Barbara Comstock
| |
|---|---|
| Eric Cantor (Shattered) | |
| United States Senator from Virginia | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2018 Serving with Mark Warner | |
| Preceded by | Bobby Scott |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 10th district | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Wolf |
| Succeeded by | LuAnn Bennett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Barbara Jean Burns June 30, 1959 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
Barbara Jean Comstock (née Burns; born June 30, 1959) is an American politician who is currently serving as the junior U.S. Senator from Virginia. She is the first woman to hold one of Virginia's Senate seats.
From 2010 to 2014, she was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. She first won election to her seat in 2009, defeating Democratic incumbent Margaret Vanderhye. She has worked in numerous positions for various government agencies, including as chief counsel of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, director of public affairs at the Department of Justice, and as a staffer for Congressman Frank Wolf. She is a founding partner and co-principal of public relations and public policy firm Corallo Comstock. However, in 2016, she was defeated by Democrat LuAnn Bennett by a 2-point margin.
In February 2017, she announced her intentions to challenge appointed Democrat Senator Bobby Scott in the special election, and managed to narrowly secure the Republican nomination in June. The race became one of the most expensive Senate races in history.
Comstock defeated Scott by a wide 12-point margin.