Virginia Senate.

Virginia senators serve four-year terms with no term limits.

Virginia state senate elections are held in odd-numbered years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. All senate seats are up for election simultaneously; that is, unlike in many states with four-year senate terms, Virginia senate districts do not have staggered elections. The most recent state senate election was held November 6, 2007. State senators elected in November 2007 were sworn in in January 2008 and their terms expire in January 2012. The next state senate election date is November 8, 2011.

The Virginia Senate holds regular sessions of 60 days duration during even-numbered years and 30 days duration during odd numbered years. The length of these sessions can be extended by a two-thirds vote of both houses.^[1]

Qualifications and salary

Virginia's state senators are paid $18,000 per year.^[1] Senators must be at least 21 years of age at the time of the election, residents of the district they represent, and qualified to vote for members of the Virginia General Assembly.^[1]

Party balance

Affiliation		Members
	Democratic Party	21
	Republican Party	19
Total		40

List of current members

District	Senator	Party	Counties in District
1	John Miller	Democrat	Hampton(part), Newport News(part), Poquoson, York County(part)
2	Mamie Locke	Democrat	Hampton(part), Newport News(part), Portsmouth(part), Suffolk(part)
3	Thomas Norment	Republican	Gloucester County, James City County, New Kent County, Newport News(part), Williamsburg, York County(part)
4	Ryan McDougle	Republican	Caroline County, Essex County, Hanover County, King and Queen County, King William County, Middlesex County, Spotsylvania(part)
5	Yvonne Miller	Democrat	Chesapeake(part), Norfolk(part), Virginia Beach(part)
6	Ralph Northam	Democrat	Accomack County, Mathews County, Norfolk(part), Northampton, Virginia Beach(part)
7	Frank Wagner	Republican	Virginia Beach(part)
8	Ken Stolle	Republican	Virginia Beach(part)
9	Donald McEachin	Democrat	Charles City County, Henrico County(part), Richmond(part)
10	John Watkins	Republican	Amelia County, Chesterfield(part), Cumberland(part), Goochland County(part), Henrico County(part), Powhatan County, Richmond
11	Stephen Martin	Republican	Chesterfield County(part), Colonial Heights
12	Walter Stosch	Republican	Goochland(part), Henrico County(part), Richmond(part)
13	Frederick Quayle	Republican	Chesapeake(part), Franklin(part), Hopewell(part), Isle of Wight County(part), Portsmouth(part), Prince George County(part), Southampton County(part), Suffolk(part), Surry County
14	Harry Blevins	Republican	Chesapeake(part), Virginia Beach(part)
15	Frank Ruff	Republican	Amherst(part), Appomattox, Brunswick County(part), Buckingham County(part), Charlotte County, Cumberland County(part), Fluvanna, Halifax County, Lunenburg County(part), Mecklenburg County, Prince Edward County
16	Henry Marsh	Democrat	Chesterfield County(part), Dinwiddie County, Hopewell(part), Petersburg, Prince George County(part), Richmond(part)
17	Edd Houck	Democrat	Culpeper, Fredericksburg(part), Louisa County, Madison County, Orange County, Spotsylvania County(part)
18	Louise Lucas	Democrat	Brunswick County(part), Chesapeake(part), Emporia, Franklin(part), Greensville County, Isle of Wight County(part), Lunenburg County(part), Nottoway County, Portsmouth(part), Southampton County(part), Suffolk(part), Sussex County
19	Robert Hurt	Republican	Campbell County(part), Danville, Franklin, Pittsylvania
20	Roscoe Reynolds	Democrat	Carroll, Floyd County, Galax, Grayson(part), Henry County, Martinsville, Wythe(part)
21	John Edwards	Democrat	Craig County, Giles, Montgomery County(part), Pulaski(part), Roanoke, Roanoke County(part)
22	Ralph Smith	Republican	Botetourt County, Montgomery County(part), Radford, Roanoke, Roanoke County(part), Salem
23	Stephen Newman	Republican	Amherst County(part), Bedford, Bedford County, Campbell County(part), Lynchburg
24	Emmett Hanger	Republican	Albemarle County(part), Augusta County, Greene County, Highland County, Lexington, Rockbridge County(part), Rockingham County(part), Staunton, Waynesboro
25	Creigh Deeds	Democrat	Albemarle County(part), Alleghany County, Bath CountyBuckingham County(part), Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, Nelson County, Rockbridge County(part)
26	Mark Obenshain	Republican	Harrisonburg, Page County, Rappahannock County, Rockingham County(part), Shenandoah County, Warren County
27	Jill Vogel	Republican	Clarke County, Fauquier(part), Frederick County, Loudoun COunty(part), Winchester
28	Richard Stuart	Republican	Fauquier County(part), Fredericksburg(part), King George County, Lancaster County, Northumberland County, Prince William County(part), Richmond County, Stafford County, Westmoreland County
29	Charles Colgan	Democrat	Manassas, Manassas Park, Prince William County(part)
30	Patricia Ticer	Democrat	Alexandria(part), Arlington County(part), Fairfax County(part)
31	Mary Whipple	Democrat	Arlington County(part), Fairfax County(part), Falls Church
32	Janet Howell	Democrat	Fairfax County(part)
33	Mark Herring	Democrat	Fairfax County(part), Loudoun County(part)
34	Chap Petersen	Democrat	Fairfax, Fairfax County(part)
35	Dick Saslaw	Democrat	Alexandria(part), Fairfax County(part)
36	Toddy Puller	Democrat	Fairfax County(part), Prince William County(part)
37	Ken Cuccinelli	Republican	Fairfax County(part)
38	Phillip Puckett	Democrat	Bland County, Buchanan County, Dickenson County, Pulaski County(part), Russell County, Smyth County(part), Tazewell County, Wise County(part), Wythe County(part)
39	George Barker	Democrat	Fairfax County(part), Prince William County(part)
40	William Wampler	Republican	Bristol, Grayson County(part), Lee County, Norton, Scott County, Smyth County(part), Washington County, Wise County(part)

