Jennifer Carroll Foy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Carroll Foy
Carroll Foy in 2017
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 33rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2024
Preceded by	Constituency established
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 2nd district
In office January 10, 2018 – December 12, 2020
Preceded by	Mark Dudenhefer
Succeeded by	Candi Mundon King
Personal details
Born	Jennifer Denise Carroll (1981-09-25) September 25, 1981 (age 43) Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jeffrey Foy
Children	2
Education	Virginia Military Institute (BA) Virginia State University (MA) Thomas Jefferson School of Law (JD)

Jennifer Carroll Foy, born on September 25, 1981, is an American lawyer and politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She works as a public defender, which means she helps people who cannot afford a lawyer. Currently, she is a State Senator for Virginia's 33rd district.

Before becoming a State Senator, she was elected in 2017 to represent Virginia's 2nd House of Delegates district. This district covers parts of Prince William County and Stafford County in Northern Virginia. In December 2020, she left the House of Delegates to focus on her campaign for Governor of Virginia in 2021. She did not win the Democratic primary election, coming in second. In 2023, she ran for the State Senate in Virginia's 33rd district and won with almost 63% of the votes.

Early Life and Education

Jennifer Carroll Foy was born and grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. Her grandmother raised her. She went to Petersburg High School, where she was part of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

She earned her bachelor's degree from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2003. She was part of the third group of women to attend VMI and received a full scholarship. Later, Carroll Foy earned her master's degree from Virginia State University. She then received her law degree (Juris Doctor) from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.

Her Career in Law and Politics

After finishing law school, Jennifer Carroll Foy taught for a while. She also worked as a lawyer in Los Angeles. She later moved back to Virginia and started her own law practice. Her practice focused on helping people accused of crimes.

Becoming a Delegate

In February 2017, Carroll Foy decided to run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. During her campaign, she promised to work on several important issues. These included expanding Medicaid (a health insurance program), increasing the minimum wage, raising teacher pay, and making changes to the justice system. In November 2017, Jennifer Carroll Foy won the election. She became the delegate for Virginia's Second district.

While serving in the House of Delegates, Carroll Foy was a member of important committees. These included the Courts of Justice, Finance, and Public Safety Committees.

Running for Governor

In 2020, Carroll Foy announced she would seek to become the Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia. On December 8, 2020, she shared her plans to leave the House of Delegates. This was so she could spend all her time on her campaign for governor. Her resignation became official on December 12, 2020. If she had won, she would have been the first female governor of Virginia. She would also have been the second African-American governor, after Douglas Wilder, and the first African-American female governor in the United States. However, former governor Terry McAuliffe won the Democratic primary election instead.

Becoming a State Senator

In 2023, Jennifer Carroll Foy ran for the Virginia State Senate. She won the election, beating her opponent Michael Van Meter with nearly 63% of the votes. She is now a State Senator for Virginia.

What She Believes In

Healthcare Access

In March 2018, Carroll Foy voted to pass a law that expanded Medicaid in Virginia. This helped about 400,000 Virginians get health insurance coverage.

Women's Rights

Carroll Foy helped propose and pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Virginia. This made Virginia the 38th state to approve this important constitutional amendment.

Fair Voting Districts

Carroll Foy believes that independent groups should draw legislative maps. These maps decide the boundaries of voting districts. She did not support a specific amendment in 2020 because she felt it was not good enough to be added to the state's constitution.

Supporting Workers

Carroll Foy has supported the idea of paid family and medical leave for all workers. This means people could take time off for family or health reasons and still get paid.

Better Infrastructure

She supports efforts to expand broadband access, especially in southwest Virginia. Broadband means fast internet, which is important for schools and businesses.

Protecting the Environment

Carroll Foy was a main supporter of the Virginia Clean Economy Act. This law aims to help Virginia switch to using only renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power, over the next few decades.

Personal Life

Jennifer Carroll Foy is married to Jeffrey Foy. They met when they were both students at VMI. In July 2017, she gave birth to twin boys.

Election Results