Ralph Northam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ralph Northam
Northam in 2018
73rd Governor of Virginia
In office January 13, 2018 – January 15, 2022
Lieutenant	Justin Fairfax
Preceded by	Terry McAuliffe
Succeeded by	Glenn Youngkin
40th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
In office January 11, 2014 – January 13, 2018
Governor	Terry McAuliffe
Preceded by	Bill Bolling
Succeeded by	Justin Fairfax
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 6th district
In office January 9, 2008 – January 11, 2014
Preceded by	Nick Rerras
Succeeded by	Lynwood Lewis
Personal details
Born	Ralph Shearer Northam (1959-09-13) September 13, 1959 (age 65) Nassawadox, Virginia, U.S.
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Pamela Northam ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	2
Education	Virginia Military Institute (BS) Eastern Virginia Medical School (MD)
Occupation	military physician, politician, neurologist
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1984–1992
Rank	Major
Unit	Army Medical Corps

Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American physician and former politician. He served as the 73rd governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022.

Before becoming governor, Northam was a pediatric neurologist, a doctor who specializes in brain and nerve problems in children. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1984 to 1992.

A member of the Democratic Party, Northam was the 40th lieutenant governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. He then won the governorship in the 2017 election against Ed Gillespie. Virginia's rules prevent a governor from serving two terms in a row. So, Northam left office in January 2022, and Glenn Youngkin became the new governor.

During his time as governor, Northam achieved several important things. He helped expand Medicaid healthcare coverage, ended the death penalty in Virginia, and raised the minimum wage. He also led the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the only governor in the United States at that time who was also a licensed doctor. He focused much of his work on addressing issues of racial fairness in Virginia.

Northam is currently a neurologist at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. He focuses on helping children with epilepsy and other nerve disorders.

Early Life and Education

Ralph Northam was born on September 13, 1959, in Nassawadox, Virginia, a town on Virginia's Eastern Shore. He and his older brother, Thomas, grew up on a farm near Onancock, Virginia. Their family farmed crops and raised animals on their 75-acre property.

As a teenager, Northam worked on a ferry to Tangier Island and on fishing boats. He also worked on a neighbor's farm and at a grocery store. He and his brother attended public schools that had recently been integrated. Northam graduated from Onancock High School, where most of his classmates were African American.

Northam's mother, Nancy B. Shearer, was a part-time nurse. His father, Wescott B. Northam, was a lawyer and a World War II veteran. Wescott Northam later became a politician, serving as a prosecutor for Accomack County, Virginia. He then became a judge, just like his own father, Thomas Long Northam.

Ralph Northam learned during his campaign for governor that some of his ancestors had owned slaves. He said this news was "disturbing and saddening." He noted that his family's history, like Virginia's, is complex.

In high school, Northam was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" and was the second-highest-ranking student in his class. He played on the school's basketball and baseball teams. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1981 with a degree in biology. He was president of VMI's honor court. He was only the second Virginia Governor to have graduated from VMI.

Northam then attended Eastern Virginia Medical School, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1984.

Military and Medical Career

From 1984 to 1992, Ralph Northam served as a medical officer in the United States Army. During his time in the Army, he completed his training to become a pediatric doctor at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. He then specialized in child neurology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

During Operation Desert Storm, he helped treat injured soldiers in Germany. Northam left the U.S. Army in 1992 with the rank of major. Since then, he has worked as a pediatric neurologist at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia.

Early Political Career

Before he entered politics, Northam voted for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. He later said he was not very interested in politics at the time and regretted those votes. He explained, "Politically, there was no question, I was underinformed."

Serving in the Virginia Senate (2008–2014)

Northam in 2008

Northam first ran for public office in 2007 for the 6th Senate district. This area includes Virginia's Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. He won the election against the Republican who was already in office.

He was re-elected in 2011. One of his first big actions as a state lawmaker was to help pass a law banning smoking in restaurants in Virginia. The bill passed the next year and became law.

In 2009, some Republicans in the state Senate tried to get Northam to switch parties. If he had, Republicans would have gained control of the Senate. But Northam decided to stay with the Democratic Party. He said, "I'm a Democrat, and that's where I'm staying."

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2014–2018)

Northam ran for lieutenant governor with Terry McAuliffe.

Northam ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the 2013 election. He won the Democratic primary election.

On November 5, 2013, Northam was elected as Virginia's 40th Lieutenant Governor. He was the first Democrat since Tim Kaine in 2001 to be elected to this position.

Governor of Virginia (2018–2022)

Elections

2017 Gubernatorial Election

In 2015, Northam announced he would run for Governor of Virginia in 2017. He won the Democratic nomination in June 2017. In the general election, Northam faced Ed Gillespie, a Republican.

During the campaign, Northam held rallies with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden. Northam was elected the 73rd Governor of Virginia on November 7, 2017. He won by a larger margin than many expected.

