Mary Sue Terry
Encyclopedia
Mary Sue Terry is a Democratic
politician
from Virginia
, born September 28, 1947, in Martinsville, Virginia
.
She was graduated from Hardin-Reynolds Memorial School in Critz, Virginia in 1965. She earned a BA
in political science
from the University of Richmond's Westhampton College in 1969, master's
in government (1970) and law
(1973) degrees
from the University of Virginia
and its law school
.
(1978–1986) and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney
in Patrick County, Virginia
1973–1977. She successfully argued eight cases before the Supreme Court of the United States
. She successfully negotiated a nationwide recall of 13,000 defective Ford ambulance
s and led a successful investigation and prosecution of individuals and corporations associated with Lyndon LaRouche
. From 1990-1991 Terry was President of the National Association of Attorneys General and in 1992 she received the Wyman Award, which is the Association’s highest honor.
in 1985 and reelected in 1989, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Virginia, the second woman to serve as Attorney General of any U.S. state
, and the first non-federal elected official in Virginia to garner more than one million votes in a single election. In 1989, she considered running for Governor, but deferred to her fellow Democrat, then-Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
L. Douglas Wilder, who became the first African-American Governor
of any U.S. state
. When she ran in 1993, then-Lieutenant Governor Don Beyer
deferred to her. Beyer, a Democrat, would go on to run for Governor in 1997, losing to the Republican
candidate, then-Attorney General James S. Gilmore III.
from 1986 until 1993, when she resigned to run for Governor of Virginia
against Republican
George Allen. Allen won the November 1993 election despite Terry's early and significant lead. Her unpopular gun-control
stance alienated her rural
base
voters. Her campaign was "lacklustre", and the religious right
was a factor even though Michael Farris lost his bid to be Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
. Her opponents also pointed out that she was unmarried, and perhaps less empathetic on family issues.
’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies
. She served on the Board of Trustees at the University of Richmond from 1983-91.
She currently maintains a part-time law practice and consults for Microsoft
, living on her family farm in Patrick County, Virginia
. Since 1978, she has been a partner
in Terry & Rogers, and a partner in the B.H. Cooper Farm, Inc., both in Stuart.
In 2008, with Susan Platt and others, she formed "The Farm Team", a PAC
to "help Democratic women seek elected office." (Leslie Byrne is a Northern Virginia
chairman.) In the last quarter of 2008 they raised $6696 and contributed $4000, including $1000 to Sharon Bulova
's 2009 election campaign for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Virginia
. They solicited donations through the ActBlue
web site in 2009. Miss Terry was featured speaker at a breakfast fundraiser
planned in Richmond
7 February 2009, in connection with Jefferson-Jackson Day
. That event was connected to a reception at the Governor's mansion, later canceled because Virginia law prohibits political fundraising by state officials while the Virginia General Assembly
is in session. Democratic party officials argued the event did not violate that ban, because money had been collected before the session.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, born September 28, 1947, in Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville is an independent city which is surrounded by Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,821 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes...
.
Early life
Miss Terry was an active and enthusiastic Democrat as a girl.She was graduated from Hardin-Reynolds Memorial School in Critz, Virginia in 1965. She earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Richmond's Westhampton College in 1969, master's
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in government (1970) and law
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(1973) degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and its law school
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
.
Early career
Terry was a member of the Virginia House of DelegatesVirginia 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; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
(1978–1986) and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney
Commonwealth's Attorney
Commonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....
in Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
1973–1977. She successfully argued eight cases before the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. She successfully negotiated a nationwide recall of 13,000 defective Ford ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
s and led a successful investigation and prosecution of individuals and corporations associated with Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. is an American political activist and founder of a network of political committees, parties, and publications known collectively as the LaRouche movement...
. From 1990-1991 Terry was President of the National Association of Attorneys General and in 1992 she received the Wyman Award, which is the Association’s highest honor.
