Virginia House of Delegates
|Virginia House of Delegates|
|Virginia General Assembly|
New session started
|January 13, 2016|
Length of term
|Authority||Article IV, Virginia Constitution|
|Salary||$17,640/year + per diem|
|November 3, 2015|
|November 7, 2017|
|House of Delegates Chamber
Virginia State Capitol
|Virginia General Assembly|
The Virginia House of Delegates is one of two parts in the Virginia General Assembly the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the House membership by the Delegates. The Speaker is almost always a member of the majority party and, as Speaker, becomes the most powerful member of the House. The House shares legislative power with the Senate of Virginia, the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The House of Delegates is the modern-day successor to the Virginia House of Burgesses, which first met at Jamestown in 1619. The House is divided into Democratic and Republican caucuses. In addition to the Speaker, there is a majority leader, majority caucus chair, minority leader, minority caucus chair, and the chairs of the several committees of the House.
Through the House of Burgesses, the Virginia House of Delegates is considered the oldest continuous legislative body in the New World. Originally having 22 members, the House of Burgesses met from 1619 through 1632 in the choir of the church at Jamestown. From 1632 to 1699 the legislative body met at four different state houses in Jamestown. The first state house convened at the home of Colonial Governor Sir John Harvey from 1632 to 1656. The burgesses convened at the second state house from 1656 until it was destroyed in 1660. Historians have yet to precisely identify its location.
The House has met in Virginia's Capitol Building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, since 1788. The legislative body met from 1788 to 1904 in what is known as today the Old Hall of the House of Delegates or commonly referred to as the Old House Chamber. The Old House Chamber is part of the original Capitol building structure. It measures 76 feet in width and is filled today with furnishings that resemble what the room would have looked like during its time of use. There are many bronze and marble busts of historic Virginians on display in the Old House Chamber, including: George Mason, George Wythe, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Meriwether Lewis. From 1904 to 1906, University of Virginia graduate and architect John K. Peeples designed and built compatible classical wings to the west and east side of the Capitol building. The new wings added to provide more space and serve as the legislative chambers in the Virginia General Assembly, the Senate of Virginia resides in the west chamber and the House of Delegates resides in the east chamber. The General Assembly members and staff operate from offices in the General Assembly Building, located in Capitol Square. Prior to 1788 the House of Delegates met in the Colonial Capital of Williamsburg.
In 1999, Republicans took control of the long-time Democratic House of Delegates for the first time since Reconstruction (with the exception of a brief 2-year period in which the Readjuster Party was in the majority in the 1880s).
Salary and qualifications
The annual salary for delegates is $17,640 per year. Each delegate represents roughly 83,000 people. Candidates for office must be at least 21 years of age at the time of the election, residents of the districts they seek to 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.
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
|End of 2010–2012 session||59||2||39||100||0|
|End of 2012–2014 session||64||2||32||98||2|
|Begin (January 2014)||67||0||33||100||0|
|January 28, 2014[c 1]||32||99||1|
|February 26, 2014[c 2]||68||100||0|
|June 30, 2014[c 3]||30||98||2|
|August 19, 2014[c 4]||32||100||0|
|September 18, 2014[c 5]||67||99||1|
|Nov. 4, 2014[c 6]||31||98||2|
|Nov. 10, 2014[c 7]||66||97||3|
|December 9, 2014[c 8]||67||98||2|
|December 18, 2014[c 9]||30||97||3|
|January 6, 2015[c 10]||32||99||1|
|January 13, 2015[c 11]||1||100||0|
|March 25, 2015[c 12]||0||99||1|
|End of 2014–2016 session|
|Begin (January 2016)||66||0||34||100||0|
|Latest voting share||66%||34%|
- Democrat Lynwood Lewis (District 100) resigned to take his seat in the Virginia Senate after winning the January 7 special election to replace Ralph Northam.
- Republican Robert Bloxom, Jr. replaced Lewis after winning February 24 special election.
