Jason Miyares | |
|---|---|
| 48thAttorney General of Virginia | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2022 | |
| Governor | Glenn Youngkin |
| Preceded by | Mark Herring |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the82nd district | |
| In office January 13, 2016 – January 12, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Bill DeSteph |
| Succeeded by | Anne Ferrell Tata |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jason Stuart Miyares (1976-02-11)February 11, 1976 (age 49) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Page Atkinson |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | James Madison University (BBA) College of William and Mary (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Jason Stuart Miyares (born February 11, 1976) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 48thAttorney General of Virginia since 2022. ARepublican, he was elected to theVirginia House of Delegates in 2015, from the 82nd district in northeasternVirginia Beach, and served three terms from 2016 to 2022. He was electedAttorney General of Virginia in2021 defeating incumbentMark Herring. The son of a refugee, he is the firstHispanic elected statewide inVirginia.[1]
Miyares was born inGreensboro, North Carolina, and attended public schools in Virginia Beach.[2] His mother fled fromCuba in 1965.[3]
Miyares earned aBachelor of Business Administration fromJames Madison University, and aJuris Doctor from theCollege of William & Mary’sLaw School.[2] He was Chairman of the Hampton Roads Young Republicans and a founding member of the Hampton RoadsFederalist Society.[4] He later served as an assistantcommonwealth's attorney in Virginia Beach.[5][6]
Miyares worked onGeorge Allen's2000 Senate campaign.[7] He was later campaign manager and advisor to RepublicanScott Rigell in the2010 and2012 congressional elections.[6][8] He was later a partner with the consulting firm Madison Strategies.[6] He also worked at the Virginia Beach law firm Hanger Law until his election to the office of Attorney General.
In 2015, Miyares ran for theVirginia House of Delegates' seat being vacated byBill DeSteph, who ran successfully for theVirginia State Senate. Unopposed in the June 2015 Republican primary, he defeated Democrat Bill Fleming in the November 2015 general election.[9] He was the firstCuban American elected to the Virginia General Assembly.[3] He was reelected in 2017 and 2019.[10] He served on three committees: General Laws, Courts of Justice, and Transportation.[11] Miyares also served on the Virginia Board of Veterans Services and as Chairman of the Commission on Equal Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring and Diverse Communities.[11] Miyares was the 2018 and 2019 "Legislator of the Year" by the College of Affordability and Public Trust and 2018 "Legislator of the Year" by the Hampton Roads Military Officers Association.[11] In 2019, he received the "Action Award" by the Safe House Project.[11]
He endorsedMarco Rubio in the2016 Republican presidential primaries, and was Rubio's Virginia campaign co-chairman.[12] In 2016, amid theCuban thaw, Miyares criticized GovernorTerry McAuliffe's outreach to Cuba.[13] Miyares introduced anon-binding resolution (H.J. 1777) in 2016 condemning theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.[14]
In November 2018, anamendment proposal from Miyares was placed into theConstitution of Virginia that allows spouses of veterans with disabilities who have died to receive a full property tax exemption on the home they live in if they choose to relocate.[15] In August 2019, Miyares offered HB 4031, ared flag law bill.[16] Miyares believes his "bill has a balance of due process and constitutional rights while keeping guns out of the hands of those who can be dangerous due to mental health."[16] In October 2019, Miyares said he planned to reintroduce "legislation that would allow the state to work directly with theArmy Corps of Engineers on large flooding mitigation projects."[17]
Miyares authored two bills in 2019 that became law: one that allowedpublic colleges and universities to offerscholarships for students infoster care and another that required public colleges and universities to hold apublic comment period at Board of Visitors (BOV) meetings when tuition increases were proposed.[17] In March 2020, Miyares opposed legislation to increase theminimum wage in Virginia.[18] In August 2020, he offered HB 5037, a bill that would grant immunity, except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence, to public officials and businesses who followed public health measures to prevent thetransmission of COVID-19.[19] In September 2020, Miyares voted against legislation to authorize local governments to removeConfederate monuments on public property.[20]
Miyaresopposes abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother; he supports maintaining access to the commonly used abortion pillmifepristone and opposes prosecuting people for abortions.[21][22] Miyares supports thedeath penalty, and opposed the decision to abolishcapital punishment in Virginia in February 2021.[23][24]