Standing committees

The Virginia Senate has eleven standing senate committees. They are:^[2]

• Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
• Commerce and Labor Committee
• Courts of Justice
• Education and Health
• Finance
• General Laws and Technology
• Local Government
• Privileges and Elections
• Rehabilitation and Social Services
• Senate Rules
• Transportation

External links

• Virginia General Assembly official government website
• List of Virginia Senators
• Vote Smart profile of Virginia Senate
• Wikipedia:Senate of Virginia

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Virginia State Legislature For Kids
2. ↑ Virginia Senate,"Standing Committees," retrieved August 11, 2009

v • d • e Current members of the Virginia Senate Senate Majority Leader: Dick Saslaw (D) • Senate Minority Leader: Thomas Norment (R)     John Miller (D) Mamie Locke (D) Thomas Norment (R) Ryan McDougle (R) Yvonne Miller (D) Ralph Northam (D) Frank Wagner (R) Ken Stolle (R) Donald McEachin (D) John Watkins (R) Stephen Martin (R) Walter Stosch (R) Frederick Quayle (R) Harry Blevins (R) Frank Ruff (R) Henry Marsh (D) Edd Houck (D) Louise Lucas (D) Robert Hurt (R) Roscoe Reynolds (D) John Edwards (D) Ralph Smith (R) Stephen Newman (R) Emmett Hanger (R) Creigh Deeds (D) Mark Obenshain (R) Jill Vogel (R) Richard Stuart (R) Charles Colgan (D) Patricia Ticer (D) Mary Whipple (D) Janet Howell (D) Mark Herring (D) Chap Petersen (D) Dick Saslaw (D) Toddy Puller (D) Ken Cuccinelli (R) Phillip Puckett (D) George Barker (D) William Wampler (R) Democratic (21) • Republican (19) • Virginia Senate • Virginia House of Delegates

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