To help advocates plan ahead for the upcoming Virginia legislative session, we analyzed bill-passage data from the last three sessions (2020-2021, 2022-2023, and 2024-2025).

This post is Part 1 of a 2-part insight, focused on the Virginia House of Delegates, which held elections in November and will shape the legislative landscape heading into the 2026-2027 session. By identifying which Delegates are returning—and which consistently succeed in moving legislation—we can see where influence and momentum are likely to reside.

Next week, we’ll turn to the Virginia Senate, where all 40 seats will be up for election in 2027 and current members are serving four-year terms.

Historical Summary 

• 2020-2021 Session (Democrat Trifecta): Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly were Democratic-controlled and the Governor was a Democrat (Governor McAuliffe). 

• 2022-2023 Session (Divided): The House of Delegates was Republican-controlled and the Senate was Democratic-controlled. The Governor was a Republican (Governor Youngkin). 

• 2024-2025 Session (Divided): Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly were Democratic-controlled. The Governor was a Republican (Governor Youngkin). 

• 2026-2027 Session (Democrat Trifecta): Following the November 2025 elections, the Virginia General Assembly will again be Democratic-controlled, with a newly elected Democratic Governor (Spanberger). For more details on the newly elected Delegates, see this post.

Key Dates and Reminders 

• November 17, 2025 - Prefiling for the 2026-27 session began. 

• December 17, 2025 - Governor Youngkin’s budget bills, HB29, HB30, SB29, SB30 were filed. 

• January 14, 2026 - First day of the 2026 Regular Session. Session will run for 60 days.

Notes on Data and Methodology

Our analysis below considered the following data:

• Bills Sponsored includes only bills where member was Chief Patron  

• Bills Passed includes only Acts of Assembly (not vetoed bills) 

• Session Years includes bills sponsored during regular and special sessions in those years 

• All bills, including Resolutions

Key Takeaways 

• Del. Bulova (D – District 11) is in top 10 of Delegates with most bills passed, in all past 3 recent sessions. 

• Del. Hope (D – District 1) is in the top 10 of Delegates with most bills passed, for 2 recent sessions (2020-21, 2024-25). 

• Del. Sickles (D – District 17) is in the top 10 of Delegates with most bills passed, for 2 recent sessions (2020-21, 2024-25). 

• Del. Carr (D – District 78) is in the top 10 of Delegates with most bills passed, for 2 recent sessions (2020-21, 2024-25). 

• In the 2026-2027 legislative session, expect these top Democratic Delegates to continue to effectively push through legislation, especially with the Democratic trifecta in Virginia.

House of Delegates 2020-2021

Key Background:

• 2020-2021 Session (Democrat Trifecta): Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly were Democratic-controlled and the Governor was a Democrat (Governor McAuliffe).

Top Delegates:

• The Top 10 includes Members who had 16+ bills enacted (due to 2 members each with 16 bills enacted, there are 11 Members on this list). 

• Delegate Hope (D) had the most bills passed (28) during the 2020-2021 session. He is returning in 2026-2027. 

• Delegate Carroll Foy (D) had the greatest percentage of bills passed (45%) during the 2020-2021 session. She currently serves in the Virginia Senate, representing District 33 (Parts of Fairfax County and Prince William County). 

• Delegate Bulova (D) is the only Delegate to rank in The Top 10 in all 3 recent legislative sessions for most bills passed (2020-21, 2022-23, 2024-25). 

• 3 Delegates – Hope (D), Sickles (D), and Carr (D) also rank in the Top 10 in at least one other recent session (2022-2023 or 2024-2025).  

• These 11 Delegates were the Chief Patrons for 27% of the total bills that passed. In other words, 11% of the Delegates were responsible for over 1/4 of the total passed bills in 2020-21.

House of Delegates 2022-2023

Key Background

• The Virginia General Assembly during 2022-2023 saw Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats controlling the Senate, leading to divided government under Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Top Delegates

• The Top 10 Members had 18+ bills enacted. 

• Delegate Coyner (R) had the most bills passed (27) during the 2022-2023 session. He was defeated in the recent November elections and will be succeeded by Delegate Lindsey Dougherty (D). 

• Delegate Chris Head (R) had the greatest percentage of bills passed (59%) during the 2022-2023 session. He currently serves in the Virginia Senate, representing District 3 (All of Alleghany County, Botetourt County, Craig County, Rockbridge County, Buena Vista City, Covington City, Lexington City, Staunton City and Waynesboro City and parts of Augusta County and Roanoke County.) 

• Delegate Bulova (D) is the only Delegate to rank in The Top 10 in all 3 recent legislative sessions for most bills passed (2020-21, 2022-23, 2024-25). 

• These 10 Delegates were the Chief Patrons for 24% of the total bills that passed. In other words, 10% of the Delegates were responsible for nearly 1/4 of the total passed bills in 2022-23.

House of Delegates 2024-2025

Key Background

• For the 2024-2025 Virginia legislative session, Governor Glenn Youngkin (Republican) faced a Democratic-controlled General Assembly (House & Senate), with Democrats holding majorities in both chambers.

Top Delegates

• The Top 10 Members had 17+ bills enacted (due to 3 members each with 17 bills enacted, there are 12 Members on this list). 

• All the Delegates on this list were reelected in November and will return for 2026-2027. 

• Delegate Hope (D) had the most bills passed (30) during the 2024-2025 session.  

• Delegate Delaney (D) had the greatest percentage of bills passed (54%) during the 2024-2025 session. 

• Delegate Bulova (D) is the only Delegate to rank in The Top 10 in all 3 recent legislative sessions for most bills passed (2020-21, 2022-23, 2024-25). 

• 3 Delegates – Hope (D), Sickles (D), and Carr (D) also rank in the Top 10 in at least one other recent session (2020-2021 or 2022-2023).  

• These 12 Delegates were the Chief Patrons for 26% of the total bills that passed. In other words, 12% of the Delegates were responsible for over 1/4 of the total passed bills in 2024-25.

Next Steps and 2026 Look Ahead

Taken together, this analysis highlights who consistently gets their bills enacted in the Virginia House of Delegates in recent sessions. As government affairs teams and policy advocates look ahead to the 2026-27 session, focusing engagement on proven bill-passers – like Delegates Bulova (D), Carr (D), Hope (D), and Sickles (D) – can increase the odds of success for priority legislation.

With a Democratic trifecta in place, we anticipate top Democrats on these lists (particularly the top 10 who were all reelected for 2026-2027) to continue to move their agenda across the finish line. Tracking these lawmakers early offers a potential advantage for anticipating momentum and shaping strategy before key bills gain traction.

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