Sign In
Free Newsletter
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: EARLE-SEARS, LT. GOV. WINSOME
Earle-Sears is a woman of firsts: the first Black woman and immigrant to hold statewide office in Virginia and the commonwealth’s first female lieutenant governor, serving as president of the state Senate and occasionally casting tiebreaking votes. This year, she seeks to be Virginia’s first female governor as the Republican nominee. A U.S. Marine Corps […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: KAINE, U.S. SEN. TIM
Labeled by supporters as “America’s Dad” for his level-headed, folksy and sometimes wonky demeanor, Democrat Kaine has been a fixture in Virginia politics since his 1994 election to Richmond City Council. From there, he became Richmond mayor, then Virginia’s lieutenant governor and governor. His 2006-10 term in the Executive Mansion was marked by both the […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: CULLEN, RICHARD
Richmond insider Richard Cullen was an early pick by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the political newcomer’s cabinet when he took office in 2022, and he has remained a prominent figure in the executive branch since. Before joining the Youngkin administration, Cullen was a senior partner at McGuireWoods, Virginia’s largest law firm. There, he […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: SCOTT JR., DEL. DON
After bumping longtime Del. Eileen Filler-Corn from the top House role in a 2022 shakeup, Scott became Virginia’s first Black speaker in 2024 when Democrats retook the chamber. It wasn’t the only unexpected turn in his history: In 1994, as he was finishing up his law degree, Scott was arrested on federal drug charges. He […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: SABATO, LARRY
Virginia’s most notable political pundit, Sabato in 1998 founded the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, which hosts programs about civic education, electoral politics and youth leadership. In 2024, the center broke ground on a $10 million expansion, expected to open in early 2026. Sabato’s Crystal Ball newsletter makes predictions about electoral races […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: McDOUGLE, SEN. RYAN
A 23-year veteran legislator, McDougle was tapped as minority leader after Republicans failed to regain control of the state Senate in the November 2023 elections. He’s served as an ally to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, pushing for tax cuts and to return Virginia to federal vehicle emissions standards rather than the California rules the state has […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: MIYARES, JASON
Miyares, the son of a Cuban refugee, became the first Hispanic person elected to statewide office in Virginia after voters backed his attorney general bid in 2021. This year, the Republican seeks a second term in office, facing former Del. Jay Jones as the Democratic nominee. Miyares has touted successes in reducing crime through Operation […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: SUROVELL, SEN. SCOTT A.
Surovell is part of the new Democratic leadership in the Virginia General Assembly after the 2023 retirement of several longtime leaders, including former majority leader Sen. Dick Saslaw, whom Surovell succeeded in 2024. In his leadership post, Surovell often acts as the voice of Senate Democrats in criticizing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s priorities. In 2025, […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: WITTMAN, U.S. REP. ROB
Representing parts of the Richmond and Hampton Roads suburbs, as well as the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, Republican Wittman is serving his ninth term in Congress. A former environmental health specialist and field director for the Virginia Department of Health’s shellfish sanitation division, Wittman has worked his way up the political ladder from the […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: YOUNGKIN, GOV. GLENN
Youngkin’s victory in the 2021 gubernatorial race catapulted the former co-CEO of the Carlyle Group into the national spotlight as a possible Republican presidential nominee in 2024. However, in his last year in office, it’s unclear what the governor’s next act will be. Previously rumored to be considering a 2026 Senate bid, Youngkin conspicuously visited […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: WARNER, U.S. SEN. MARK
Virginia’s Democratic senior senator and the state’s 69th governor, Warner has been best known for his efforts to reach across the aisle in the U.S. Senate and his work as chair (now vice chair) of the Senate Intelligence Committee. However, after President Donald Trump took office in January for a second term, Warner has been […]
Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: TORIAN, DEL. LUKE
As chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Torian oversees the creation of the single biggest piece of legislation his chamber passes every year: the state budget. Difficult in the best of times, the budget process in recent years has been complicated by divided state government. In 2023, with Republicans in control of the House of […]
