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 was born on September 25, 1981. She is an American politician who helps people in court as a public defender. Since 2024, she has served in the Virginia Senate, representing the 33rd district.

Before that, Jennifer Carroll Foy was a member of the Democratic Party. She served in the Virginia House of Delegates for the 2nd district from 2017 to 2020. She left that job to run for governor in 2021, but she did not win the primary election.

Early Life and Education

Jennifer Carroll Foy grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. Her grandmother raised her. She went to Petersburg High School. There, she was part of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a program that helps students learn leadership skills.

In 2003, she earned her bachelor's degree from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). She was part of the third group of women to attend this special college. She received a full scholarship, which meant her education was paid for. Later, she earned a master's degree from Virginia State University. She also got a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.

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. Later, she moved back to Virginia. She started her own law practice, where she helped people who were accused of crimes.

Serving in the Virginia House of Delegates

In 2017, Jennifer Carroll Foy decided to run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. This is one part of Virginia's state government. During her campaign, she promised to help more people get health insurance. She also wanted to raise the minimum wage and increase pay for teachers. She also supported making changes to the justice system.

In November 2017, she won the election. She became the delegate for Virginia's Second district. While in the House of Delegates, she worked on committees that dealt with courts, money, and public safety.

Running for Governor in 2021

In 2020, Jennifer Carroll Foy announced she would run for governor of Virginia. To focus completely on her campaign, she resigned from the House of Delegates in December 2020. If she had won, she would have been the first female governor of Virginia. She would also have been the first African-American female governor in the United States. However, another candidate, Terry McAuliffe, won the Democratic primary election.

Joining the Virginia State Senate

In 2023, Jennifer Carroll Foy ran for a seat in the Virginia Senate. She won the Democratic primary election against Hala Ayala. Then, in the general election, she won against Republican Michael Van Meter. She officially started serving in the Virginia Senate in January 2024.

Political Views and Actions

Jennifer Carroll Foy has clear ideas about important issues.

Healthcare Access

In March 2018, she voted to expand Medicaid in Virginia. This helped about 400,000 people get health insurance coverage.

Women's Rights

She helped propose and pass the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia. This made Virginia the 38th state to approve this important amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Justice System Reform

As a public defender, Jennifer Carroll Foy believes in changing the cash bail system. She has said that Virginia's system can be unfair. She wants to make sure everyone gets fair treatment in court.

Fair Voting Districts

She supports having independent groups draw legislative maps. These maps decide the boundaries of voting districts. She believes this helps make elections fairer.

Support for Workers

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

Improving Infrastructure

She supports efforts to expand broadband internet access. This is especially important for areas like southwest Virginia, where internet access can be limited.

Protecting the Environment

Jennifer Carroll Foy was a main supporter of the Virginia Clean Economy Act. This law aims to help Virginia use only clean, renewable energy sources in the future.

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.

Electoral History