In Virginia, elections are held every four years to determine the balance of power in the state’s executive government. With major state offices up for election during what is typically an “off-cycle” year after the presidential election, voters in Old Dominion always have important decisions to decide the future of their state.

These are Virginia’s prominent statewide elected officials, including an overview of who has supported their campaign accounts. On Transparency USA, you can explore the money in Virginia state politics in even greater detail. Follow any link to learn more about the candidates, PACs, donors, and payees who engage with elected state leadership in Richmond.

Governor Ralph Northam (D)

Ralph Northam, currently serving as Governor of Virginia, is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2021. The Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving more than a single, four-year term. Prior to winning the governorship, Northam served as a Virginia Senator and as Lieutenant Governor.

Although Gov. Northam is not on the ballot this year, he has historically been a prolific fundraiser. According to campaign finance filings, since 2017, Northam has brought in $33,887,727 in contributions. Northam has been a benefactor of PAC support, reporting his top contributor as the Democratic Governors Association – Virginia with $6,201,500 in contributions, followed by Virginia League of Conservation Voters-PAC at $2,766,736, and Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC at $1,977,537 in contributions.

The candidates vying to replace Gov. Northam — and their finances — can be found here.

Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax (D)

Justin Fairfax is currently in his first term as Lieutenant Governor after winning the job in 2017 over Republican Jill Vogel with 53 percent of the vote. Fairfax never held elected office prior to winning the lieutenant governorship.

According to campaign finance filings, since 2017, Fairfax has brought in $4,390,877 in contributions. Fairfax’s top contributor has been the Black Progressive Action Coalition, with Fairfax reporting $225,585 in contributions from the group. Fairfax has also benefited from Aggregated Unitemized Cash Contributions (small-dollar donations below the minimum reporting threshold) in the amount of $225,585.

Fairfax has thrown his hat in the ring for the governor’s office, creating an open race for Lieutenant Governor. Compare those candidates, along with their campaign contributions and expenditures, side-by-side here.

Attorney General Mark Herring (D)

Democrat Mark Herring is currently in his second term as Attorney General after winning re-election over Republican John Adams in 2017 with 53 percent of the vote. Prior to serving as Attorney General, Herring served as a member of the Virginia State Senate.

According to campaign finance filings, since 2017, Herring has brought in $11,081,456 in contributions. Herring’s top contributors have been the Democratic Governors Association – Virginia with $2,806,473 in contributions and One Commonwealth PAC with $1,932,606 in contributions.

Herring is running for reelection as Attorney General in 2021. See how Herring’s warchest compares to other candidates in that race here.

Appointed Officials

In addition to Virginia’s elected statewide leaders, the following offices are filled by appointment:

• Secretary of State: Kelly Thomasson (D)
• State Treasurer: Manju Ganeriwala (O)
• State Comptroller: David Von Moll (O)

Although those positions are included in TUSA’s political profile for Virginia, their status as appointed leaders means they do not have a campaign finance profile in our database.

New to TUSA? 

As the most recent state added to our growing database, we’re excited to welcome the residents, candidates, journalists, and activists who care about Virginia politics to our site. We hope you’ll find our data helpful as you engage with state-level political issues. To explore, start with the Virginia Finance Summary, which includes helpful infographics, links to state regulations and how we display our data, as well as a list of the top 10 candidates, PACs and donors. Toggle through various election cycles by clicking on the light blue bar near the top of the page. Looking for something specific? Use our Advanced Transaction Search feature.