Senate of Virginia

Senate of Virginia
Virginia General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 8, 2014
Leadership
Lt. Governor/President	Ralph Northam (D) Since January 11, 2014
President pro Tempore	Walter Stosch (R) Since June 23, 2014
Majority Leader	Tommy Norment (R) Since June 12, 2014
Minority Leader	Dick Saslaw (D) Since June 12, 2014
Structure
Seats	40
Political groups	Governing party   Republican (21) Opposition   Democratic (19)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Virginia Constitution
Salary	$18,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2011 (40 seats)
Next election	November 3, 2015 (40 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Virginia State Capitol Richmond, Virginia
Website
Senate of Virginia

The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Prior to the American War of Independence, the upper house of the General Assembly was represented by the Virginia Governor's Council, consisting of up to 12 executive counselors appointed by the Colonial Royal Governor as advisers and jurists.

The Lieutenant Governor presides daily over the Virginia Senate. In the Lieutenant Governor's absence, the President pro Tempore presides, usually a powerful member of the majority party. The Senate is equal with the House of Delegates, the lower chamber of the legislature, except that taxation bills must originate in the House, similar to the federal U.S. Congress. Members of the Virginia Senate are elected every four years by the voters of the 40 senatorial districts on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November. The last election took place in November 2015. There are no term limits for Senators.

In the 2007 Virginia state elections, the Democratic Party reclaimed the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1995, when the Republican Party gained a 20–20 split. The Republicans took control of the Senate for the first time in history after a January 1998 special election. The 2011 elections resulted in a 20–20 split between the parties, but as the tie breaker was Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, the Republicans effectively regained control.

After the 2013 elections, Democratic State Senator Ralph Northam became the Lt. Governor, but the Democrats did not regain control of the chamber until January 28, 2014, following a series of special elections including that of Northam's vacated 6th district seat. The Democratic majority would prove short-lived, however, as Senator Phil Puckett (D-38th) resigned, effective June 8, handing the GOP a majority of 20 to 19. The Republicans solidified their majority following a Special Election win on August 19, 2014, which increased their total number of seats to 21.

Historic Partisan Makeup of the Senate of Virginia

History

The Senate of Virginia was created by the 1776 Constitution of Virginia, and originally consisted of twenty-four members. Along with the House of Delegates, the Senate comprised a new bicameral legislature designed to replace the colonial Virginia House of Burgesses, which formally dissolved on the sixth of May, 1776.

Pursuant to the original Virginia Constitution, the Senate was only permitted to file amendments, while the House of Delegates had the power to propose bills. Accordingly, the Senate had far less power than the House, until the revised Virginia constitution of 1851 allowed the Senate to propose new laws.

Salary and qualifications

The annual salary for senators is $18,000 per year. To qualify for office, 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 General Assembly legislators. The regular session of the General Assembly is 60 days long during even numbered years and 30 days long during odd numbered years, unless extended by a two-thirds vote of both houses.

Composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
1900-1904	38	2	40	0
1904-1916	35	5	40	0
1916-1920	36	4	40	0
1920-1924	34	6	40	0
1924-1928	39	1	40	0
1928-1944	38	2	40	0
1944-1948	37	3	40	0
1948-1952	38	2	40	0
1952-1960	37	3	40	0
1960-1964	38	2	40	0
1964-1968	37	3	40	0
1968-1970	34	6	40	0
1970-1974	33	7	40	0
1974-1976	34	6	40	0
1976-1978	35	5	40	0
1978-1980	34	6	40	0
1980-1984	31	9	40	0
1984-1988	32	8	40	0
1988-1992	30	10	40	0
1992-1996	22	18	40	0
1996-2000	20	20	40	0
2000-2004	19	21	40	0
2004-2008	17	23	40	0
2008-2012	22	18	40	0
2012-2016 Session	20	20	40	0
Begin 2012-2016 Session	20	20	40	0
July 3, 2012	19		39	1
September 17, 2012	20		40	0
August 5, 2013		19	39	1
August 16, 2013		20	40	0
January 11, 2014	18		38	2
January 24, 2014	19		39	1
January 28, 2014	20	20	40	0
June 8, 2014	19	20	39	1
July 2, 2014	18		38	2
August 19, 2014	18	21	39	1
November 4, 2014	19		40	0
2016-2020 Session	19	21	40	0
Latest voting share	47.5%	52.5%

Leadership

Lieutenant Governor	Ralph Northam
President pro Tempore	Walter A. Stosch
Majority Leader	Tommy Norment
Minority Leader	Dick Saslaw

Committee chairs and ranking members

The Senate of Virginia has 10 Standing Committees and a Committee on Rules.

Committee	Chair	Ranking Minority Member
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources	Emmett Hanger	A. Donald McEachin
Commerce and Labor	John Watkins	Charles Colgan
Courts of Justice	Tommy Norment & Mark Obenshain (Co-Chair)	Dick Saslaw
Education and Health	Stephen H. Martin	Dick Saslaw
Finance	Walter Stosch (Co-Chair)	Charles Colgan (Co-Chair)
General Laws and Technology	Frank Ruff	Charles Colgan
Local Government	Ralph K. Smith	Louise Lucas
Privileges and Elections	Jill Holtzman Vogel	Janet Howell
Rehabilitation and Social Services	Frank Wagner	Toddy Puller
Rules	Ryan McDougle	Charles Colgan
Transportation	Steve Newman	Creigh Deeds