In May 2021, Miyares was nominated as the Republican candidate forVirginia Attorney General. He ran againstMark Herring, the incumbent Democratic attorney general, who sought a third term in the November 2021 general election.[21][25] Miyares was selected at the Virginia Republican Party's "unassembled" convention, in which party delegates castranked-choice ballots at polling sites across the state.[25] Miyares defeated three other candidates: Leslie Haley, Chuck Smith, and Jack White.[25] In the final round, Miyares defeated Smith, a hard-right candidate, by a closer-than-expected margin of 52% to 48%.[26][27]
During his campaign against Herring, Miyares emphasized crime issues.[21] He opposed proposals for the elimination ofqualified immunity and declined to take a position on what he would do in thecontroversial police killing of Bijan Ghaisar.[21] In the November 2021 election, Miyares defeated Herring in a tight race, becoming the first Hispanic and Cuban American to be elected Attorney General of Virginia.[28][29]
In January 2022, Miyares withdrew the Virginia AG Office's brief to the Supreme Court, submitted under his predecessor, supportinga challenge to Mississippi's abortion ban of restricting abortion to 15 weeks.[30]
On May 10, 2023, Miyares defended his decision to not join with 22 other Republicanstate attorneys general when they filed a lawsuit seeking to ban the abortion medicationmifepristone, saying he supported theFood and Drug Administration's regulations. Miyares stated he believes in fostering compromise on abortion and supports a 15-week restriction on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Miyares does not believe in prosecuting people for abortions withYahoo! News writing that he has "sought to stake out a more moderate conservative position on the issue."[31]
In January 2025, Miyares announced a settlement with theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that protects a student'sname, image, and likeness (NIL) during the recruiting process.[32] It also permanently bars the NCAA from reinstating its NIL recruiting ban.[32] Miyares was joined by the Democratic Attorneys General of New YorkLetitia James and Washington, D.C.Brian Schwalb and Republican Attorneys General of FloridaAshley Moody and TennesseeJonathan Skrmetti in suing the NCAA over its treatment ofstudent athletes.[32] Miyares said, “Today’s agreement with the NCAA is a major step toward helping student-athletes to control their own future.”[32]
In January 2022, Miyares issued anadvisory opinion in which he concluded that Virginia's public colleges and universities lacked the power to require students to receive theCOVID-19 vaccine before enrolling or taking in-person classes. Such advisory opinions are not binding, although at least two institutions (George Mason University andVirginia Tech) dropped their vaccine requirement after Miyares issued the opinion.[33][34]
On February 10, 2022, Miyares' deputy attorney general for government operations and transactions resigned when it was reported that she had spread misinformation about the2020 election and praised the2021 United States Capitol attack; in her position, she would have overseen matters related to future elections in Virginia. Miyares himself has affirmed thatJoe Biden was legitimately elected president and has condemned the attack on theUnited States Capitol.[35][36]
On October 10, 2023, Miyares sent acease-and-desist letter to a right-wing advocacy group over their misinformation pertaining to the2023 Virginia elections.[37] Miyares stated, "Misinformation in our elections will not be tolerated in Virginia," and the group conformed to the letter.[37]
On December 29, 2023, Miyares won a case that involved "false and misleading" fliers from being distributed in Virginia elections.[38] Miyares said, "In Virginia, it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. I’m proud of my Election Integrity Unit for taking action against voter misinformation and intimidation."[38] The fliers falsely attested that "if voters did not cast their ballots they could lose their Social Security income, Medicare eligibility, unemployment benefits, child tax credits, child custody rights, and concealed carry permits."[38]
In June 2024, Miyares launched an elder abuse investigation center for theGreater Richmond Region, which aims to pool resources together to more effectively tackle cases ofelder abuse.[39]
On September 13, 2023, Miyares announced an $80 million settlement withMonsanto to ameliorate "the environmental contamination in the Commonwealth, which was caused by Monsanto's distribution ofpolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)."[40] According to the settlement, the "funds will be directed toward restitution and remediation efforts... environmental studies, stream restoration projects, improvements to drinking water and wastewater systems, fisheries management, and land remediation efforts."[40]
In 2022, Miyares started a targeted violence intervention initiative, Operation Ceasefire, to crack down ongun violence through "rigorous prosecution and community prevention" in 13 cities. The initiative was lauded after its first year with Democratic Speaker of the House of DelegatesDon Scott allocating $22 million to help fund it for the next two years after overall crime dropped in 12 of the 13 cities and violent crime dropped in 9 of the 13 cities. There were 225 fewer crimes in 2023 than 2022 in the targeted cities withNorfolk seeing a third as many homicides.[41][42]
