Del. Jay Jones of Norfolk, Virginia announced his resignation from the General Assembly.

In a public letter, Jones cited a desire to prioritize being a father and supportive husband, as he and his wife prepare to welcome their first child.

Jones easily secured reelection in November after a failed primary challenge for the Democratic nomination for Virginia Attorney General earlier this year.

Jones has served in the General Assembly since 2018.

Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to call a special election to fill the 89th district seat at a later date.

Republican Winsome Sears is set to become the first female and first woman of color to serve as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor after defeating Del. Hala Ayala in the general election.

Sears is also the first Black Republican woman to be elected to the Virginia Assembly back in 2001 when she was elected to represent House District 90.

She had also challenged U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott in 2004 but was ultimately unsuccessful.

In a close race which garnered national attention, Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin will be Virginia’s next governor after defeating Terry McAuliffe.

Youngkin becomes the first Republican to win a gubernatorial bid since 2009.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has called the General Assembly to convene a special session beginning August 2.

The special session will focus on judicial appointments and the allocation of over $4.3 billion in federal COVID relief funding.

The Chesapeake City Council, on a vote of 5-4, rejected an ordinance moving mayoral, City Council, and School Board elections from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years.

The ordinance was introduced in response to the passage of Virginia’s Senate Bill 1157 that requires local elections to be conducted in November rather than May.

Proponents of the ordinance cited concerns about local issues being overshadowed by national issues, while opponents point to higher voter turnouts in even-numbered year elections and Virginia’s long history of connections between voter suppression and odd-numbered year elections for reasons to reject the proposed shift.

The Virginia General Assembly held the annual veto session on April 7.

While Gov. Northam issued no vetoes to passed legislation, the reconvened session focused on the several dozen amendments recommended by Northam.

Approved amendments included a contentious acceleration of the marijuana legalization plan and several changes to the budget bill.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed House Bill 1157 into law.

The controversial bill looked to shifts municipal elections from May to the November general election with new terms commencing on January 1 of the following year.

This shift will effectively extend the terms of current officeholders to facilitate the transition to the election date cycles.

This shift will begin with elections being held in 2022.

The Virginia General Assembly adjourned their special session on March 1.

The special session focused on pandemic relief efforts and the state’s budget.

Additionally, the General Assembly passed bills abolishing the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, and establishing new environmental regulations.

In a proclamation on February 3, Gov. Ralph Northam said the Virginia General Assembly will return to work on February 10.

The governor called a special session following the end of the 30-day regular session.

The session is customarily extended to 46 days but this extension did not have bipartisan support.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a special election to be held on March 23 for the 38^th Senate District.

The seat was previously held by Sen. A. Benton Chafin, Jr. who passed away January 1.

A bill prohibiting corporate campaign contributions has been introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates.

House Bill 1906 would not only prohibit direct contributions to candidates and committees but also prohibit indirect contributions.

This would include designated contributions or contributions directed through another person or committee.

The proposed bill includes a civil penalty of up to twice the amount of the prohibited contributions.

After a drive-thru primary on December 13, Candi King has emerged as the Democratic candidate to fill a vacant seat in the 2nd District of Virginia’s House of Delegates.

The seat was vacated by Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy who resigned to focus on her candidacy for governor.

King will face Republican nominee Heather Mitchell in the special election scheduled for January 5, 2021.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the special election for Virginia’s 90th House of Delegates District will be held on January 5, 2021.

The seat was previously held by Democratic Del. Joseph Lindsey, who resigned last month after being appointed to fill a vacancy on the Norfolk General District Court.

He had served as a delegate for the district since 2014.

After nearly 12 weeks, the Virginia General Assembly ended its special session on November 9.

Lawmakers approved changes returned by Gov. Northam on a handful of bills and finally agreed on a final passage of the budget.