Members

District	Name	Party	Areas Represented		First Election
			Counties	Cities
1	John Miller	Democratic	James City (part), York (part)	Hampton (part), Newport News (part), Suffolk (part), Williamsburg	2007
2	Mamie Locke		York (part)	Hampton (part), Newport News (part), Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part)	2003
3	Tommy Norment	Republican	Gloucester, Isle of Wight (part), James City (part), King William, King and Queen, New Kent, Surry (part), York (part)	Hampton (part), Poquoson, Suffolk (part)	1991
4	Ryan McDougle		Caroline, Essex, Hanover (part), King George (part), Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania (part), Westmoreland (part)		2006
5	Kenny Alexander	Democratic		Chesapeake (part), Norfolk (part)	2012
6	Lynwood Lewis		Accomack, Mathews, Northampton	Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part)	2014
7	Frank Wagner	Republican			2001
8	Jeff McWaters			Virginia Beach (part)	2010
9	A. Donald McEachin	Democratic	Charles City, Hanover (part), Henrico (part)	Richmond (part)	2007
10	John Watkins	Republican	Chesterfield (part), Powhatan		1997
11	Stephen H. Martin		Chesterfield (part), Amelia	Colonial Heights	1993
12	Walter Stosch		Hanover (part), Henrico (part)		1991
13	Richard Black		Loudoun (part), Prince William (part)		2011
14	John Cosgrove		Isle of Wight (part), Southampton (part)	Chesapeake (part), Franklin (part), Portsmouth (part) Suffolk (part), Virginia Beach (part)	2013
15	Frank Ruff		Brunswick (part), Campbell (part), Charlotte, Dinwiddie (part), Halifax (part), Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania (part), Prince George (part)	Danville (part)	2000
16	Rosalyn Dance	Democratic	Chesterfield (part), Dinwiddie (part), Prince George (part)	Hopewell, Petersburg, Richmond (part)	2014
17	Bryce Reeves	Republican	Albemarle (part), Culpeper (part), Louisa (part), Orange, Spotsylvania (part)	Fredericksburg	2011
18	Louise Lucas	Democratic	Brunswick (part), Greensville, Isle of Wight (part), Southampton (part), Surry (part), Sussex	Chesapeake (part), Emporia, Franklin (part), Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part)	1991
19	Ralph K. Smith	Republican	Bedford (part), Carroll (part), Floyd, Franklin (part), Montgomery (part), Roanoke (part), Wythe (part)	Salem	2011
20	Bill Stanley		Carroll (part), Franklin (part), Halifax (part), Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania (part),	Danville (part), Galax, Martinsville	2011
21	John S. Edwards	Democrat	Giles, Montgomery (part), Roanoke (part)	Roanoke	1995
22	Thomas Garrett, Jr.	Republican	Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa (part), Prince Edward	Lynchburg (part)	2011
23	Steve Newman		Bedford (part), Botetourt, Campbell (part), Craig, Roanoke (part)	Lynchburg (part)	1995
24	Emmett Hanger		Augusta, Culpeper (part), Greene, Madison, Rockingham (part)	Staunton, Waynesboro	1995
25	Creigh Deeds	Democratic	Albemarle (part), Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Nelson, Rockbridge	Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, Lexington	2001
26	Mark Obenshain	Republican	Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham (part), Shenandoah, Warren	Harrisonburg	2003
27	Jill Holtzman Vogel		Clarke, Culpeper (part), Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun (part), Stafford (part)	Winchester	2007
28	Richard Stuart		King George (part), Prince William (part), Spotsylvania (part), Stafford (part), Westmoreland (part)		2007
29	Chuck Colgan	Democratic	Prince William (part)	Manassas, Manassas Park	1975
30	Adam Ebbin		Arlington (part), Fairfax (part)	Alexandria (part)	2011
31	Barbara Favola		Arlington (part), Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part)		2011
32	Janet Howell		Arlington (part), Fairfax (part)		1991
33	Jennifer Wexton		Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part)		2014
34	Chap Petersen		Fairfax (part)	Fairfax	2007
35	Richard L. Saslaw			Alexandria (part), Falls Church	1980
36	Toddy Puller		Fairfax (part), Prince William (part), Stafford (part)		2000
37	Dave Marsden		Fairfax (part)		2010
38	Ben Chafin	Republican	Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Montgomery (part), Pulaski, Russell, Smyth (part), Tazewell, Wise (part)	Norton, Radford	2014
39	George Barker	Democratic	Fairfax (part), Prince William (part)	Alexandria (part)	2007
40	Charles William Carrico, Sr.	Republican	Grayson, Lee, Scott, Smyth (part), Washington, Wise (part), Wythe (part)	Bristol	2011

Senate seal

The Senate of Virginia has its own coat of arms designed and granted by the College of Arms in England. The coat of arms also makes up the official seal of the Virginia Senate. It bears no resemblance to the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is the seal of the state as a whole.

The Coat of Arms of the London Company.

The coat of arms adopted January 22, 1981 was designed by the College of Arms and based on the coat of arms used by the London Company, the royally-chartered English entrepreneurs who funded the European settlement of Virginia. This is not to be confused with the Seal of the London Company, for other than both devices displaying a quartered shield, there is little resemblance between them.

The Senate's arms have a shield in the center which is divided into four sections by a red cross. In each quarter are smaller shields representing the arms of four countries (England, France, Scotland, and Ireland.) that contributed settlers to Virginia's most early waves of European immigration.

The four coats of arms, a small crest of a crowned female head with unbound hair representing Queen Elizabeth (the Virgin Queen who named Virginia, and the dragon (part of the Elizabethan royal seal of England) represent Virginia's European heritage.

An ivory gavel emblazoned on the vertical arm of the red cross represents the Senate as a law making body. The cardinal and dogwood depicted are Virginia's official state bird and tree. The ribbon contains the Latin motto of the Senate, Floreat Senatus Virginiae, which means "May the Senate of Virginia flourish."

External links

• Virginia General Assembly official government website
• Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Virginia
• Official Virginia Emblems Includes a very small version of the Seal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia