Records of Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax,

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Background

Scope and content:

Records, 2018-2020, document the tenure of Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax during the administration of Governor Ralph Northam. These records consist of constituent correspondence, scheduling office files and subject files. All series are incomplete and do not cover the full time span of the administration, 2018-2021. The balance of the records were not transferred to the Library of Virginia.

Biographical / historical:

Justin Fairfax served as Virginia Lieutenant Governor during the administration of Governor Ralph Northam, January 13, 2018 - January 15, 2022. He graduated with a B.A. in Public Policy in 2000, and received a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 2004. Fairfax joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010 and served as a federal prosecutor in Alexandria, Va. He also served as the deputy coordinator for the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. He later joined the law firm Venable LLP, but resigned during his bid for office. Since the position of Lieutenant Governor is part-time, Fairfax joined the law firm of Morrison and Foerster in 2018, and served as the first head of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association.

The principal role of the lieutenant governor remains as a substitute for the governor in case of an emergency such as death or disability. The role as President of the Senate includes referring bills to committee, serving as Chairman of the Rules Committee, and appointing members to conference committees. An important, albeit unofficial, role of the lieutenant governor involves serving as the liaison between the governor and the senate. The lieutenant governor accomplishes this by introducing legislation or by gathering support for legislation in the senate. Lastly, the governor delegates the lieutenant governor to serve in a ceremonial capacity at certain social or state functions.

Acquisition information:
Transferred by the Office of Lieutenant Governor, 12 Jan 2022.
Physical description:
1.8 cubic feet (6 boxes).