Time in Office

Inauguration and Cabinet

Northam became Governor of Virginia on January 13, 2018, at the State Capitol. He was the second person from Virginia's Eastern Shore to be governor. He was also the second VMI graduate to hold the office. Many of Northam's top officials in his cabinet were women, which was a first for Virginia.

Northam created a new position called Chief Workforce Advisor. This person was in charge of helping to coordinate job training programs across the state.

Addressing Racial Fairness

Northam decided to focus the rest of his time as governor on making Virginia more racially fair. He worked with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus to create plans. These plans aimed to reduce differences in healthcare for mothers, increase affordable housing, support businesses owned by minorities, and remove Confederate monuments from public places. They also worked to remove old, unfair laws from the Jim Crow era and improve how African American history is taught in schools.

In March 2019, Northam signed a bill to create the Virginia African American Advisory Board. This board advises the governor on how to best help African Americans in the state. Virginia already had similar boards for Latino and Asian communities.

In May 2019, Northam announced a new cabinet position: Chief Diversity Officer. This person would work to promote fairness and inclusion across the state government. Virginia was one of the first states to create such a high-level position.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

On March 12, 2020, Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He closed all Virginia schools and set limits on how many people could gather in public. He later required people to wear face masks in public indoor spaces. In September 2020, Northam and his wife, Pamela, both tested positive for COVID-19.

Tenant Protections

During the pandemic, Northam asked the Virginia Supreme Court to stop evictions. The court agreed to do so for a time. Northam also worked to pass laws that would protect renters. These laws made it harder for landlords to evict tenants for not paying rent if they were affected by COVID-19. They also required landlords to offer payment plans.

Virginia's program to help with rent was one of the first in the country. It was very successful in distributing money to help people stay in their homes. Virginia became a "national model" for protecting tenants.

Workplace Safety Standards

In May 2020, Northam ordered the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to create new safety rules for workplaces during the pandemic. Virginia was the first state to make these rules mandatory for all workplaces.

Protections for Inmates

Northam also worked to reduce the number of people in jails and prisons to slow the spread of COVID-19. He signed a law allowing the Virginia Department of Corrections to release some non-dangerous inmates early.

Outbreak at Farmville Detention Center

In July 2020, there was a large outbreak of COVID-19 at the Farmville Detention Center, which held immigrants. Northam's administration offered help, but the facility declined. Northam then asked the federal government to step in. The outbreak became one of the largest in a detention center in the country.

In October 2020, Northam signed a bill giving Virginia the power to inspect and investigate deaths at detention facilities in the state.

School Masking

In March 2020, Northam closed schools for the rest of the school year. For the 2020-2021 school year, local districts decided whether to open schools. Schools that were open had to follow safety rules, including masks for children aged 10 and up.

In August 2021, Northam issued a new order requiring masks in all K-12 schools for children aged 4 and up. This decision became a major topic in the 2021 governor's race.

Political Views

The Washington Post described Northam as a moderate state senator who became more progressive on some issues.

Animal Welfare

Northam has supported many laws to protect animals. As a state senator, he helped ban the use of gas chambers for putting down pets. In 2018, he signed a law requiring that products developed in Virginia use non-animal testing methods when possible.

He also signed a law making it a serious crime to physically abuse cats and dogs in Virginia. Other laws he signed improved rules for sheltering and tying up animals, and banned tying up roosters used in cockfighting.

Civil Rights

Northam worked to remove old, unfair laws from Virginia's past. In 2019, he signed a bill removing a minimum wage rule that had unfairly applied to jobs often held by black workers. He also created a group to find and recommend repealing all discriminatory state laws from the Jim Crow era. Many of these laws, like bans on interracial marriage, were officially removed in 2020.

In March 2020, Northam signed a bill making Virginia the fourth U.S. state to ban racial hair discrimination. He also signed the Virginia Values Act, which protects people from discrimination based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, and veteran status.

Confederate Monuments

Northam believes that statues honoring the Confederacy should be moved to museums. In June 2020, he announced the removal of the Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, which was a major step.

Criminal Justice

Northam has worked to reform Virginia's criminal justice system.

Felony Larceny Threshold

He helped raise the amount of money or value of stolen goods that makes a theft a serious crime (felony). This amount was very low in Virginia compared to other states. In 2020, he signed a bill raising this amount to $1,000.

Driver's Licenses

Northam also ended the practice of suspending driver's licenses for people who could not pay court fines or fees. This policy had affected many people and made it harder for them to work and pay off their debts.

Parole Reinstatement

Virginia had largely ended parole in 1995. Northam signed laws in 2020 that brought back parole in some limited situations. This included parole for some prisoners who were sentenced by juries that did not know parole had been abolished. It also allowed parole for inmates who were convicted as juveniles after serving 20 years.