- Democrat Bob Brink (District 48) resigned to serve as deputy commissioner for aging services at the Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services and Democrat Algie Howell resigned to take a seat on the Virginia Parole Board.
- Democrat Rip Sullivan (District 48) replaced Brink and Democrat Joe Lindsey replaced Howell after winning August 19 special elections.
- Republican Ben Chafin (District 4) takes seat in Virginia Senate after winning special election.
- Democrat Rosalyn Dance (District 63) takes seat in Virginia Senate after winning special election.
- Republican Barbara Comstock (District 34) resigns after being elected to the U.S. Congress.
- Republican Todd Pillion (District 4) takes Chafin's old seat after winning special election.
- Democrat Joe Morrissey (District 74) resigns his seat. 
- Democrats Kathleen Murphy (District 34) and Joseph E. Preston (District 63) take Comstock's and Dance's old seats after winning special elections.
- Joe Morrissey reelected to his old seat as an Independent. 
- Joe Morrissey moved to a residence outside his district, in violation of Article IV Section 4 of the Virginia Constitution. 
(The party control table shows the balance of power after each recent general election. The preceding Makeup table includes results of special elections since the last general election.)
|Speaker||William J. Howell|
|Majority Leader||Kirk Cox|
|Minority Leader||David Toscano|
|Caucus Chair||Charniele Herring|
Committee chairs and ranking members
The House has 14 standing committees.
|Committee||Chair||Senior Minority Member|
|Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources||Daniel Marshall III (HD14)||Kenneth Plum (HD36)|
|Appropriations||S. Chris Jones (HD76)||Luke Torian (HD52)|
|Commerce and Labor||Terry Kilgore (HD01)||Jennifer McClellan (HD71)|
|Counties, Cities and Towns||Riley Ingram (HD62)||Lionell Spruill, Sr. (HD77)|
|Courts of Justice||David Albo (HD42)||Vivian Watts (HD39)|
|Education||R. Steven Landes (HD25)||Jennifer McClellan (HD71)|
|Finance||R. Lee Ware, Jr. (HD65)||Vivian Watts (HD39)|
|General Laws||C. Todd Gilbert (HD15)||Jeion Ward (HD92)|
|Health, Welfare and Institutions||Robert Orrock, Sr. (HD54)||Lionell Spruill, Sr. (HD77)|
|Militia, Police and Public Safety||L. Scott Lingamfelter (HD31)||Roslyn Tyler (HD75)|
|Privileges and Elections||Mark Cole (HD88)||Mark Sickles (HD43)|
|Rules||Bill Howell (HD28)||Kenneth Plum (HD36)|
|Science and Technology||Richard Anderson (HD51)||Vivian Watts (HD39)|
|Transportation||Ronald Villanueva (HD21)||Jeion Ward (HD92)|
The Virginia House of Delegates is reelected every two years, with intervening vacancies filled by special election. The next general election of the House is in November 2017.
