Paula Miller
Encyclopedia
Paula Jean Miller is an American politician of the Democratic Party
. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
, representing the 87th district in the city of Norfolk
.
Miller was comfortably re-elected to her third term on November 3, 2009, defeating Republican John Amiral of Norfolk
by an approximate 57 to 43% margin.
in 1977, then earned degrees in mass communication
s from Genesee Community College
(1979) and speech communication from SUNY Geneseo
(1981). She then began working locally in broadcast journalism
.
In 1984 Miller and her husband, George Schaefer, moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where she became a reporter for WTKR-TV
, the local CBS
affiliate. Miller worked at WTKR until 1999, when she took over the public information office
of the Virginia Beach
Sheriff's Office, where she works for Republican
Sheriff
Paul Lanteigne.
Miller has two children, George Schaefer IV and Molly Schaefer. In 2007, George attended American Legion
Boys Nation
in Washington, D.C.
and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership's
High School Leadership Program in Charlottesville, Virginia
.
Schaefer switched political allegiances at the turn of the millennium and was elected Norfolk Clerk of Circuit Court
as a Democrat in 2003. Now out of TV news, Miller was able to take an active role in his campaign.
Delegate Thelma Drake
, a Republican, was elected to the United States House of Representatives
in November 2004, creating a vacancy in the 87th district, where Miller's house was then located. She decided to run and was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the special election
on December 14, she narrowly defeated Michael Ball, the local Republican chair and a professional fundraiser
for conservative televangelist Pat Robertson's
Regent University
. Miller stressed the need for bipartisan solutions to such issues as transportation and the environment, in the manner of Democratic Governor
Mark Warner
; Ball emphasized his conservative credentials and his potential for delivering for the district as a member of the House majority. Miller's well known approachability, contrasted with Ball's somewhat acerbic personality, was cited as an important factor for her victory in exit polls conducted the day of the election.
In 2005 she won reelection in a three-way race with Ball and independent John Coggeshall, a local lawyer, cabaret entertainer and radio talk show host. In 2007 she defeated retired Vice Admiral
Henry C. 'Hank' Giffin III, and in 2009 she defeated Republican John Amiral, a former Navy officer, to return for her third term in Richmond
.
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...
. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia 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...
, representing the 87th district in the city of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Miller was comfortably re-elected to her third term on November 3, 2009, defeating Republican John Amiral of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
by an approximate 57 to 43% margin.
Early life
Miller graduated from Attica Central High School in Attica, New YorkAttica (village), New York
Attica is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. The population was 2,597 at the 2000 census. It is named after a region in Greece.The Village of Attica is on the northern border of Wyoming County...
in 1977, then earned degrees in mass communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
s from Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Town of Batavia, New York, USA . It has branch campuses in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima, and previously Lakeville, New York. Thus, the college covers areas outside of Genesee County...
(1979) and speech communication from SUNY Geneseo
State University of New York at Geneseo
The State University of New York at Geneseo—also known as SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State, or, colloquially, Geneseo—is located in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York, United States. It is a University College of the State University of New York...
(1981). She then began working locally in broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
.
In 1984 Miller and her husband, George Schaefer, moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where she became a reporter for WTKR-TV
WTKR
WTKR is the CBS affiliate television station serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, officially known as the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News DMA. The station is licensed to Norfolk and broadcasts on channel 40 . Its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia...
, the local CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate. Miller worked at WTKR until 1999, when she took over the public information office
Public information officer
Public Information Officers are the communications coordinators or spokespersons of certain governmental organizations . They differ from public relations departments of private organizations in that marketing plays a more limited role...
of the Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
Sheriff's Office, where she works for 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...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Paul Lanteigne.
Miller has two children, George Schaefer IV and Molly Schaefer. In 2007, George attended American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Boys Nation
Boys Nation
Boys Nation is an annual civic training event run by the American Legion.Each year, two delegates in the summer after their junior year of high school are selected from each of the forty-nine American Legion Boys State programs in the U.S....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership's
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia is an organization which serves the state of Virginia as a political leadership training center.-External links:* *...
High School Leadership Program in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
.
Political career
Miller's husband, George Schaefer, became heavily involved in Norfolk Republican politics, serving as local party chair and making unsuccessful bids to unseat 86th district Delegate George Heilig in 1993 and 1995. Due to her TV news job, Miller's role in Schaefer's campaigns was severely limited.Schaefer switched political allegiances at the turn of the millennium and was elected Norfolk Clerk of Circuit Court
Court clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
as a Democrat in 2003. Now out of TV news, Miller was able to take an active role in his campaign.
Delegate Thelma Drake
Thelma Drake
Thelma D. Drake was a Member of Congress of the Republican party from the state of Virginia. She was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2004 to represent . She was defeated by Democrat Glenn Nye in 2008.Thelma Drake grew up in Ohio and attended Elyria High School...
, a Republican, was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in November 2004, creating a vacancy in the 87th district, where Miller's house was then located. She decided to run and was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on December 14, she narrowly defeated Michael Ball, the local Republican chair and a professional 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...
for conservative televangelist Pat Robertson's
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
. Miller stressed the need for bipartisan solutions to such issues as transportation and the environment, in the manner of Democratic Governor
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....
Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
; Ball emphasized his conservative credentials and his potential for delivering for the district as a member of the House majority. Miller's well known approachability, contrasted with Ball's somewhat acerbic personality, was cited as an important factor for her victory in exit polls conducted the day of the election.
In 2005 she won reelection in a three-way race with Ball and independent John Coggeshall, a local lawyer, cabaret entertainer and radio talk show host. In 2007 she defeated retired Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
Henry C. 'Hank' Giffin III, and in 2009 she defeated Republican John Amiral, a former Navy officer, to return for her third term 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...
.