Virginia State Senate
| Virginia State Senate | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Party control: | Democrat |
| Session start:[1] | January 8, 2020 |
| Session end:[1] | March 12, 2020 |
| Term length: | 4 years |
| Term limits: | None |
| Redistricting: | Legislative control |
| Salary: | $18,000/year + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 40 |
| Democrats: | 21 |
| Republicans: | 19 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 0 |
| Leadership | |
| President: | Justin Fairfax (D) |
| Maj. Leader: | Dick Saslaw (D) |
| Min. Leader: | Thomas Norment Jr. (R) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 5, 2019 |
| Next election: | November 7, 2023 |
The Virginia State Senate is the upper chamber of the Virginia General Assembly. Alongside the Virginia House of Delegates, it forms the legislative branch of the Virginia state government and works alongside the governor of Virginia to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Virginia State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The Virginia State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Richmond, Virginia.
This page contains the following information on the Virginia State Senate.
- Which party controls the chamber
- The chamber's current membership
- Partisan control of the chamber over time
- Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
- A district map
- How redistricting works in the state
- Legislation currently under consideration
- Legislative session dates
- Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
- A list of committees
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Virginia State Senate as of November 2020: The following figures are from before the November 2020 election. Click here to see our election results coverage.
| Party | As of November 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
Members
Leadership
The lieutenant governor serves as presiding officer of the Senate. In the event of the lieutenant governor's absence, the president pro tempore becomes presiding officer. The president pro tempore is elected by the Senate.[2]
Current leadership and members
- Senate president: Justin Fairfax (D)
- Senate president pro tempore: Louise Lucas (D)
- Majority leader: Dick Saslaw (D)
- Minority leader: Thomas Norment Jr. (R)
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $18,000/year for the Senate; $17,640/year for the House | $213/day |
Swearing in dates
Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.
Membership qualifications
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.[3]
Historical party control
Between 1994 and 2015, partisan control of the Virginia State Senate fluctuated, swinging back and forth between the Democratic and Republican parties. The table below shows the partisan history of the Virginia State Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2015. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Virginia State Senate Party Control: 1991-2015
| Party | 91 | 95 | 99 | 03 | 07 | 11 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 22 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| Republicans | 18 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
As a result of the 1991 elections, Democrats held a 22-18 majority. Elections in 1995 and 2011 resulted in the chamber moving to a split 20-20 partisan balance. Both of those elections followed a Democratic majority in the previous cycle and were followed by a Republican majority in the next cycle. The largest change in partisan balance of the state Senate was between 2003 and 2007, when Democrats gained five seats. The 2015 elections resulted in a 21-19 Republican majority.
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats held a trifecta in Virginia from 1992 to 1993. Republicans held trifectas from 2000 to 2001 and 2012 to 2013. With the election of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in 2013, Virginia began operating under a divided government in 2014.
Virginia Party Control: 1992-2020
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Elections
Elections by year
Virginia state senators serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years. Virginia is one of only four states to hold elections during odd years.
2019
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2019
Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2019. The primary was on June 11, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 28, 2019.
| Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2019 | After November 6, 2019 | |
| Democratic Party | 19 | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 19 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
2015
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.[4]
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 21-19 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election.
| Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2015 | After November 3, 2015 | |
| Democratic Party | 19 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 21 | 21 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
| Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2011
Elections for the office of Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 23, 2011, and a general election on November 8, 2011. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 22-18 majority. Democrats lost two seats in the election, leaving the chamber with a 20-20 tie.
During the 2011 election, the total of all contributions to Senate candidates was $33,496,669. The top 10 contributors were:[5]
2007
Elections for the office of Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 12, 2007, and a general election on November 6, 2007. During the 2007 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $31,534,141. The top 10 contributors were:[6]
2003
Elections for the office of Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 10, 2003, and a general election on November 4, 2003. During the 2003 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $11,439,328. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
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Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Virginia General Assembly, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in session, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy happens must call for a special election. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in recess, the governor shall call the special election. All special elections must be held promptly. However, no special election can be held if it occurs less than 55 days before any statewide primary or general election or if there are fewer than 75 days remaining in the vacated term.[8]
See sources: Virginia Code § 24.2-216
District map
- See also: Virginia state legislative districts
The state of Virginia has 40 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Virginia
In 37 states, legislatures are primarily responsible for drawing congressional district lines. Seven states have only one congressional district each, rendering congressional redistricting unnecessary. Four states employ independent commissions to draw the district maps. In two states, politician commissions draw congressional district lines.
