In the open race to serve as Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) faces former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA 7th). The Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving multiple consecutive terms, so incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) is ineligible for reelection.

The office of governor is established by the Constitution of Virginia, and the office holder’s primary duty is to serve as the chief executive of the state government. The governor must report on the state of the commonwealth to the General Assembly, convene the legislature when a special session is called, ensure state laws are executed properly, and serve as commander-in-chief of the state militia. Additionally, governors have the power to submit recommendations to the General Assembly, veto bills (in whole or in part with a line-item veto), commute fines and issue pardons, and restore rights to convicted felons.

Governors must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have been a resident and registered voter in the commonwealth for five years preceding the date of the election. They are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits, but they are barred from serving multiple consecutive terms.

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In the open race to serve as the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-15th) faces John Reid (R). Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is not seeking reelection.

The office of lieutenant governor is established by the Constitution of Virginia, and the office holder’s primary duty is to serve as president of the Senate of Virginia. The lieutenant governor may vote only in case of a tie. The lieutenant governor would also become governor in the event of the governor’s death, resignation, or removal.

Lieutenant governors must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have been a resident and registered voter in the commonwealth for five years preceding the date of the election. They are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits.

There are forty seats in the Senate of Virginia. The Democratic Party currently holds a 21-19 majority.

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In the race to serve as the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, one-term incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) is challenged by former Virginia Delegate Jay Jones (D-89th).

The attorney general has a constitutional responsibility to provide legal advice to the state government, including the governor and the General Assembly, to defend the state in lawsuits, and to defend the constitutionality of state laws. The attorney general is also second in the line of gubernatorial succession, after the lieutenant governor.

Traditionally, the attorney general’s office is used as a political stepping-stone for higher office and campaigns often become inappropriately politicized. In making the Off on a Tangent endorsement, I focus on issues that are germane to the role: understanding the duties of the office; respect for the fundamental human rights to life, liberty, and property; adherence to the plain text of the constitutions of Virginia and the United States; and a willingness to defend and enforce all duly-enacted state laws regardless of personal opinion.

Virginia attorney generals must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the United States, and hold the qualifications to be a “judge of court record.” They are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits.

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The Virginia General Assembly was established by the British colonial governor in 1619 and is the oldest continuously operating legislature in the western hemisphere. It comprises two houses: the Senate is the upper house and the House of Delegates is the lower.

This year, all one hundred seats in the House of Delegates stand for election.

Delegates must be at least twenty-one years old and residents of the district they wish to represent. They serve two-year terms with no term limits. Currently, the Democratic Party holds a 51-48 majority and there is one vacant seat.

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