Jason Miyares | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Miyares in 2025 | |
| 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) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Page Atkinson |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | James Madison University (BBA) College of William and Mary (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Jason Miyares[1] (born February 11, 1976) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 48thattorney general of Virginia since 2022. A member of theRepublican Party, he previously served as a member of theVirginia House of Delegates for the82nd district from 2016 to 2022. Miyares was elected in2021, defeatingDemocratic incumbentMark Herring. The son of a Cuban immigrant, he is the firstHispanic American elected statewide inVirginia as well as the first to serve as attorney general in the Commonwealth.
Miyares was born on February 11, 1976, inGreensboro, North Carolina. He attended public schools in Virginia Beach.[2] His mother, Miryam Miyares, fled fromCuba in 1965.[3][4] His brothers are Bryan Redding, a commercial cinematographer and the late Steven Marcus Miyares, a Virginia criminal defense attorney.[5]
Miyares graduated fromJames Madison University in 1998 with aBachelor of Business Administration degree and fromWilliam & Mary Law School in 2005 with aJuris Doctor degree.[2] He was Chairman of the Hampton Roads Young Republicans and a founding member of the Hampton RoadsFederalist Society.[6] He later served as an assistantcommonwealth's attorney in Virginia Beach.[7][8]
Miyares worked onGeorge Allen's2000 Senate campaign.[9] He was campaign manager and advisor to RepublicanScott Rigell in the2010 and2012 congressional elections.[8][10] Miyares worked as a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.[11] He was later a partner with the consulting firm Madison Strategies.[8] He also worked at the Virginia Beach law firm Hanger Law until his election to the office of Attorney General.[12]
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.[13] He was the firstCuban American elected to the Virginia General Assembly.[3] He was reelected in 2017 and 2019.[14] He served on three committees: General Laws, Courts of Justice, and Transportation.[15] 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.[15] 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.[15] In 2019, he received the "Action Award" by the Safe House Project.[15]
He endorsedMarco Rubio in the2016 Republican presidential primaries, and was Rubio's Virginia campaign co-chairman.[16] In 2016, amid theCuban thaw, Miyares criticized GovernorTerry McAuliffe's outreach to Cuba.[17] Miyares introduced anon-binding resolution (H.J. 1777) in 2016 condemning theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.[18][better source needed]
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.[19] In August 2019, Miyares offered HB 4031, ared flag law bill.[20] 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."[20] 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."[21]
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.[21] In March 2020, Miyares opposed legislation to increase theminimum wage in Virginia.[22] 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.[23] In September 2020, Miyares voted against legislation to authorize local governments to removeConfederate monuments on public property.[24]
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.[25][26] Miyares supports thedeath penalty, and opposed the decision to abolishcapital punishment in Virginia in February 2021.[27][28]
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.[25][29] Miyares was selected at the Virginia Republican Party's "unassembled" convention, in which party delegates castranked-choice ballots at polling sites across the state.[29] Miyares defeated three other candidates: Leslie Haley, Chuck Smith, and Jack White.[29] In the final round, Miyares defeated Smith, a hard-right candidate, by a closer-than-expected margin of 52% to 48%.[30][31]
During his campaign against Herring, Miyares emphasized crime issues.[25] He opposed proposals for the elimination ofqualified immunity and declined to take a position on what he would do in thepolice killing of Bijan Ghaisar.[25] 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.[32][33]
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.[34]
In May 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.[35]
Miyares supports a 15-week ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. He has stated that he opposes prosecuting people for seeking abortions.[35]
In January 2025, Miyares announced a settlement with several states and theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that protects a student'sname, image, and likeness (NIL) during the recruiting process and permanently bars the NCAA from reinstating its NIL recruiting ban.[36]
In January 2022, Miyares issued anadvisory opinion stating that public colleges and universities in Virginia lack the authority to require students to receive theCOVID-19 vaccine before enrolling 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.[37][38]
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.[39][40]