State legislative district lines are primarily the province of the state legislatures themselves in 37 states. In seven states, politician commissions draw state legislative district lines. In the remaining six states, independent commissions draw the lines.[9]
In Virginia, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are set by the Virginia General Assembly. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[10]
In 2011, by executive order, Governor Bob McDonnell (R) established an advisory commission "to solicit public input and recommend congressional and state legislative districts to the legislature." The legislature was not bound by the commission's recommendations and could adopt, amend, or discard those recommendations. The commission comprised 11 members. The governor appointed five members from each of the state's major political parties. These commissioners were not permitted to have held elected office within the preceding five-year period, nor could they be employees of Congress or the state legislature. The governor also appointed a commission chair "who [had] not held public or party office and [was] not 'identifiable with' any party."[10]
The Virginia Constitution requires that congressional and state legislative districts be compact and contiguous.[10]
The legislative redistricting committees adopted additional redistricting guidelines in 2011, but these were nonbinding.[10]
2020
Upon completion of the 2020 census, Virginia will draft and enact new district maps. As of October 8, 2018, redistricting authorities in Virginia had not released a projected timeline for the 2020 cycle.[11]
2010
Virginia received its local census data on February 3, 2011. The state grew by 13 percent from 2000 to 2010; its growth mostly occurred in the northeastern part of the state, while declines ranging up to -13.4 percent occurred in counties along the southern and western edges. Loudoun County stood out with an 84.1 percent increase. Growth in the largest cities was less impressive but still robust in most areas: Virginia Beach grew by 3.0 percent, Norfolk grew by 3.6 percent, Chesapeake grew by 11.6 percent, Richmond grew by 3.2 percent and Newport News grew by 0.3 percent.[12]
The Assembly was split going into redistricting; Republicans controlled the House, and Democrats controlled the Senate. The House set a 1% standard for allowance of deviation from the ideal district size (88,900 people), while the Senate passed a 2% standard (200,000 being the ideal size). The Senate and House reached a verbal agreement that the houses would draw their own lines and not interfere with the other's.
The House and Senate approved their maps on April 6 and 7, 2011, respectively. While the House had an overwhelming 86-8 vote, the Senate went along party lines 22-18. Governor Bob McDonnell vetoed the maps on April 15, citing concerns about the increase in the number of divided communities, the Senate plan's higher deviation standard, and the partisan vote in the Senate.
The House quickly returned and passed revisions that rejoined several divided districts; Senate Democrats initially would not budge, but the chamber eventually worked out a compromise (passing on a 32-5 vote) that split Virginia Beach, reduced the number of splits in Prince William County, and split the College of William & Mary from Thomas Norment's district. McDonnell signed the revised plan on April 29, 2011.
Sessions
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Virginia State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50. <html><iframe src="https://www.billtrack50.com/Public/Stakeholder/DqBVn0D-kkmTz5Nlle7mFQ/Embedded" width="100%" height ="600px" ></iframe>
Dates of legislative sessions in Virginia by year
2020
In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020 and adjourn on March 12, 2020.
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Virginia General Assembly adjourned its regular session on March 12, 2020. A special session convened on August 18, 2020.
2019
In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through February 24, 2019.
2018
In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through March 10, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here.
2017
- See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through February 25, 2017. The legislature held a veto session on April 5.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. |
|---|
2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 13 through March 11. The legislature held a one-day veto session on April 20, 2016.[13] 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 14 through February 28. Major issuesMajor issues during the 2015 legislative session included job creation and education, the latter being especially important to Republicans according to State Senator Mark Obenshain. Obenshain noted that Democrats were especially focused on gun control issues. But, both parties expressed their desire to work towards improving Virginia's economy.[14] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 8 through March 10. Major issuesMajor issues during the 2014 legislative session included expanding Medicaid, a $97 billion spending plan, and raising the minimum wage.[15] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to February 25. Major issuesMajor issues in the 2013 legislative session included abortion, education, transportation, gun control, and ending a ban on uranium mining.[16] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was in regular session from January 11 through March 10.[17] 2011
In 2011, the legislature was in regular session from January 12 through February 27. On February 27, 2011, a special redistricting session was convened. A reconvened session began on April 6 at 12 p.m. to consider any governor's amendments and/or vetoes to legislation passed by the legislature. This was the only business that could occur during the reconvened session.[18] A second special session convened June 9 and lasted through July 29. The session was called to elect judges to the state Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.[19] 2010
In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 13 to March 13.[20] |
About legislative sessions in Virginia
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[21] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article IV of the Virginia Constitution establishes when the Virginia General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 6 of Article IV states that the General Assembly is to convene annually on the second Wednesday in January. In even-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to sixty days. In odd-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to thirty days. Section 6 allows the General Assembly to extend its regular sessions by thirty days if two-thirds of each house vote to extend the session.
Section 6 allows the Governor of Virginia to convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Section 6 also allows for a special session to be called when it is requested by two-thirds of the members of each house.
Legislative roles and procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Virginia are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 67 of the 100 members in the Virginia House of Delegates and 27 of the 40 members in the Virginia State Senate. Virginia is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| According to Article IV, Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution, the legislature shall automatically reconvene in a special veto session six weeks after the adjournment of the regular session to consider veto overrides. The session lasts for three days unless a majority of members in both chambers vote to extend it for a period no longer than seven days. |
Authority: Article V, Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution.
| "(ii) The Governor may veto the bill if he objects to it by returning the bill with his objections to the house in which the bill originated. The house shall enter the objections in its journal and reconsider the bill. The house may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of the members present, which two-thirds shall include a majority of the members elected to that house. If the house of origin overrides the Governor's veto, it shall send the bill and Governor's objections to the other house where the bill shall be reconsidered. The second house may override the Governor's veto by a two-thirds vote of the members present, which two-thirds shall include a majority of the members elected to that house. If both houses override the Governor's veto, the bill shall become law without his signature." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Virginia state budget and finances
Virginia on 
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The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[22][23]
- Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies in April and August.