On March 20, 2025, a jury inFranklin County "awarded $750,000 in damages to two families who were evicted from aSmith Mountain Lake campground after the owner learned one of the family members was Black."[43] The tenant filed a complaint with the Virginia Fair Housing Board after the landlord told her, "You didn’t tell me that your friend’s husband is Black… Had I known, I wouldn’t have rented the lot to them. I saw the son, but I figured everyone makes a mistake."[43] It was the largest fair housing jury award ever secured by the Virginia attorney general’s office with Miyares praising the jury's decision.[43]
On April 16, 2024, Miyares announced a $108 million settlement from seven drug manufacturers and retailers for illegally pushingopioids.[44] Miyares praised his Consumer Protection team for negotiating the settlement with Virginia receiving over $1.1 billion in total opioid payouts under his team.[44] According to Miyares, the funds will be used to more "effectively prevent, reduce, and treat addiction at a localized level."[44]
On September 7, 2023, Miyares reached a settlement with the Town ofWindsor, inIsle of Wight County, over its alleged "discriminatory, unconstitutional policing" conduct.[45] Per the settlement, Windsor will have to "submit to an independent third-party review system for use-of-force complaints and other complaints of serious misconduct alleged against any officer."[45] The town police department will also have to "obtain accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, raising the bar on its internal investigation processes and officer training."[45] Jonathan Arthur, the attorney for Caron Nazario, a BlackUnited States Army lieutenant, whose interaction with the Windsor police department prompted the investigation into its alleged discriminatory behavior, praised the settlement in an interview withWVEC.[45] Miyares said that "excessive use of force and violations of constitutional liberties will not be tolerated in Virginia."[45]
On April 4, 2024, Miyares started ajob fair program aimed at connecting "previously incarcerated individuals" to employers who had available job openings and were ready to hire former inmates.[46] Miyares said that his conversations with incarcerated individuals at stateprisons spurred his push for expanding job fairs, "The number one thing I kept hearing from these gentlemen was, ‘I made some bad choices in my life, but I’m ready to turn my life around.’ The number one anxiety was, ‘Can I find work?"[46]
In 2022, Miyares was directed by theVirginia General Assembly to studyretail theft.[47] A report commissioned by Miyares found that $1.3 billion of retail goods were being stolen annually in Virginia, resulting in $80 million less in statesales tax revenue per annum.[47] The report led to Virginia passing a law in 2023 to raise the penalties for organized retail theft, defined as "steal[ing] retail merchandise with a value exceeding $5,000 in a 90-day period, with the intent to sell the stolen goods for profit", from a misdemeanor to a felony.[47]
Upon taking office in January 2022, Miyares fired 17 attorneys, and 13 other employees, in the Virginia AG's Office and the counsels forGeorge Mason University (GMU) and theUniversity of Virginia.[48][49][50][51] After the firings, Miyares hired former Commonwealth's Attorney forArlington County andFalls Church City Theo Stamos, a moderate Democrat, to lead the conviction integrity unit.[52][53]
In June 2024, Miyares announced a $1.3 million settlement, including a $600,000 fine, from theWashington Commanders over their prior "unlawful retain[ment] of security deposits" for season ticket holders.[54] Miyares called their business practice "simply greed" with Miyares securing a larger fine than Maryland received in 2022 of $250,000 or Washington, D.C. in 2023 of $425,000.[55]
In January 2024,Loudoun County Supervisor Matt Letourneau and Miyares wrote to theState Corporation Commission on their opposition to increasedtolls onState Route 267 (the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Greenway in Loudoun andFairfax counties).[56] The proposal would increase tolls from $5.25 to $6.40 (22%) for one way trips during regular hours and $5.80 to $8.10 (40%) for one way trips during peak hours with Miyares calling the proposed hikes an "unreasonable financial burden" for commuters.[56]
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia House of Delegates, 82nd district | |||||
| November 3, 2015[57] | General | Jason S. Miyares | Republican | 10,046 | 65.19 |
| William W. Fleming | Democratic | 5,335 | 34.62 | ||
| Write-ins | 29 | 0.19 | |||
| Bill DeSteph ran for Senate; seat stayed Republican | |||||
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Attorney General | |||||
| November 2, 2021[58] | General | Jason S. Miyares | Republican | 1,647,100 | 50.36 |
| Mark R. Herring | Democratic | 1,620,564 | 49.55 | ||
| Write-ins | 2,995 | 0.09 | |||
Miyares and his wife, Page (née Atkinson) Miyares, have three daughters and live inVirginia Beach, Virginia.[59] His father-in-law, John Atkinson, was formerly treasurer of Virginia Beach.[6] Miyares is a member of the Galilee Episcopal Church and a past President of the Cape Henry Rotary, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow.[4]
| Virginia House of Delegates | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the82nd district 2016–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Virginia 2021 | Most recent |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Virginia 2022–present | Incumbent |
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