|District||Name||Party||Areas Represented||First Election|
|1||Terry Kilgore||Rep||Lee, Scott, Wise (part)||Norton||1993|
|2||Mark Dudenhefer||Prince William (part), Stafford (part)||2015|
|3||Will Morefield||Rep||Bland, Buchanan, Russell (part), Tazewell||2009|
|4||Todd Pillion||Dickenson, Russell (part), Washington (part), Wise (part)||2013|
|5||Israel O'Quinn||Grayson, Smyth (part), Washington (part)||Bristol, Galax||2011|
|6||Jeff Campbell||Carroll, Smyth (part), Wythe||2013|
|7||Nick Rush||Floyd, Montgomery (part), Pulaski (part)||2011|
|8||Greg Habeeb||Craig, Montgomery (part), Roanoke (part)||Salem||2011|
|9||Charles Poindexter||Franklin (part), Henry (part), Patrick||2007|
|10||Randy Minchew||Clarke (part), Frederick (part), Loudoun (part)||2011|
|11||Salam "Sam" Rasoul||Dem||Roanoke (part)||2013|
|12||Joseph Yost||Rep||Giles, Montgomery (part), Pulaski (part)||Radford||2011|
|13||Bob Marshall||Prince William (part)||Manassas Park||1991|
|14||Danny Marshall||Henry (part), Pittsylvania (part)||Danville||2001|
|15||Todd Gilbert||Page, Rockingham (part), Shenandoah, Warren (part)||2005|
|16||Les Adams||Henry (part), Pittsylvania (part)||Martinsville||2013|
|17||Chris Head||Botetourt (part), Roanoke (part)||Roanoke (part)||2011|
|18||Michael Webert||Culpeper (part), Fauquier (part), Rappahannock, Warren (part)||2011|
|19||Terry Austin||Alleghany, Bedford (part), Botetourt (part)||Covington||2013|
|20||Richard P. Bell||Augusta (part), Highland, Nelson(part)||Staunton, Waynesboro||2009|
|21||Ron Villanueva||Virginia Beach (part) Chesapeake (part)||2009|
|22||Kathy Byron||Bedford (part), Campbell (part), Franklin (part)||Lynchburg (part)||1997|
|23||Scott Garrett||Amherst (part), Bedford (part)||2009|
|24||Ben Cline||Amherst (part), Augusta (part), Bath, Rockbridge||Buena Vista, Lexington||2002|
|25||Steve Landes||Albemarle (part), Augusta (part), Rockingham (part)||1995|
|26||Tony Wilt||Rockingham (part)||Harrisonburg||2010|
|27||Roxann Robinson||Chesterfield (part)||2010|
Speaker of the House
|Stafford (part)||Fredericksburg (part)||1987|
|29||Chris Collins||Frederick (part), Warren (part)||Winchester, Front Royal (part)||2015|
|30||Nicholas Freitas||Culpeper (part), Madison, Orange||2015|
|31||Scott Lingamfelter||Fauquier (part), Prince William (part)||2001|
|32||Tag Greason||Loudoun (part)||2009|
|33||Dave LaRock||Clarke (part), Frederick (part), Loudoun (part)||2013|
|34||Kathleen Murphy||Dem||Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part)||2015|
|35||Mark Keam||Fairfax (part)||2009|
|36||Kenneth R. Plum||1981|
|39||Vivian E. Watts||1995|
Majority Caucus Chairman
|Rep||Fairfax (part), Prince William (part)||2002|
|41||Eileen Filler-Corn||Dem||Fairfax (part)||2010|
|43||Mark D. Sickles||Dem||2003|
|45||Mark Levine||Arlington (part), Fairfax (part)||Alexandria (part)||2015|
|47||Patrick Hope||Arlington (part)||2009|
|48||Rip Sullivan||Arlington (part), Fairfax (part)||2014|
|50||Jackson H. Miller||Rep||Prince William (part)||Manassas||2006|
|51||Richard L. Anderson||2009|
|53||Marcus Simon||Fairfax (part)||Falls Church||2013|
|54||Bobby Orrock||Rep||Caroline (part), Spotsylvania (part)||1989|
|55||Buddy Fowler||Caroline (part), Hanover (part), Spotsylvania (part)||2009|
|56||Peter Farrell||Goochland (part), Henrico (part), Louisa, Spotsylvania (part)||2011|
|58||Rob Bell||Rep||Albemarle (part), Fluvanna (part), Greene, Rockingham (part)||2001|
|59||Matt Fariss||Albemarle (part), Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell (part), Nelson (part)||2011|
|60||James Edmunds||Campbell (part), Charlotte, Halifax, Prince Edward||2009|
|61||Tommy Wright||Amelia, Cumberland, Lunenburg (part), Mecklenburg, Nottoway||2000|
|62||Riley Ingram||Chesterfield (part), Henrico (part), Prince George (part)||Hopewell (part)||1991|
|63||Lashrecse Aird||Dem||Chesterfield (part), Dinwiddie (part), Prince George (part)||Hopewell (part), Petersburg||2015|
|64||Rick Morris||Rep||Isle of Wight (part), Prince George (part), Southampton (part), Surry (part), Sussex (part)||Franklin (part), Suffolk (part)||2011|