On October 10, 2023, Miyares sent acease-and-desist letter to a right-wing advocacy group over their misinformation pertaining to the2023 Virginia elections.[41] On December 29, 2023, Miyares won a case against an organization involved in distributing "false and misleading" fliers stating 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" in Virginia.[42]
In June 2024, Miyares issued anopinion that allowed Virginia to withdraw fromCalifornia's zero-emissions regulations at the beginning of 2025.[43] When the opinion was issued, Virginia followed California law on vehicle emission standards instead of the federal standards after the Virginia legislature enacted it in 2021.[43] The California standards force automotive manufacturers to sell at least 35% of their new vehicles asall-electric in 2026 before entirely eliminating the sale of newinternal combustion engine (including hybrid) vehicles by 2035.[43] Federal standards state that 70% of new vehicles sold will be either all-electric or hybrid internal combustion engine powered by 2035; in 2024, an estimated 6.5% of new vehicles sold in the United States were zero-emissions.[43]
In June 2024, Miyares launched anelder abuse investigation center for theGreater Richmond Region after an increase in cases were seen. The center is administered by the Virginia Attorney General's Office and seeks to "streamline collaboration between law enforcement, connect investigators with medical or financial experts who can better solve complex cases, and provide localities with other resources."[44][45][46]
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)."[47] 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."[47]
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. One year after the initiative was started, overall crime dropped in 12 of the 13 cities and violent crime dropped in 9 of the 13 cities, with cities reporting 225 fewer crimes than the previous year.[48][49]
On March 20, 2025, Miyares secured the largest fair housing jury award in Virginia's history after 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."[50][51] On October 2, 2025, Miyares filed ananti-trust lawsuit againstZillow for their $100 million acquisition ofRedfin'smultifamily rental listing service.[52] Miyares argued that Zillow's acquisition harms Virginia renters searching for available apartments since it decreases the quality of search results.[52]
In January 2025, Miyares ordered VCU and UVA Health to stop providinggender affirming care to patients under the age of 19, citingExecutive Order 14187.[53][54] In June 2025, Miyares entered into a consent decree to not enforce a ban on talkconversion therapy enacted in 2020.[55][56]
On April 16, 2024, Miyares announced a $108 million settlement from seven drug manufacturers and retailers for illegally pushingopioids.[57] Miyares praised his Consumer Protection team for negotiating the settlement with Virginia receiving over $1.1 billion in total opioid payouts under his team.[57]
On September 7, 2023, Miyares reached a settlement with the Town ofWindsor, inIsle of Wight County, over its alleged "discriminatory, unconstitutional policing" conduct.[58] 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."[58] 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."[58]
After the Virginia legislature passed a bill in 2021 that prevented rape victims from knowing theHIV status of their alleged rapists, Miyares successfully lead a bipartisan effort to repeal the law in 2023.[59][60]
In 2022, Miyares was directed by theVirginia General Assembly to studyretail theft.[61] 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.[61] 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.[61]
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.[62][63][64][65] After the firings, Miyares hired former Commonwealth's Attorney forArlington County Theo Stamos to lead the conviction integrity unit.[66][67]
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.[68][69]
In January 2024, Miyares issued a statement opposing proposed increasedtolls on the privately ownedDulles Greenway.[70] The proposal would increase tolls from $5.25 to $6.40 for one way trips during regular hours and $5.80 to $8.10 for one way trips during peak hours with Miyares calling the proposed hikes an "unreasonable financial burden" for commuters.[70]
In March 2025, Miyares led an effort to sue theDepartment of Veterans Affairs (VA) over its handling of education benefits for two veterans.[71][72] The suit had all 50 state attorneys general sign on to it.[71][72]
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia House of Delegates, 82nd district | |||||
| November 3, 2015[73] | 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[74] | 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.[75] His father-in-law, John Atkinson, was formerly treasurer of Virginia Beach.[8] 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.[6]
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Virginia 2021,2025 | Most recent |
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| Preceded by | Attorney General of Virginia 2022–present | Incumbent |
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