Sentencing and Prison Reform

Northam has worked to reduce mandatory minimum sentences, especially for juveniles. He signed a law requiring judges to approve if someone under 16 is tried as an adult. He also ended the practice of strip-searching minors during prison visits.

He signed bills that allow inmates to earn more time off their sentences for good behavior. He also made it optional for juries to decide sentences in non-capital cases, allowing judges to do so instead.

Death Penalty

Ralph Northam opposes the death penalty. On March 24, 2021, he signed a law that ended the death penalty in Virginia. This made Virginia the 23rd state and the first state in the South to do so.

Police Reform

In 2020, Northam signed the Virginia Community Policing Act, which banned bias-based profiling by police officers. It also required officers to collect information during traffic stops.

Later that year, Northam signed several bills to reform policing in Virginia. These laws banned chokeholds in most situations, required officers to step in if they saw other officers using too much force, and banned no-knock search warrants. They also limited military equipment for police and created a system to send mental health professionals with police to mental health crises.

Repeal of Old Laws

In March 2020, Northam signed laws to repeal three old Virginia laws that courts had already said were unconstitutional. These included a law against public swearing and a law about "habitual drunkards" that had been used to jail homeless people.

Economy

Northam supports increasing Virginia's minimum wage. He has called for it to be raised to $15 an hour. He also wants to remove the grocery tax for low-income people and end business taxes in struggling rural areas.

Education

Northam supports funding public schools and opposes using public money for private schools. In 2019, he created a group to develop new ways to teach African American history in Virginia schools.

G3 Initiative for State-Funded Education

Northam proposed a plan called "Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back," or "G3." This plan helps cover the cost of community college and job training for students in high-demand fields. It is for students from low- and middle-income families. Students who participate must also complete public service hours.

Environment and Energy

Northam believes in climate change and wants Virginia to fight it. He joined Virginia with other states in an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He has also set goals for Virginia to get more of its energy from renewable sources, aiming for 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050.

Family Leave and Child Care

Northam expanded paid family leave for state employees, allowing both mothers and fathers to take time off with full pay. He also formed a group to study offering child care to state employees.

Guns

Northam supports new gun control measures in Virginia. In 2019, he pushed for new gun laws.

In April 2020, Northam signed five gun control laws. These included universal background checks for gun sales, limiting handgun purchases to one per month, and a "red flag" law that allows temporary removal of guns from people who are a danger to themselves or others.

Healthcare

Northam supports the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and wants to improve it. He also supports creating a state-run public health insurance option. In 2019, he signed a bill raising the smoking age in Virginia from 18 to 21.

He has proposed funding to reduce differences in Virginia's maternal mortality rate (deaths during or after childbirth).

Medicaid Expansion

In June 2018, Northam signed a bill to expand Medicaid in Virginia. This was a major promise from his campaign. Virginia became the 33rd state to expand Medicaid, providing healthcare coverage to more people.

Immigration

Northam has changed his views on immigration over time. In his 2017 campaign, he said he would "stand up against ICE" to help immigrants feel safe in Virginia. He supports giving state driver's licenses and in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants.

He also vetoed laws that would have banned "sanctuary cities" in Virginia. In 2019, he confirmed Virginia's commitment to accepting refugees.

LGBTQ Rights

Northam has supported LGBT rights throughout his political career. His first official action as governor was to sign an order banning discrimination against LGBTQ employees in the state government.

In 2020, he signed the Virginia Values Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in jobs, housing, and public places. This was the first law of its kind in a southern state. He also signed bills allowing a non-binary gender option on driver's licenses and making it easier to change the sex listed on birth certificates.

In March 2020, Northam signed a bill making Virginia the 20th state to ban conversion therapy for minors. He also signed a bill classifying crimes against someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity as hate crimes.

Donald Trump

During his 2017 campaign, Northam sometimes criticized President Donald Trump. However, he also said he would work with Trump if it helped Virginia.

Voting Rights and Elections

Northam supports fair voting rules. He has said he would only approve new election maps if they were drawn by a nonpartisan group. In 2019, he restored the voting rights of more than 22,000 people who had completed their felony sentences. In March 2021, he approved the Voting Rights Act of Virginia.

Personal Life

Ralph Northam and his wife, Pam, have two adult children, Wes and Aubrey. Northam's brother, Thomas, is a lawyer. Their father, Wescott Northam, is a retired judge and Navy veteran.

Northam belongs to a mostly black Baptist church in Capeville, Virginia. He also helps oversee Fort Monroe, a historic site from the American Civil War where freed slaves found shelter. In his free time, Northam enjoys working on classic cars. He owns a 1953 Oldsmobile and a 1971 Chevrolet Corvette.

He also enjoys running and has competed in several races.

Images for kids

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  Ralph Northam's signature

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  Northam's 1981 VMI yearbook photograph included the nicknames "Goose" and "Coonman"

See also

In Spanish: Ralph Northam para niños