Senate of Virginia
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Seal of the Senate of Virginia
Historic Partisan Makeup of the Virginia State Senate

The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. It is composed of 40 Senators and is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Prior to Independence, the other part of government was represented by the Governor's Council, an upper house made up of executive counselors appointed by the Governor as advisers.

The Lieutenant Governor presides daily over the Virginia Senate. In the Lieutenant Governor's absence, a 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, just like in the U.S. Congress.

Virginia Senators are elected every four years by the voters of the several senatorial districts on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November. The last election took place on 6 November 2007.

In the 2007 election, the Democratic Party reclaimed the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1999, when the Republican Party took control of the Senate for the first time in history.

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Contents

Salary and qualifications

The annual salary for senators is $18,000 per year.1 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.1 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.1

Balance of power

Affiliation Members
Democratic Party 21
Republicanc Party 19
Total
 40

Leadership

Members

District Name Party Areas Represented First Election
Counties Cities
1 John Miller Democratic York (part) Hampton (part), Newport News (part), Poquoson 2007
2 Mamie Locke Democratic Hampton (part), Newport News (part), Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part) 2003
3 Tommy Norment Republican Gloucester, James City, New Kent, York (part) Newport News (part), Williamsburg 1991
4 Ryan McDougle Republican Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, Spotsylvania (part) 2006
5 Yvonne B. Miller Democratic Chesapeake (part), Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part) 1987
6 Ralph Northam Democratic Accomack, Mathews, Northampton Norfolk (part), Virginia Beach (part) 2007
7 Frank Wagner Republican Virginia Beach (part) 2001
8 Ken Stolle Republican Virginia Beach (part) 1991
9 A. Donald McEachin Democratic Charles City, Henrico (part) Richmond (part) 2007
10 John Watkins Republican Amelia, Chesterfield (part), Cumberland (part), Goochland (part), Henrico (part), Powhatan Richmond (part) 1997
11 Stephen H. Martin Republican Chesterfield (part) Colonial Heights 1993
12 Walter Stosch Republican Goochland (part), Henrico (part) Richmond (part) 1991
13 Fred Quayle Republican Isle of Wight (part), Prince George (part), Southampton (part), Surry Chesapeake (part), Franklin (part), Hopewell (part), Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part) 1991
14 Harry Blevins Republican Chesapeake (part), Virginia Beach (part) 2001
15 Frank Ruff Republican Amherst (part), Appomattox, Brunswick (part), Buckingham (part), Charlotte, Cumberland (part), Fluvanna, Halifax, Lunenburg (part), Mecklenburg, Prince Edward 2000
16 Henry Marsh III Democratic Chesterfield (part), Dinwiddie, Prince George (part) Hopewell (part), Petersburg, Richmond (part) 1991
17 Edd Houck Democratic Culpeper, Louisa, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania (part) Fredericksburg (part) 1983
18 Louise Lucas Democratic Brunswick (part), Greensville, Isle of Wight (part), Lunenburg (part), Nottoway, Southampton (part), Sussex Chesapeake (part), Emporia, Portsmouth (part), Suffolk (part) 1991
19 Robert Hurt Republican Campbell (part), Franklin, Pittsylvania Danville 2007
20 Roscoe Reynolds Democratic Carroll, Floyd, Grayson (part), Henry, Patrick, Wythe (part) Galax, Martinsville 1996
21 John S. Edwards Democratic Craig, Giles, Montgomery (part), Pulaski (part), Roanoke (part) Roanoke 1995
22 Ralph K. Smith Republican Botetourt, Montgomery (part), Roanoke (part) Radford, Salem 2007
23 Steve Newman Republican Amherst (part), Bedford, Campbell (part) Bedford 1995
24 Emmett Hanger Republican Albemarle (part), Augusta, Greene, Highland, Rockbridge (part), Rockingham (part) Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro 1995
25 Creigh Deeds Democratic Albemarle (part), Alleghany, Bath, Buckingham (part), Nelson, Rockbridge (part) Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington 2001
26 Mark Obenshain Republican Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham (part), Shenandoah, Warren Harrisonburg 2003
27 Jill Holtzman Vogel Republican Clarke, Fauquier (part), Frederick, Loudoun (part) Winchester 2007
28 Richard Stuart Republican Fauquier (part), King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Prince William (part), Richmond, Stafford, Westmoreland Fredericksburg (part) 2007
29 Chuck Colgan Democratic Prince William (part) Manassas, Manassas Park 1975
30 Patsy Ticer Democratic Arlington (part), Fairfax (part) Alexandria (part) 1995
31 Mary Margaret Whipple Democratic Arlington (part), Fairfax (part) Falls Church 1995
32 Janet Howell Democratic Fairfax (part) 1991
33 Mark Herring Democratic Fairfax (part), Loudoun (part) 2006
34 Chap Petersen Democratic Fairfax (part) Fairfax 2007
35 Richard L. Saslaw Democratic Fairfax (part) Alexandria (part) 1980
36 Toddy Puller Democratic Fairfax (part), Prince William (part) 2000
37 Ken Cuccinelli Republican Fairfax (part) 2001
38 Phillip Puckett Democratic Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Pulaski (part), Russell, Smyth (part), Tazewell, Wise (part), Wythe (part) 1998
39 George Barker Democratic Fairfax (part), Prince William (part) 2007
40 William C. Wampler, Jr. Republican Grayson (part), Lee, Scott, Smyth (part), Washington, Wise (part) Bristol, Norton 1988

Senate seal

The Senate has its own coat of arms designed and granted by the College of Arms in England.23 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 seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The seal of the London Company.

The coat of arms adopted January 22, 1981 was designed by the College of Arms and supposedly based on the seal and coat of arms used by the London Company, the royally-chartered English entrepreneurs who funded the European settlement of Virginia. However, 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 earliest waves of European immigration.23

The four coats of arms, a small crest of a crowned female head with unbound hair representing Queen Elizabeth (the Virgin Queen for whom Virginia was named), and the dragon (part of the Elizabethan royal seal of England) represent Virginia's European heritage.23 The Senate's seal makes no reference to Virginia's Native American or African American 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." 23

References

  1. ^ a b c "Virginia State Legislature". VAKids.org. Retrieved on 2008-09-12.
  2. ^ a b c d Official Virginia State Senate "Capitol Classroom" site. Accessed November 7, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d Answers.Com: Virginia State Senate Seal Accessed November 7, 2007.

See also

External links


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