Mark R. Herring

Mark R. Herring
Name	Mark R. Herring
Birth date	1961
Birth place	Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Virginia School of Law, College of William & Mary
Occupation	Attorney, Politician
Title	42nd Attorney General of Virginia
Party	Democratic Party

Mark R. Herring

Mark R. Herring is an American attorney and politician who served as the 42nd Attorney General of Virginia. He gained prominence through litigation on voting rights, consumer protection, and healthcare issues, engaging with national figures and institutions such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, United States Department of Justice, and state counterparts including the Virginia General Assembly and the Supreme Court of Virginia. Herring’s tenure intersected with high-profile legal disputes involving entities like Anthem Inc., United Airlines, Microsoft, and policy debates tied to the Affordable Care Act and civil rights litigation.

Early life and education

Herring was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in a region shaped by the legacies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison through institutions such as the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary. He completed undergraduate work at the College of William & Mary and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where contemporaries and faculty included figures associated with the American Bar Association, scholars influenced by the jurisprudence of the United States Supreme Court and judges on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. During his legal education he engaged with clinics and externships related to litigation practice that connected to state litigators and public interest organizations like the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Legal and early political career

Herring began his legal career in private practice and as a prosecutor, working on matters that brought him into contact with prosecutors from localities such as Alexandria, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia and with federal attorneys from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He later worked as general counsel to the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus and served as a senior adviser to Democratic leaders in the Virginia General Assembly, collaborating with legislators aligned with leaders like Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. His practice included commercial litigation against corporations similar to ExxonMobil and regulatory matters involving agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission. Herring also ran for elected office, campaigning with endorsements from figures in the Democratic Party and participating in statewide races that required coordination with the Virginia Democratic Party apparatus and political committees.

Attorney General of Virginia

In 2014 Herring was elected Attorney General of Virginia, succeeding Ken Cuccinelli and taking office as part of a statewide Democratic sweep that included races involving Terry McAuliffe and legislative contests for the Virginia House of Delegates. As Attorney General he led the Office of the Attorney General in statewide litigation and consumer protection actions, coordinating with state attorneys general from jurisdictions such as New York Attorney General offices and aligning on multi-state litigation with counterparts from states including California, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Herring’s office pursued cases in state and federal courts, including filings in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and petitions that reached the United States Supreme Court on issues like voting access and administrative law.

Political positions and notable cases

Herring positioned himself on issues relevant to healthcare, civil rights, elections, and corporate accountability. He joined multi-state efforts to defend provisions of the Affordable Care Act and coordinated actions against policies from the Trump administration that implicated federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice. His office sued telecommunications and technology firms over consumer protection issues, bringing legal strategies similar to suits filed by the New York Attorney General and coordinated with the Federal Communications Commission on enforcement. Herring filed suits opposing voter-ID restrictions and participated in litigation related to redistricting that invoked precedents from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and rulings by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. In consumer matters his office challenged practices by insurers and health-care entities similar to Anthem Inc. and collaborated with state regulators like the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Controversies and ethics investigations

Herring faced controversies that drew scrutiny from political opponents and ethics bodies. During his tenure he was criticized for actions and statements that opponents likened to tactics used by figures such as Ken Cuccinelli and Ralph Northam; some disputes involved disputes with members of the Virginia General Assembly and local officials in Fairfax County, Virginia and Arlington County, Virginia. Ethics complaints were filed and reviewed by oversight mechanisms comparable to the Virginia State Bar disciplinary procedures and state ethics commissions, leading to inquiries into campaign practices and disclosure obligations, and generating legal and political debates referenced in media outlets alongside reporting on other state attorneys general like Maura Healey and Eric Holder. These episodes intersected with national conversations about prosecutorial ethics, executive accountability, and partisan litigation.

Later career and personal life

After serving as Attorney General, Herring continued public-facing legal work and remained active in politics, sometimes collaborating with advocacy groups and legal coalitions similar to Brennan Center for Justice and state legal networks convened by organizations such as the National Association of Attorneys General. He has been involved in civic activities in the Richmond metropolitan area and maintained professional ties to bar organizations including the Virginia Bar Association and national legal associations. Herring’s personal life has included family ties within Virginia communities and engagement with local institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University affiliates and regional civic groups.

Category:Attorneys General of Virginia Category:Virginia Democrats Category:Living people