Campaign finance roundup: Alexandria's General Assembly delegation

Herring leads with $133K in pre-session donations, including $100,000 from Dominion.

Alexandria’s four state legislators reported raising $147,000 in pre-session contributions ahead of the 2026 General Assembly — with House Majority Leader Charniele Herring accounting for $133,000 of that total.

Virginia legislators filed two rounds of campaign finance disclosures ahead of the 2026 General Assembly session: year-end reports covering Nov. 28 through Dec. 31, 2025 (due Jan. 15), and pre-session reports disclosing any donation over $1,000 received between Jan. 1 and the start of the session on Jan. 14.

Here’s what Alexandria’s state delegation reported. For a look at what they’re working on this session, see our Week 1 legislative recap.

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At a Glance

Del. Charniele Herring (HD-4): $18,200 (year-end) · $133,000 (pre-session) · $340,625 cash on hand

Del. Alfonso Lopez (HD-3): $10,222 (year-end) · $0 (pre-session) · $10,855 cash on hand

Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (HD-5): $1,275 (year-end) · $10,000 (pre-session) · $73,530 cash on hand

Sen. Adam Ebbin (SD-39): $164,577 (year-end)* · $4,000 (pre-session) · $268,047 cash on hand

*Ebbin’s year-end report covers July 1 – Dec. 31 (Senate reporting schedule).

Combined delegation totals: $194,274 raised (year-end); $147,000 raised (pre-session); $693,057 cash on hand.

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Del. Charniele Herring (D) — House District 4

Position: House Majority Leader (since 2020). First elected in 2009.

Committees: Appropriations; Agriculture, Chesapeake & Natural Resources (Chesapeake Subcommittee chair); Health and Human Services; Rules (Standards of Conduct Subcommittee chair)

Year-End Report (Nov. 28 – Dec. 31, 2025)

• VA Digital Infrastructure PAC: $10,000 (Data centers)

• All Points Broadband: $3,000 (Telecom)

• GNA Corporation: $2,500

• Everytown for Gun Safety: $2,000 (Advocacy)

• Other contributions: $700

Period total: $18,200

Pre-Session Report (Jan. 1–14, 2026)

• Dominion Energy: $100,000 (Electric utility)

• Altria: $5,000 (Tobacco)

• Live Casino and Hotel VA: $5,000 (Gaming)

• VA Cable Telecom Assn: $5,000 (Telecom)

• Home Builders Assn of VA: $5,000 (Real estate)

• VA Trial Lawyers Assn: $3,000 (Legal)

• Vantage Data Centers: $2,500 (Data centers)

• VA Health Care Assn: $2,500 (Healthcare)

• Tenaska: $2,500 (Energy)

• Troutman Pepper Locke: $2,500 (Law/lobbying)

Pre-session total: $133,000

Cash on hand (Dec. 31): $340,625

The $100,000 check from Dominion Energy is consistent with Herring’s fundraising history — Herring has received $1,177,469 from Dominion over her career, including four six-figure donations since July 2025.

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Del. Alfonso Lopez (D) — House District 3

Position: Member since 2012.

Committees: Commerce and Energy; General Laws; Labor and Commerce

Year-End Report (Nov. 28 – Dec. 31, 2025)

• Troutman Pepper Locke: $3,002 (Law/lobbying)

• Ohio Farmers Insurance Co: $1,000 (Insurance)

• Tenaska: $1,000 (Energy)

• Vantage Data Centers: $1,000 (Data centers)

• Zurich American Insurance: $1,000 (Insurance)

• GEICO: $500 (Insurance)

• Erie Insurance: $500 (Insurance)

• American Property Casualty Insurance Assn: $500 (Insurance)

• CSX Transportation: $500 (Railroads)

• Maximus Inc PAC: $500 (Business services)

• Individual contributions: $720

Period total: $10,222

Pre-Session Report (Jan. 1–14, 2026)

No donations over $1,000 reported.

Cash on hand (Dec. 31): $10,855

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Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D) — House District 5

Position: Member since 2022. Won Democratic firehouse primary for SD-39 on Jan. 13; faces Republican Julie Lineberry in Feb. 10 special election.

Committees: General Laws; Health and Human Services; Housing

Year-End Report (Nov. 28 – Dec. 31, 2025)

• HCA For Good Government: $500 (Healthcare)

• Christopher Leibig: $500 (Attorney)

• Molson Coors: $250 (Alcohol)

• Individual contributions: $25

Period total: $1,275

Pre-Session Report (Jan. 1–14, 2026)

• Surovell for Senate (Scott Surovell): $5,000 (Candidate committee)

• AFSCME: $3,000 (Union)

• Jennifer Mullen: $1,000 (Individual)

• Jonathan Lau: $1,000 (Individual)

Pre-session total: $10,000

Cash on hand (Dec. 31): $73,530

Note: Under Virginia law, Bennett-Parker can transfer her Delegate campaign funds to her new Senate campaign. When a candidate seeks a different office, they file a final report for the old committee and may transfer surplus funds to the new race.

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Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) — Senate District 39

Position: Member since 2012. Also served in the House of Delegates 2004–2012. Announced resignation to join Gov. Spanberger’s Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.

Committees: Commerce and Labor; Finance and Appropriations; General Laws and Technology; Privileges and Elections; Rules

Year-End Report (July 1 – Dec. 31, 2025)

Top donors:

• Betting on VA Jobs PAC: $15,000 (Gaming)

• Caesars Entertainment: $7,500 (Gaming)

• Home Builders Assn of VA Build-PAC: $5,000 (Real estate)

• Rivers Portsmouth Gaming: $5,000 (Gaming)

• Boyd-Pamunkey Casino PAC: $5,000 (Gaming)

• Amazon: $3,500 (Tech)

• VA Bankers Assn PAC: $3,500 (Finance)

• VA Apartment Management Assn PAC: $3,000 (Real estate)

• AFSCME: $3,000 (Union)

• Realtors PAC of Virginia: $3,000 (Real estate)

• Jeff Newman: $3,000 (Individual)

• Verizon: $2,500 (Telecom)

• Verano Holdings: $2,500 (Cannabis)

• Vision Management Services: $2,500 (Property mgmt)

• Babur Mian: $2,500 (Individual)

• Benjamin Tipton: $2,500 (Individual)

• Engineering Companies of VA PAC: $2,500 (Construction)

• Hunton Andrews Kurth: $2,485 (Law)

• Williams Mullen Clark & Dobbins: $2,365 (Law/lobbying)

• Care Advantage Inc: $2,000 (Healthcare)

• John Koza: $2,000 (Individual)

• Leslie Wilkes: $2,000 (Individual)

Other notable donors: Mountain Valley Pipeline ($1,000), Vantage Data Centers ($1,000), PrizePicks ($1,500), East Coast Collective ($1,500), CC Procurement ($750)

Period total: $164,577

Pre-Session Report (Jan. 1–14, 2026)

• First American Title Insurance: $1,000 (Insurance)

• McGuireWoods: $1,000 (Law/lobbying)

• Jushi Inc: $1,000 (Cannabis)

• Arrow International: $1,000 (Medical devices)

Pre-session total: $4,000

Cash on hand (Dec. 31): $268,047

Note: When Ebbin resigns, he must file a final campaign finance report. Under Virginia law, his $268,047 in surplus funds can be returned to contributors, donated to charity, contributed to other candidates or political committees, or given to party committees. He cannot convert campaign funds to personal use.

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About This Report

This is the first installment of “Follow the Money,” a recurring feature from The Alexandria Brief tracking campaign contributions to Alexandria’s state legislators each reporting period.

What Can Campaign Funds Be Used For?

Virginia is one of just 12 states with no limits on individual campaign contributions, and one of only five states that also allows unlimited corporate and union donations directly to candidates.

Unlike 47 other states and the federal government, Virginia historically allowed legislators to spend campaign funds on personal expenses — mortgages, vacations, meals — with little restriction beyond disclosure.

That changed this year. The General Assembly unanimously passed SB 1002/HB 2165 in February 2025, banning the personal use of campaign funds. The new law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Until then, campaign funds can legally be used for virtually any purpose. Common expenditures include staff salaries, office rent, campaign software, travel to Richmond, political contributions to other candidates, and party dues. Legislators must disclose expenditures, but the reports lack an audit or enforcement mechanism.

The pre-session disclosure requirement, first implemented in 2021, applies to donations of $1,000 or more received between Jan. 1 and the start of the legislative session.

Sources: Ballotpedia; Clean Virginia

When Is the Next Filing Deadline?

Current Alexandria legislators:

• Herring: July 15, 2026 (covers Jan. 1 – June 30, 2026)

• Lopez: July 15, 2026 (covers Jan. 1 – June 30, 2026)

• Bennett-Parker: Feb. 2, 2026 (covers through Jan. 29, 2026)

• Ebbin: Final report upon resignation

Feb. 10 special election candidates (SD-39 and HD-5):

• Pre-election report: Covers inception – Jan. 29; due Feb. 2, 2026

• Large contributions (>$1K): Jan. 30 onward; due within 24 hours of receipt

• Post-election report: Covers Jan. 30 – March 12; due March 12, 2026

Sources: Virginia Public Access Project (vpap.org); Virginia Department of Elections campaign finance reports; Virginia Legislative Information System (lis.virginia.gov).