Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the House membership by the Delegates. The Speaker is almost always a member of the majority party and, as Speaker, becomes the most powerful member of the House. The House shares legislative power with the Senate of Virginia, the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The House of Delegates is the modern-day successor to the Virginia House of Burgesses. The House is divided into Democratic and Republican caucuses. In addition to the Speaker, there is a majority leader, majority caucus chair, minority leader, minority caucus chair, and the chairs of the several committees of the House. The Virginia House of Delegates is considered the oldest continuous English-speaking legislative body in the New World, having been formed as the House of Burgesses at Jamestown in 1619. The House has met in Virginia's Capitol Building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, since 1788.

Related Topics:
Lower house - Virginia General Assembly - Speaker of the House - Senate of Virginia - Upper house - Virginia - House of Burgesses - Democratic - Republican - Caucuses - Majority leader - Majority caucus chair - Minority leader - Minority caucus chair - Jamestown - 1619 - Virginia's Capitol Building - Thomas Jefferson - 1788

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