Wexton to Run for AG Candidate Herring’s Not-Yet Vacant Seat

State Sen. Mark Obenshain has not even had the opportunity to request a recount in the race for Virginia Attorney General, but someone is already eyeing his opponent’s Senate seat.

Leesburg attorney and former prosecutor Jennifer Wexton announced Wednesday that she would run for 33rd Virginia State Senate seat, which Sen. Mark Herring will vacate if the current numbers hold up in the AG race.

While Obenshain led for days after the election, as the provisional and absentee ballots were counted – including several from Fairfax that were not in the initial tally – Herring took over the lead in the race. Currently, the Virginia State Board of Elections shows Herring with a 164-vote lead of more than 2.2 million cast. The race is narrow enough that the losing side will have the opportunity to request a recount.

Supporters of each AG candidate appear to consider it pretty much over, including Wexton.

“I’m extremely proud of Mark for his hard-earned victory, and I expect great things of him as Attorney General,” Wexton said in her campaign announcement, which also took aim at “Tea Party Republicans.”

“I’ve been increasingly troubled by the divisive agenda the extreme right-wing Republicans have been pushing in Richmond,” Wexton said. “Here in Northern Virginia, families care about getting the economy back on track, improving our schools and fixing our transportation problems.”
Wexton lost in her bid for Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2011 to Jim Plowman. She is a partner with the Leesburg firm Ritenour Paice Mougin-Boal & Wexton and also has served as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney as well as a substitute judge in Loudoun County. In addition, she has served on the Loudoun County Community Services Board.

The 33rd Senate District represents Leesburg, Herndon, Sterling and parts of Ashburn, Reston and Chantilly.

Wexton and her husband Andrew have two sons, 10 and 8.