The Virginia Star’s Person of the Year 2020: The Nominees

Gun rallies, a general election, COVID-19, and social unrest – it’s been a busy year for Virginians. The Virginia Star is compiling a list of Virginia’s top newsmakers; the staff has picked twelve people, and we’re also looking for reader suggestions: who should come in first and why? Who else should be on the list?

In alphabetical order, here is the list:

Virginia Beach Lawyer Tim Anderson

Anderson’s Facebook videos analyzing the summer 2020 Portsmouth confederate monument controversy drew attention from Virginia conservatives and a defamation lawsuit from State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth.) Since then, Anderson has been a reliable source of easy-to-understand conservative political analysis on Facebook. He is now seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 83rd House of Delegates seat.

State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield)

Despite being estranged from the official GOP apparatus in 2019, in 2020 Chase established herself as the leading voice of Virginia Republicans. In early 2020, Chase announced her campaign for governor in 2021, and began touring the state, where she was a constant presence at rallies and protests across the state. Calling herself “Trump in heels,” she endeared herself to conservative Virginians with a hard-line, pro-gun and pro-monument stance. When Trump was ostensibly defeated in the November election, Chase was the loudest voice warning of fraud and calling for a new election, as other Virginia Republicans stayed quiet. She continues to be the thorn in the Virginia GOP’s side – with over 104,000 followers on Facebook, she has a ready audience for her weekly “State of the Commonwealth” videos. It was rumored that the Virginia GOP chose a convention for the 2021 nomination due to fears that Chase would win in a primary. Other Republican candidates for governor may be more electable, but Chase is easily dominating the Virginia GOP narrative.

Speaker of the House of Delegates Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax)

In 2020, Filler-Corn became Virginia’s first female Speaker of the House, and first Jewish Speaker of the House, according to NPR. She oversaw an unconventional special legislative session held virtually. She also removed the Virginia Capitol’s Confederate monuments in the middle of the night, before the Republican caucus got wind of the plan. Under her leadership, the General Assembly fulfilled key Democratic wishes including legalizing local gun control, decriminalizing marijuana, enacting some criminal justice reforms, and passing the pro-LGBTQ Virginia Values Act.

Congressman-elect Bob Good (R-VA-05)

In the 2020 Republican convention nomination, Good defeated incumbent Denver Riggleman, a moderate who had alienated his conservative rural base. But the district also features liberal city Charlottesville, and in the general election, Good was expected to lose to Democrat Dr. Cameron Webb. Instead, Good showed that there’s still room for conservative candidates in both the Republican party and Virginia’s fifth congressional district.

Angela Greene

Former Police Chief of Portsmouth Angela Greene found herself in a tough position in summer 2020. Rioters and protesters had torn down part of Portsmouth’s confederate monument in June, allegedly with the support of powerful State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth). Greene’s department brought felony charges against Lucas and others involved in the monument, and the two Black women faced off publicly. Although Greene was eventually fired, she became a symbol of independent law enforcement trying to enforce the law despite politics and race.

State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth)

During the course of the court case against her, Lucas continued participating in the Senate’s Special Session and won her court case. Portsmouth also finished removing its confederate monument thanks in part to her influence. To her supporters, Lucas became a symbol of John Lewis’ “good trouble,” gaining the praise of other powerful Virginia Democrats.

Governor Ralph Northam (D)

Northam’s 2020 declarations of emergency over a gun rally, a pandemic, and riots enabled him to exercise major power in 2020 through executive orders and regular announcements of CARES Act allocations. He has shut down businesses, mandated business closing times, and instituted a mask mandate. In addition, the two sessions of the General Assembly enabled Northam to sign key bills supporting progressive policy.

Dr. Norman Oliver

Oliver is Northam’s State Health Commissioner, and helped Northam navigate the uncertain waters of COVID-19 as scientists and experts vacillated on the best policy. With Oliver’s guidance, Northam mandated masks, and ordered school and business shutdowns. In August, Oliver said that he planned to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine, an idea that Governor Northam denied after backlash, according to ABC8. Oliver has continued to pilot Virginia’s health response, and is now overseeing the deployment of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines.

Pete Snyder

With businesses hurting from COVID-19 shutdowns, Snyder set up the non-profit Virginia 30-Day Fund that offered forgivable $3,000 loans to over 750 Virginia small businesses, filling a need for high-speed cash to help businesses survive until government aid arrived. Snyder is also teasing a run for the Republican nomination for governor.

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07)

With her re-election in 2020, Spanberger proved that her 2018 conquest of traditionally red Congressional District Seven was no fluke. Even as Trump boosted turnout for Republicans, Spanberger defeated formidable Republican candidate Nick Freitas. After the election, Spanberger gained national attention by censuring hard-left Democrats. She’s quickly establishing herself as a powerful leader of Democratic thought and strategy in Virginia.

State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax)

In 2020 when the Democrats took control of the General Assembly, Surovell emerged as the most significant power broker in the state Senate. With Democrats barely holding a majority in the Senate, party unity was critical, and Surovell acted as a bridge between the progressive and moderate wings of the party. Surovell is trusted by Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax). As a result, Surovell’s approval is critical for any bill Democrats bring to the floor.

VCDL President Philip Van Cleave

Van Cleave is the president of the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League, whose January 2020 Virginia Lobby Day saw huge turnout by gun-rights supporters. Despite fears of violence that triggered an emergency declaration by Northam, 22,000 people peacefully rallied in Richmond without any major problems, according to CNN. Van Cleave spent the rest of the year touring Virginia, attending city and county hearings across the state lobbying for his Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution and against gun control. Although Virginia’s state government cracked down on gun supporters in 2020, Van Cleave demonstrated that huge support for gun rights exists across Virginia among local leaders and citizens.

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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network.  Email tips to [email protected].