The state level of government is constructed with the same principles of separation of powers that we see at the national level, with three primary branches of government — the Executive, the Legislative, and Judicial branches.
The Virginia Legislature #
The General Assembly. The State Legislature in Virginia is referred to as the General Assembly and consists of a Senate and a House of Delegates.
The Senate. The Senate of Virginia consists of 40 members. Each Senator is elected from a separate and distinct district for a term of four years. All Senators’ terms begin and end at the same time. Every four years the Senate reorganizes after the general election in which Senators are elected. A Senator represents approximately 200,000 citizens of the Commonwealth.
The House of Delegates. The Virginia House of Delegates consists of 100 members. Each Delegate is elected from a separate and distinct district for a term of two years. All Delegates terms begin and end at the same time. Each Delegate represents approximately 80,000 citizens of the Commonwealth.
Virginia’s Executive Office #
The Governor. The Governor is chosen in a state-wide election conducted every four years, and is prohibited from serving two consecutive terms (Virginia Constitution, Article V, Section 1).
The Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is elected at the same time and for the same term as the Governor, but there is no limit on the number of terms a Lieutenant Governor may serve (Virginia Constitution, Article V, Section 13).
The Attorney General. The attorney general of Virginia is a state-wide elected constitutional position that holds an executive office in the government of Virginia. Attorneys general are elected for a four-year term. There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as attorney general.
Virginia’s Judiciary #
The Supreme Court of Virginia. Virginia’s court of last resort, the Supreme Court reviews decisions of the circuit courts and the Court of Appeals when such appeals have been allowed. The justices of the Supreme Court are chosen by majority vote of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly for terms of twelve years (Virginia Constitution, Article VI, Section 7).