|65||Lee Ware||Chesterfield (part), Fluvanna (part), Goochland (part), Powhatan||1998|
|Chesterfield (part)||Colonial Heights||1989|
|67||James LeMunyon||Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part)||2009|
|68||Manoli Loupassi||Chesterfield (part), Henrico (part)||Richmond (part)||2007|
|69||Betsy Carr||Dem||Chesterfield (part)||2009|
|70||Delores McQuinn||Chesterfield (part), Henrico (part)||2009|
|71||Jennifer McClellan||Henrico (part)||2005|
|73||John O'Bannon||Richmond (part)||2000|
|74||Lamont Bagby||Dem||Charles City, Henrico (part)||2015|
|75||Roslyn Tyler||Dem||Brunswick, Dinwiddie (part) Greensville, Isle of Wight (part), Lunenburg (part), Southampton (part), Surry (part), Sussex (part)||Emporia, Franklin (part)||2005|
|76||Chris Jones||Rep||Chesapeake (part), Suffolk (part)||1997|
|77||Cliff Hayes, Jr.||Dem||2016|
|78||James Leftwich||Rep||Chesapeake (part)||2013|
|79||Stephen Heretick||Dem||Norfolk (part), Portsmouth (part)||2015|
|80||Matthew James||Chesapeake (part), Norfolk (part), Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part)||2009|
|81||Barry Knight||Rep||Chesapeake (part), Virginia Beach (part)||2009|
|82||Jason Miyares||Virginia Beach (part)||2015|
|83||Chris Stolle||Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part)||2009|
|84||Glenn Davis||Virginia Beach (part)||2014|
|86||Jennifer Boysko||Dem||Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part)||2015|
|87||John Bell||Loudoun (part), Prince William (part)||2015|
|88||Mark Cole||Rep||Fauquier (part), Spotsylvania (part), Stafford (part)||Fredericksburg (part)||2001|
|89||Daun Hester||Dem||Norfolk (part)||2012|
|90||Joe Lindsey||Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part)||2014|
|91||Gordon Helsel||Rep||York (part)||Hampton (part), Poquoson||2011|
|92||Jeion Ward||Dem||Hampton (part)||2003|
|93||Michael P. Mullin||James City (part), York (part)||Newport News (part), Williamsburg||2016|
|94||David Yancey||Rep||Newport News (part)||2011|
|95||Marcia Price||Dem||Hampton (part), Newport News (part)||2015|
|96||Brenda Pogge||Rep||James City (part), York (part)||2007|
|97||Chris Peace||Hanover (part), King William (part), New Kent||2006|
|98||Keith Hodges||Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William (part), Mathews, Middlesex||2011|
|99||Margaret Ransone||Caroline (part), King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland||2011|
|100||Robert Bloxom, Jr.||Accomack, Northampton||Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part)||2014|
- List of Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2009
- Senate of Virginia
- Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Mace of the Virginia House of Delegates
- "This Day in History". Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- Commonwealth of Virginia. "Capitol Square Timeline". Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- Commonwealth of Virginia. "Timeline".
- "Virginia House of Delegates". DailyPress.com. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- "Virginia State Legislature" (PDF). VAKids.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- "Constitution of Virginia, Article IV, Section 4. Qualifications of senators and delegates.". Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- "Constitution of Virginia, Article IV, Section 6. Legislative sessions.". Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- The 1997 general election yielded a 51-48-1 Democrat majority. David Brickley resigned his seat right afterward, however, and a special election for District 51 was called. His seat flipped to the Republicans, and with Independent Lacey Putney siding with the Republicans, the chamber was tied. Democrats retained the Speakership through a power-sharing agreement.  
- Kumar, Anita (2011-11-19). "Toscano, Sickles to lead House Democratic caucus". Washington Post. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- "Legislative Committees". Legislative Information System. Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved 2016-01-14.