Virginia Senate, District 5

District 5 of the Virginia Senate is a senatorial district that encompasses portions of the independent cities of Chesapeake and Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia. This district is represented by Democrat Kenny Alexander of Norfolk, who was elected in a special election on September 4, 2012 to replace the previous senator who died in office.

Historic boundaries

The 5th District was, from before 1940 until 1971, a Southside Virginia senate district, encompassing the counties of Isle of Wight, Nansemond, Southampton, and the City of Suffolk. On December 22, 1961, when the town of Franklin in Southampton County became an independent city, it was included in the 5th. During most of this period, most African Americans throughout Virginia were disfranchised by provisions of the state constitution and discriminatory administration of the law. The district elected only white conservative Democrats.

The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorized the federal government to oversee states and enforce the constitutional right to vote, and minorities regained their ability to exercise their franchise. In a late 20th-century realignment of political parties, white conservatives moved into the Republican Party. Democrats in Virginia now generally have liberal views, and the party has white and minority members, including most African Americans. The district elected Kenny Alexander in a special election to fill the position left empty after the incumbent died in office.

In 1971, a federal judge ordered the creation of a consolidated 3-member Senate District which included all of the City of Norfolk. This was to satisfy the federal constitutional requirement that all legislative districts be roughly equal in population.

Current boundaries

The 5th District comprises parts of the cities of Chesapeake, and Norfolk in the Hampton Roads area. The district includes Downtown Norfolk and most of Chesapeake inside the Hampton Roads Beltway.

Election history

Most recent elections

2012

Virginia special election, September 4, 2012: Senate District 5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Kenny Alexander	3,643	98.51	+2.92%
Majority			3,588	98.51
Turnout			3,698	3.79%
	Democratic hold

Previous elections

2011

Virginia state elections, 2011: Senate District 5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Yvonne Miller	11,090	95.59	-1.32%
Majority			10,579	91.19	-2.64%
Turnout			11,601
	Democratic hold

2007

Virginia state elections, 2007: Senate District 5

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Yvonne Miller	10,977	96.91
Majority			10,627	93.83
Turnout			11,327	14.00%
	Democratic hold

District officeholders

Since 1940

Years	Senator, District 5	Counties/Cities in District
1940 - 1941	Edward Everett Holland (D)	Isle of Wight County, Nansemond County, Southampton County, and the City of Suffolk
1941 - 1944	A. E. S. Stephens (D)
1944 - 1948
1948 - 1952
1952 - 1956	Mills Godwin (D)
1956 - 1960
1960 - 1961
1961 - 1964	William V. Rawlings (D)	Isle of Wight County, Nansemond County, Southampton County, the City of Franklin and the City of Suffolk
1964 - 1968
1968 - 1972
1972 - 1976	Stanley C. Walker (D) Peter K. Babalas (D) Thomas R. McNamara	City of Norfolk, City of Virginia Beach (part). (Consolidated with Districts 6 and 7 to form a multi-member district)
1976 - 1980	Stanley C. Walker (D) Peter K. Babalas (D) Joseph T. Fitzpatrick (D)
1980 - 1982
1982 - 1984	Stanley C. Walker (D) Peter K. Babalas (D) Evelyn Momsen Hailey (D)
1984 - 1988	Peter K. Babalas (D)	City of Norfolk (part).
1988 - 1992	Yvonne Miller (D)
1992 - 1996		City of Chesapeake (part), City of Norfolk (part).
1996 - 2000
2000 - 2004
2004 - 2008
2008 - 2012
2012 - 2016	Kenny Alexander (D)