Henrico County Attorney Shannon Taylor launches campaign for Democratic nomination for Attorney General

Shannon Taylor, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico, announces her candidacy for Attorney General, joining former Del. Jay Jones in the race.

With 28 years of experience in law enforcement, fighting for abortion rights, against gun violence and protecting family values Henrico County Attorney Shannon Taylor launches campaign for Democratic nomination for Attorney General

Henrico – Today, Henrico County District Attorney Shannon Taylor launched her campaign for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. Taylor has served as Henrico County District Attorney for over a decade and has more than 28 years of experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

Taylor was a leading figure in the fight against President Trump and the MAGA movement. During her tenure as Virginia’s Attorney General, Taylor was also immediately at the forefront of the first wave of resistance from prosecutors across the country opposing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the conviction. Roe v. Wade. On the day of Dobbs Decision decimating Roe v. WadeTaylor announced that she would not prosecute women or medical personnel for performing abortions.

In addition, Taylor has long been a campaigner for racial justice – most notably, she successfully prosecuted the leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Virginia when he attempted to run over Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020.

Taylor has spoken out against Attorney General Miyares’ bigoted actions against LGBTQ+ citizens in Virginia. She has spoken out against his desired rollbacks of Title IX, which, among other things, weaken protections for LGBTQ+ students. She has also issued a strong statement opposing his actions to destroy DEI in law schools, saying that to truly support justice, the legal profession must look like America.

“When MAGA extremists push legislation that punishes women for making private decisions about their health care, women must fight back. And when our extremist Attorney General tries to strip our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors of their rights, we must stand strong. I will not allow Jason Miyares, Glenn Youngkin, or any other MAGA extremist to strip women of our basic reproductive rights or discriminate against any minority group,” Taylor said.

“To defeat extremism and hate, we need an experienced, proven prosecutor as our Democratic nominee for Attorney General. I am the only candidate to flip a seat from red to blue in a formerly Republican district, and the only candidate with a proven track record of prosecuting hundreds of cases.”

Taylor took office in 2011 after defeating U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the Republican political machine in Henrico in a surprise victory. Over the next decade, she was a strong leader in transforming Henrico from red to blue, where today the Board of Supervisors and General Assembly delegation are majority Democratic. Taylor is proud to have led that movement and fought for Democratic gains.

Taylor has also pushed for criminal justice reform in Virginia’s General Assembly, advocating for stronger hate crime laws, increased penalties for stalkers, and gun bans. She and her local legislators passed Lucia’s Law, which penalizes parents or guardians who leave an unsecured gun in the home of a minor, even after the adults have been warned that the child could be dangerous.

A longtime gun safety advocate, Taylor is joined by Lori Haas, advocacy manager of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and a leading gun safety advocate in Virginia and across Virginia.

“Shannon is a long-time partner in the fight against gun violence – helping me advance effective public safety legislation to combat illegal and harmful gun use. She is undoubtedly the most qualified and experienced candidate in this race,” Haas said.

In her years of service, Taylor has pushed for progressive reforms in the county’s district attorney’s office. When she was sworn in, the district attorney’s office was almost entirely white men, but she brought women into leadership positions and worked to make the district attorney’s office as diverse as the county. She has instituted criminal justice reforms, including ongoing work with recovery organizations and mental health support, while also offering diversion programs to help offenders succeed.

“I seek to bring my years of practical legal experience, my ten years leading one of the Commonwealth’s largest prosecutors’ offices, my track record of combating hate and bigotry, and my years of service as a local politician to the Attorney General’s office to ensure progressive and responsive leadership for ALL Virginians.”

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