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Mark Herring

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For the New Zealand swimmer, see Mark Herring (swimmer). For the artist and businessman, see Marc Herring.

Mark Herring
47th Attorney General of Virginia
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2014
GovernorTerry McAuliffe
Ralph Northam
Preceded byKen Cuccinelli
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 33rd district
In office
February 1, 2006 – January 11, 2014
Preceded byBill Mims
Succeeded byJennifer Wexton
Personal details
Born
Mark Rankin Herring

(1961-09-25) September 25, 1961 (age 63)
Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Laura Herring
​
(m. 1990)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Virginia (BA, MA)
University of Richmond (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Mark Rankin Herring (born September 25, 1961)[1] is an American lawyer, and the 47th and current Attorney General of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served in the Senate of Virginia since a 2006 special election. He represented the 33rd district, made up of parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties.[1][2]

Early life and education

Herring was raised by a single mother in Loudoun County, Virginia. He worked in construction and many other jobs in order to pay for college. He eventually obtained a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in foreign affairs and economics at the University of Virginia. He also obtained a Master of Arts in foreign affairs from UVA. He subsequently obtained a J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law.[1]

Career

He served in elected office on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors from 2000 to 2003,[3] and was the Town Attorney for Lovettsville, Virginia, from 1992 to 1999. He is the principal with The Herring Law Firm, P.C., in Leesburg, Virginia.

Herring was elected to the Senate of Virginia in a special election triggered by two-term incumbent Republican Bill Mims' appointment as chief deputy attorney general of Virginia. He was re-elected to a full term in the 2007 election, and reelected in 2011.

On July 24, 2012, he announced that he would run for the office of Attorney General of Virginia, in the 2013 elections.[4][5] On April 2, 2013, The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) certified that Herring's name would appear on the June primary ballot.[6] On June 11, 2013, Herring won the primary.[7]

Fellow Democrat Jennifer Wexton won the election to succeed him in representing the 33rd Senatorial District.

Attorney General of Virginia

2013 Election

Main article: Virginia Attorney General election, 2013

Herring faced Justin Fairfax in the Democratic primary in June 2013, winning narrowly by a margin of 52%-48%. He faced Republican Mark Obenshain in the general election.

On the night of the election, Obenshain held a 1,200 vote lead over Herring. Vote totals fluctuated as ballots were canvassed in the following days, and the race remained too close to call. On November 12, 2013, with all ballots counted, Herring held a 165-vote lead, or less than 0.01%, and Obenshain requested a recount.[8] Herring's total increased during the recount, so Obenshain conceded the election on December 18, 2013, and later that day, the recount ended with Herring winning by 907 votes, or 0.04%.[9][10][11]

Tenure

Herring was sworn into office on January 11, 2014.

Virginia Marriage Amendment

On January 23, 2014, Herring announced that he would not defend the Virginia Marriage Amendment in federal court, and filed a brief in a federal lawsuit being brought against the law asking for it to be struck down. Herring said in a press conference announcing the move, "I believe the freedom to marry is a fundamental right and I intend to ensure that Virginia is on the right side of history and the right side of the law."[12]

Reaction to the announcement was mainly along party lines, with Democrats mostly praising the move and Republicans mostly criticizing it as a violation of his oath of office.[13] The National Organization for Marriage has called for Herring's impeachment, claiming that the Virginia attorney general is obligated to defend all state laws against challenges.[14] In the press conference, Herring said, "There are those who will say that the attorney general is required to defend every challenge to a state law, even a law that is unconstitutional. They could not be more wrong."[15]

The amendment would be ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. District Court in Norfolk in the case Bostic v. Schaefer on February 13, 2014. On July 28, 2014, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2–1 opinion upholding the lower court's decision. This was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which denied a writ of certiorari, letting the Fourth Circuit Court's decision stand and legalizing same-sex marriage in Virginia.

2017 Election

Main article: Virginia Attorney General election, 2017

Herring faced no opposition in the Democratic primary and won his party's endorsement for re-election. He is the first Virginia Attorney General to run for reelection since Mary Sue Terry in 1989. He defeated Republican opponent John Donley Adams and won re-election. His former opponent and fellow lawyer Justin Fairfax won the race for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the same year.

Electoral history

Virginia State Senate 33rd District Special Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring 12,381 61.63
Republican D.M. Staton, Jr. 7,689 38.27
Write-ins Write-ins 20 0.10
Virginia State Senate 33rd District Election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring (inc.) 27,784 56.89
Republican Patricia Phillips 20,994 42.99
Write-ins Write-ins 55 0.11
Virginia State Senate 33rd District Election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring (inc.) 14,061 54.06
Republican Patricia Phillips 11,915 45.81
Write-ins Write-ins 30 0.11
Virginia Attorney General Democratic Primary Election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring 72,861 51.66
Democratic Justin Fairfax 68,177 48.34
Virginia Attorney General Election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring 1,103,777 49.89
Republican Mark Obenshain 1,103,612 49.89
Write-ins Write-ins 4,892 0.22
Virginia Attorney General Election, 2017
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Herring 1,379,162 53.21
Republican John Adams 1,210,398 46.70
Write-ins Write-ins 2,352 0.09

References

  1. ^ a b c "Senator Mark R. Herring; Democrat - District 33". Senate of Virginia. Archived from the original on May 29, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Meet Mark Herring". Archived from the original on November 19, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Senator Mark R. Herring (VA)". Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  4. ^ "Herring To Run For Attorney General Seat". Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  5. ^ "Herring to seek attorney general post, restore 'credibility' to the office". Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  6. ^ Walker, Julian (April 2, 2013). "McAuliffe named Dem governor nominee, 4 others make ballot". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  7. ^ Pershing, Ben and Errin Whack (June 11, 2013). "Democrats give nod to Northam, Herring in statewide races". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Korff, Jay. "Virginia election 2013: Mark Herring claims Attorney General victory". WJLA. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  9. ^ Emily Schultheis. "GOP Sen. Mark Obenshain concedes in Virginia attorney general race". POLITICO. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  10. ^ Ress, Dave (December 19, 2013). "It's official: Recount results show 907 vote margin for Herring". Daily Press. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  11. ^ Rogers, Alex. "With 164 Vote Attorney General Victory, Virginia Democrats Sweep State". Time. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  12. ^ Va. Attorney General Mark Herring files brief opposing same-sex marriage ban The Washington Post
  13. ^ Va. lawmakers split along party lines on AG’s move The Washington Post
  14. ^ AG wants Virginia on ;'right side of history' POLITICO
  15. ^ "Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says gay marriage ban unconstitutional". The Washingtion Times. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
Senate of Virginia
Preceded by Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 33rd district
2006–2014 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Virginia
2014–present 		Incumbent
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