Virginia’s legislature will look dramatically different next year as longtime lawmakers retire and others opt not to run again. More than two dozen legislators have said they will not seek reelection in the fall, setting up what will likely be new leadership in the Virginia General Assembly as all 140 seats in the House of Delegates and Senate go on the ballot.
The election comes after a once-in-a-decade overhaul of the boundaries of legislative districts. The nonpartisan redistricting process did not take into account incumbents. In some cases, the changes put lawmakers of the same party in the same district. Among those in NoVA affected by the newly drawn maps are Sen. Janet Howell and Dels. Kaye Kory and Kathleen Murphy, who are Democrats. Others, like Republican Sen. Jill Vogel in Fauquier County, would be cut out of their existing districts.
While it’s to be expected that some lawmakers would retire after decades in office, others cited family or health concerns in their decisions to leave. Here’s a look at key Northern Virginia lawmakers who won’t be back.
Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax
- Retiring as Virginia’s longest-serving senator at age 83
- Spent 48 years in the General Assembly
- Joined the Senate in 1980 after four years in the House
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax
- Not seeking reelection
- First woman and first person of Jewish faith to serve as House speaker
- Exploring a possible run for governor in 2025
- Assumed office in 2010
Sen. John Bell, D-Loudoun
- Not seeking reelection
- Under treatment for prostate cancer
- Elected to the Senate in 2019 after four years in the House
Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax
- Retiring as the longest-serving woman in the Senate at age 79
- Second longest–serving state senator after Saslaw
- Elected in 1991 and serves as co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee
Del. Kaye Kory, D-Falls Church
- Retiring after 14 years in the House
- Cites her husband’s health issues as her reason for leaving
- Elected in 2009
Del. Kathleen Murphy, D-Fairfax
- Retiring after nine years in the House
- Plans to help care for her grandchildren
- Elected in 2015
Del. Ken Plum, D-Fairfax
- Retiring after serving a total of 44 years
- Longest-serving House member
- Elected in 1977
Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier
- Not seeking reelection
- Cites her family in her decision to leave
- Elected in 2007
Feature image, Matthew Carroll/stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our July Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
