Virginia Capitol Connections, Winter 2023 24 most vulnerable members of society: pre-born babies, opioid addicts, vulnerable children in schools, those with disabilities, etc. Dave is possibly the most conservative member of the General Assembly, but was willing to work with some of the most liberal members of the legislature when it was the right thing to do, as in his successful legislation to increase Naloxone access. Even though he served under 8 years of Democratic Governors, and in a politically divided legislature, he did not shy away from “controversial” legislation when he was convinced it was the right thing to do. Under the McAuliffe and Northam administrations, LaRock had more legislation vetoed than any other Delegate, including bills on school choice, election integrity, gun rights, and more. He is an The once-every-10-year census and redistricting, combined with the Virginia Supreme Court drawing new legislative districts has brought the legislative career of the preeminent spokesperson for women veteran issues, rare diseases, and gun safety to an untimely conclusion. Del. Kathleen Murphy has represented Virginia’s 34th District, which includes Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, since a special election in January 2015. An election which she won by only 326 votes. Her tenacity in that hard-fought race, in the dead of winter, foreshadowed the passion she would bring to the General Assembly in both her policy fights and her advocacy for her constituents. Throughout her career, Kathleen distinguished herself by serving on the Finance, General Laws, Transportation, Counties, Cities and Towns, and Privileges and Elections Committees. This included serving one term as the Vice Chair of Transportation where she brought renewed focus to the neighborhood traffic congestion created by the American Legion Bridge. Regardless of the committee, she brought a wealth of personal and professional experience that has informed her decision-making and her legislative approach. As a leader on the issue of common sense gun safety, Del. Murphy founded the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus and co-chaired the Safe Virginia Initiative. In this role, she traveled the Commonwealth to talk to teachers, students, gun owners, police officers, elected officials, and community leaders about what gun violence prevention meant to them. These detailed conversations became the foundation of the gun safety legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2020. Del. Murphy also understood first-hand how difficult it is for Virginians to navigate the current healthcare system. Her family has personal, direct experience dealing with rare diseases, which prompted her to draft and pass legislation creating the Commonwealth Rare Disease Council. This initiative established a permanent Board that will seek to understand and advocate for Virginians with rare diseases. In her support for veterans, Del. Murphy serves on the Board of Veterans Services, chairs the Women Veterans Workgroup, and serves as the Vice Chair of the General Assembly Military and Veterans Caucus or GAMVC. In these roles, she has led the effort to ensure the Commonwealth is cognizant of and supportive of women veterans. She has hosted approximately 20 Women’s Veterans Roundtables Kathleen Murphy Delegate 2015-2024 BY DAVID REID AND RIP SULLIVAN incredibly hard worker, usually tallying one of the highest counts of bills introduced, and puts significant effort into legislation on transportation, education opportunity, government reform, and other issues of local concern. Always willing to allow others to take the lead on key legislation when it would help the chances of success, he co-sponsored many bills that were similar or identical to his. In 2023, Dave ran for the open 1st Senate District, finishing 2nd in an 8-way Republican Primary with Democrat-leaning voters providing the margin for the nominee. He is now focused on catching up on family and home responsibilities while finishing out his term in office and praying about what service the Lord has next for him. Daniel Davies is a legislative aide for Dave LaRock. “Democracy is not a spectator sport” - Marian Wright Edelman The Voter Registrars Association of Virginia is the professional association for members of Virginia’s election administration community. We are dedicated to facilitating the discussion of legislation and its implementation and impact on the election process. Voter Registrars Association of Virginia facebook.com/varegistrars VARegistrars.org
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