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Mark Herring

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Governor
  
Terry McAuliffe

Political party
  
Democratic

Preceded by
  
Ken Cuccinelli

Name
  
Mark Herring


Preceded by
  
Bill Mims

Spouse
  
Laura Herring

Succeeded by
  
Jennifer Wexton

Party
  
Democratic Party

Mark Herring wwwroanokefreepresscomwpcontentuploads20150

Full Name
  
Mark Rankin Herring

Born
  
September 25, 1961 (age 62) Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S. (
1961-09-25
)

Alma mater
  
University of Virginia (B.A., M.A.) University of Richmond (J.D.)

Role
  
Attorney General of Virginia

Previous office
  
Virginia State Senator (2006–2014)

Office
  
Attorney General of Virginia since 2014

Children
  
Peyton Herring, Tim Herring

Education
  
University of Richmond School of Law, University of Richmond, University of Virginia

Profiles

Virginia attorney general candidate mark herring announces naral pro choice virginia endorsement


Mark Rankin Herring (born September 25, 1961) is an American lawyer serving as 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.

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Mark Herring AG Mark Herring AGMarkHerring Twitter

Mark herring to become va attorney general


Education and career

Mark Herring Va State Sen Mark Herring blast State Sen Mark Obenshain

Herring 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.

Mark Herring Mark Herring to run for attorney general in 2013 The

He served in elected office on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors from 2000 to 2003, 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.

Mark Herring Mark Herring Beats Mark Obenshain In Virginia Attorney

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. On April 2, 2013, The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) certified that Herring's name would appear on the June primary ballot. On June 11, 2013, Herring won the primary.

Election

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. 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%.

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."

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. 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. 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."

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.

References

Mark Herring Wikipedia