- State agency budget requests are submitted in June and October.
- Agency hearings are held in September and October.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Virginia General Assembly by December 20.
- The General Assembly holds public hearings in January.
- The General Assembly adopts a budget in March or April. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
- The biennial budget cycle begins in July.
Virginia is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[23]
Though the governor and General Assembly are not required by law to submit or pass a balanced budget, the Virginia Constitution does require the budget to be balanced before the governor signs it into law.[23]
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Virginia State Senate has 11 standing committees:
- Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
- Commerce and Labor
- Courts of Justice
- Education and Health
- Finance
- General Laws and Technology
- Local Government
- Privileges and Elections
- Rehabilitation and Social Services
- Rules
- Transportation
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Virginia Constitution can be amended:
The Virginia Constitution can be amended through two different paths:
- The Virginia State Legislature can propose amendments through legislatively referred constitutional amendments as established in Section 1 of Article XII.
- These can be proposed in either house of the Virginia General Assembly.
- If a proposed amendment is approved by a simple majority vote in one session of the state legislature, it is automatically referred to the next session of the state legislature that occurs after the next general election of members of the Virginia House of Delegates.
- If, in that second session, the proposed amendment is "agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house," it is then placed before the state's voters.
- It can go on a special or general election ballot.
- If approved by a simple majority vote, it becomes part of the state's constitution.
- Amendments to or revisions of the state's constitution can be proposed by a constitutional convention as established in Section 2 of Article XII.
- A convention can happen if the state's legislature "by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house" calls a convention.
Virginia does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.
Historical context:
Between 1996 and 2018, the following occurred:
- A total of 31 measures appeared on statewide ballots.
- An average of 2.6 measures appeared on even-year ballots.
- The number of measures appearing on statewide ballots ranged from zero to five.
- Voters approved 87.1 percent (27 of 31) of statewide ballot measures.
- Voters rejected 12.9 percent (4 of 31) of statewide ballot measures.
| Legislatively referred constitutional amendments, 1996-2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Average | Median | Minimum | Maximum | |
| 31 | 27 | 87.1% | 4 | 12.9% | 2.6 | 2.0 | 0 | 5 | |
2020 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2020 ballot by the legislature.
- See also: Virginia 2020 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
| Virginia Question 1, Redistricting Commission Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 212121 | Yes votes: 394038 (97.5010095.00%) | No votes: 102 (2.5005.00%) | Yes: 191919; No: 002 | Yes: 202119; No: 100 |
| House: | Required: 515151 | Yes votes: 858354 (85.083.054.00%) | No votes: 131546 (13.015.046.00%) | Yes: 35339; No: 121446 | Yes: 505045; No: 110 |
| Virginia Question 2, Motor Vehicle Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 2121 | Yes votes: 4040 (100100.00%) | No votes: 00 (00.00%) | Yes: 1921; No: 00 | Yes: 2119; No: 00 |
| House: | Required: 5151 | Yes votes: 9691 (96.091.00%) | No votes: 34 (3.04.00%) | Yes: 4850; No: 02 | Yes: 4841; No: 32 |
See also
| Elections | Virginia State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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Footnotes
- ↑ Senate of Virginia - Leadership
- ↑ vakids.org, "Virginia State Legislature For Kids," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Virginia 2011 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Virginia 2007 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Virginia 2003 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Virginia Law Library, "§ 24.2-216. Filling vacancies in the General Assembly," accessed June 26, 2017 (Statute 24.2-216, Virginia Code)
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed March 25, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 All About Redistricting, "Virginia," accessed May 8, 2015
- ↑ Virginia Division of Legislative Services, "Redistricting," accessed October 8, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Virginia's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 3, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012
- ↑ pilotonline.com, "Lawmakers set to return for veto session," accessed April 20, 2016
- ↑ David Sherfinski, Washington Times, "Terry McAuliffe’s 2015 Va. agenda includes economics, health care," January 25, 2015
- ↑ Daily Press, "Virginia General Assembly opens, lawmakers ease back into action," January 8, 2014
- ↑ WRIC, "Virginia General Assembly To Convene For 2013 Session," January 9, 2013
- ↑ ncsl.org, "2012 Legislative Session Calendar," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Virginia General Assembly
- ↑ Post Local, Va. assembly to vote Friday on Supreme Court, appeals judges, July 29, 2011
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Virginia legislature
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Experiences with Annual and Biennial Budgeting," updated April 2011
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Summer 2008," accessed February 21, 2014
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