Attorney general
She was elected Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in 1985 and reelected in 1989, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Virginia, the second woman to serve as Attorney General of any U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, and the first non-federal elected official in Virginia to garner more than one million votes in a single election. In 1989, she considered running for Governor, but deferred to her fellow Democrat, then-Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
L. Douglas Wilder, who became the first African-American Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of any U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. When she ran in 1993, then-Lieutenant Governor Don Beyer
Don Beyer
Donald Sternoff "Don" Beyer, Jr. is the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In addition, he owns automobile dealerships in Virginia, and has a long record involved in community, political and philanthropic work....
deferred to her. Beyer, a Democrat, would go on to run for Governor in 1997, losing to the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate, then-Attorney General James S. Gilmore III.
Candidate for Governor
She was Attorney General of VirginiaAttorney General of Virginia
The Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General...
from 1986 until 1993, when she resigned to run for Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
against Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
George Allen. Allen won the November 1993 election despite Terry's early and significant lead. Her unpopular gun-control
Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...
stance alienated her rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
base
Base (politics)
In politics, the term base refers to a group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office. Base voters are very unlikely to vote for the candidate of an opposing party, regardless of the specific views each candidate holds...
voters. Her campaign was "lacklustre", and the religious right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
was a factor even though Michael Farris lost his bid to be Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
. Her opponents also pointed out that she was unmarried, and perhaps less empathetic on family issues.
Life after candidacy
Following her defeat, Terry was a visiting professor at the University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies
Jepson School of Leadership Studies
The Jepson School of Leadership Studies, founded in 1992 at the University of Richmond, is dedicated to the academic study of leadership. The school is named for Robert S. Jepson, Jr., an alumnus who donated $20 million to establish the school...
. She served on the Board of Trustees at the University of Richmond from 1983-91.
She currently maintains a part-time law practice and consults for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, living on her family farm in Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
. Since 1978, she has been a partner
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
in Terry & Rogers, and a partner in the B.H. Cooper Farm, Inc., both in Stuart.
In 2008, with Susan Platt and others, she formed "The Farm Team", a PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
to "help Democratic women seek elected office." (Leslie Byrne is a Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
chairman.) In the last quarter of 2008 they raised $6696 and contributed $4000, including $1000 to Sharon Bulova
Sharon Bulova
Sharon Bulova is currently the chairman of the Fairfax County, Virginia Board of Supervisors after having beaten Republican Pat Herrity in a special election held February 3, 2009. The special election was held to replace fellow Democrat Gerry Connolly who was elected to the US House of...
's 2009 election campaign for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
. They solicited donations through the ActBlue
ActBlue
ActBlue is a United States political committee established in June 2004 that enables anyone to fundraise on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice....
web site in 2009. Miss Terry was featured speaker at a breakfast fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
planned in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
7 February 2009, in connection with Jefferson-Jackson Day
Jefferson-Jackson Day
Jefferson-Jackson Day is the most common name given to the annual fundraising celebration held by Democratic Party organizations in the United States. It is named for Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson...
. That event was connected to a reception at the Governor's mansion, later canceled because Virginia law prohibits political fundraising by state officials while the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
is in session. Democratic party officials argued the event did not violate that ban, because money had been collected before the session.
Awards and memberships
- Service to Youth award, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, 1981, - Distingusined Alumna award University of Richmond, 1984
- Patrick County-Stuart Chamber of Commerce (charter president and president, 1974–76)
- West Piedmont Planning District Crime Commission (1974–77)
- Ferrum CollegeFerrum CollegeFerrum College is a private college in Ferrum, Virginia, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's for 2006....
(President's board of advisors, 1978–83) - West Piedmont Health Planning Council (1975–77)
- American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
- Virginia State Bar
- Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
- Omicron Delta KappaOmicron Delta KappaOmicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
(1980) - University of Richmond (board of trustees)
- Patrick Henry Mental Health Center (board of directors, 1975–77)
- Virginia YMCA (board of directors)
- First National Bank of Stuart (board of directorsBoard of directorsA board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, chairman)
See also
- Attorney General of VirginiaAttorney General of VirginiaThe Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General...
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- Governor of VirginiaGovernor of VirginiaThe governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....