Barbara A. Favola (born June 21, 1955) is an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bi ...

from the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. A Democrat, she has served in the

Senate of Virginia The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Vir ...

since 2011, representing the 31st District, encompassing portions of Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties.

Political career

Favola has been a resident of Arlington since 1982. From 1997 until 2012, Favola was a member of the Arlington County Board; she served as Chairman in 2000 and 2004 and Vice Chairman in 1999, 2003 and 2011. She has been a board member since December 1997. In 2006, Virginia Gov.

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...

appointed Favola to a four-year term on the State Health Board. Favola was a policy advisor for 15 years at the

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

(HHS). Favola started her career at HHS as a Presidential Management Intern (PMI), and served in various policy and planning positions throughout the Department, with several assignments in the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Health. As part of the PMI experience, Ms. Favola also worked on the House Budget Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

State Senate

Favola was first elected to the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

in 2011 in the 31st district, defeating Republican Caren Merrick with 58% of the vote. She was re-elected in 2015, defeating Republican George Forakis with 62% of the vote. In 2019, Favola sponsored a bill that would protect individuals with a severe mental illness from receiving the death penalty.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Favola, Barbara A. 1955 births Living people Democratic Party Virginia state senators People from Arlington County, Virginia United States Department of Health and Human Services officials New York University alumni Women state legislators in Virginia County supervisors in Virginia 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians