Washington, DC — Today, after decades of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia at the local and state level, Attorney General Mark Herring came up short in his re-election campaign.

Statement from Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and Nevada AG Aaron Ford, Co-Chairs of the Democratic Attorneys General Association:

“We thank Attorney General Herring for his years of service to the people of Virginia. Even as votes are still being counted, Attorney General Herring is on pace to earn the all-time highest number of votes by a Democrat in a statewide, non-federal election in Virginia’s history.

“He has stood in the breach during some of the darkest moments in recent history, including fighting back against Donald Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban and his failed attempts to decimate the Affordable Care Act. He fought the Trump Administration’s reckless and corrupt behavior from the first hours of Trump’s presidency all the way until its end.

“AG Herring was a national leader in supporting marriage equality from his earliest days as Attorney General. He has been a generational leader in transforming Virginia into a welcoming, inclusive place where all people — regardless of who they love or how they worship — can live, work, and raise their families. He has fought for civil rights protections across Virginia, including opening a Civil Rights Office in the Office of the Attorney General, and prosecuted businesses and people who preyed on others. He was a tireless crusader against the nation’s epidemic of gun violence, taking courageous stands against the gun lobby — even when they had offices and considerable influence in his own backyard.

“We send our most sincere thanks to AG Herring and heartfelt gratitude to his wife Laura and their two children for years of committed service to Virginia. We look forward to AG Herring’s continued advocacy and passion in the public service arena for years to come.”

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