Historically, the Democratic Party has dominated Virginia politics. Since the 1851 Virginia gubernatorial election, the first gubernatorial election in Virginia in which the governor was elected by direct popular vote, 34 Virginia Governors have been Democrats. Since the 1851 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, the first lieutenant gubernatorial election in Virginia in which the lieutenant governor was elected by direct popular vote, 29 Virginia Lieutenant Governors have been Democrats. Since the 1851 Virginia Attorney General election, the first Attorney General election in Virginia in which the Attorney General was elected by direct popular vote, 25 Attorneys General have been Democrats.
As of 2023, Democrats hold a 21–19 majority in the Virginia Senate, and a 51–49 majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. At the federal level, Virginia has voted for every Democratic presidential candidate since 2008. Democrats hold six of the Commonwealth's 11 U.S. House seats and both of the Commonwealth's U.S. Senate seats.
The Steering Committee makes decisions about the Party in-between meetings of the Central Committee, and also has an exclusive role of overseeing staff.
The Central Committee has full control over all matters of the Party, including the adoption of an annual budget, the method of nomination for statewide candidates such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General; the adoption of resolutions and policy statements. In addition, the Central Committee can veto any decision of the Steering Committee.
The Central Committee meets at least four times a year, usually in Richmond, although by tradition, the September meeting is in Fredericksburg. Central Committee meetings are accompanied by meetings of the Steering Committee the night before, and Caucus meetings over the weekend.
The Central Committee is composed of 20 members from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. Each district apportions the central committee seats to localities in the district based on population. Additionally, each district committee can elect three more members from local committees and one member of the Virginia General Assembly. The Central Committee is "reorganized" every four years following the election for Governor. The last reorganization was held in March 2022.[4]
In addition, the following people are ex-officio members of the Central Committee and their District Committees:
Members of the steering committee
Democratic Virginia members of the United States Congress
Democratic statewide elected officials, such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General
the President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, provided they are Democrats
the Democratic Leaders of the Virginia House and Senate
the Chairs of the Democratic Caucuses in Virginia the House and Senate
the president, national committeeman, and national committeewoman of the Virginia Young Democrats
the president and first vice president of the Women's Caucus
the chair of the Association of Democratic Elected Officials
the chair of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus
the chair of the Virginia Young Democrats College Caucus
and the chair of the Virginia Young Democrats City/County Caucus[5]
Local Democratic Committees serve to promote the Democratic Party in their specific locality. Some committees may contain several localities. Local committees may endorse candidates for nonpartisan office (such as school board) and assist in campaigning for their candidate.
In 2019, all three of Virginia's statewide executive office holders, all Democrats, were embroiled in various controversies. Governor Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page had featured an individual in blackface and an individual in a Ku Klux Klan hood, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax was accused of having sexually assaulted a professor in 2004, and Attorney General Mark Herring was revealed to have worn blackface at a college party. Most Democrats urged Northam to resign from the governorship, but he refused. Ultimately, none of the three accused resigned.[6]
