Virginia attorney general race questionnaire: Shannon Taylor

Shannon Taylor, Henrico County’s commonwealth’s attorney, is running for Virginia attorney general. (Photo courtesy campaign)

Three contenders are campaigning to become Virginia’s top prosecutor. The Mercury asked the attorney general hopefuls to answer a questionnaire covering their legal experience and their positions on policy that shapes citizens’ lives. Here are Democrat Shannon Taylor’s responses.

What do you see as some unresolved or ongoing consumer protection concerns you would address in your role as attorney general?

Taylor: In this time of rising prices and a shaky economy, Virginians are struggling to make ends meet, to purchase necessities and to handle the ever escalating costs of housing. 

I will work with the General Assembly to ensure we do everything we can to strengthen and stabilize the economy so every Virginian can succeed. Moreover, price gougers and internet scammers are attacking too many Virginians, making it even harder for them to succeed. One of my priorities is to crack down on internet crime and on price gouging, forming a unit within the attorney general’s office to address these pernicious crimes. 

Data centers continue proliferating in Virginia, and state regulators have confirmed their energy demands will increase in the coming years. As AG, how would you help the state navigate this dynamic? Are there regulatory issues related to data centers that concern you or that you would like to alter?

Taylor: Data center development represents possible economic development opportunities but requires large amounts of land, of energy, and of water which impacts the communities in which they are located. Moreover, the requests are increasing quickly without consideration of needed rules and guidelines.

As we consider when and how to approve data centers, we need to make sure we do so in conjunction with our clean energy laws and regulations, making every effort to ensure they are energy efficient and use clean energy to power them. Moreover, the data center should pay for the costs of the generation and transmission of the needed energy. Those costs should not be passed on to residents. 

What sets you most apart from your opponents?

Taylor: I am the only candidate to have prosecuted a case and flipped a Republican seat. 

I became the first Democrat elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County in decades, winning re-election three times with bipartisan support. I know how to beat powerful interests that get in the way of progress: I’ve taken on the gun lobby to reduce illegal guns on our streets, held fraudsters accountable for exploiting seniors and driving up costs, and was one of the first prosecutors in the nation to push back against criminalizing women and doctors for accessing abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned, sparking a national movement for other prosecutors to do the same. 

Virginia needs an Attorney General with prosecutorial experience, a proven record of winning tough fights, and the track record to stand up to Trump and Elon Musk to protect our rights. As Attorney General, I will be a steadfast last line of defense for protecting Virginia’s families, communities, and pocketbooks.

What role do you think Virginia should or shouldn’t play in immigration, particularly with the Trump administration’s term overlapping with what could be your term?

Taylor: My job will be to keep Virginians safe and that means all Virginians. If someone breaks the law they should be held accountable, in compliance with Virginia law, federal law and our Constitution. We must ensure that the Trump Administration is not illegally targeting Virginians and defying the rule of law in order to push his extreme political agenda.

Attorney General Jason Miyares and Gov. Glenn Youngkin have credited Operation Ceasefire with helping to reduce violent crime in Virginia. How would you build on those efforts and/or what would you change about it?

Taylor: I have spent my career taking illegal guns off the streets and advocating for survivors of gun violence. I am a proud recipient of the Everytown for Gun Safety Gun Sense Candidate of Distinction Award and have worked alongside Gun Violence Prevention advocates to try and remove ghost guns from our streets and institute common sense reforms. 

I’m the only candidate in this race with local experience as a Commonwealth’s Attorney and I will bring that experience and knowledge to the office of Attorney General, allowing me to better assist Commonwealth’s attorneys and localities that are struggling. I can be a mentor for those jurisdictions and a support.

Though attorneys general are not legislators, they can signal favor of work the General Assembly does. Are there specific types of legislation that your office would advocate in support of in the General Assembly?

Taylor: The Attorney General’s office works hand in hand with the General Assembly to push forward legislation to fight for Virginia families. I support all three constitutional amendments- protection of reproductive freedom, removing the egregious and illegal ban on same sex marriage from the Virginia Constitution and support for restoration of rights. 

I will advocate at the General Assembly for laws that protect rights and freedoms, for reasonable gun safety, for cracking down on internet crime, stalkers and human trafficking. 

Considering the investigations into admission practices at Thomas Jefferson High school in Northern Virginia, how would you approach balancing diversity initiatives with concerns about potential discrimination? 

Taylor: All Virginians deserve to be protected under the rule of law and the Constitution. We must ensure our Attorney General is fighting discrimination in every corner of our Commonwealth and will work to protect all Virginians’ freedoms, protections and rights. 

The Youngkin administration has supported policies requiring parental consent for changes to students’ names and pronouns. How do you reconcile these policies with transgender students’ rights to privacy and autonomy? Would you support expanding or limiting such policies?

Taylor: Glenn Youngkin is following Donald Trump’s playbook to target our children for his own extreme political agenda. 

We need leaders who will stand up to Donald Trump’s egregious political overreach and ensure that Virginians have a champion for them in the Attorney General’s office. 

What are your thoughts on a retail cannabis market in Virginia? What’s your response to the concerns of some residents and lawmakers that Virginia’s decriminalization of recreational cannabis use by adults without creating a state-authorized way to buy it perpetuates a legal limbo?

Taylor: We must ensure lawmakers are providing clear regulations and safety precautions for the cannabis industry. We must prioritize public safety and ensure that localities have the resources necessary to keep Virginians safe.