Background
Herring, Charniele L. was born on September 25, 1969 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Herring, Charniele L. was born on September 25, 1969 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Bachelor in Economics, George Mason University, 1993. Juris Doctor, Catholic University, 1997.
She has served in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2009, representing the 46th district, made up the city of Alexandria and part of Fairfax County, near Washington, District of Columbia She has been the House minority whip since 2012, and in December 2012, she was the first African-American to be elected chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia. She had a parent who served in the United States Army, and traveled frequently as a child. When she was 16 years old, her mother was laid off, and she lived in a homeless shelter for six months.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from George Mason University in 1993 and a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in 1997.
Herring was a Volunteers in Service to America volunteer. At age 13, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, Herring testified before a government commission about health care coverage for military dependent children.
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine appointed Herring to the state"s Council on the Status of Women. In 2006, she attended the Political Leaders Program at the University of Virginia"s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.
Virginia House of Delegates
Delegate Brian Moran resigned his House seat on December 12, 2008 to spend full-time on his 2009 campaign for governor.
Herring immediately announced her candidacy for the vacancy. In the special election on January 13, 2009, she defeated Republican nominee Joe Murray, an aide to Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina by 16 votes. Murray requested a recount, which was resolved in Herring"s favor.
She was sworn in on January 26.
Herring was the first African-American woman ever elected to represent Northern Virginia in the General Assembly. Herring has served on the House committees on Courts of Justice (since 2009), Militia, Police and Public Safety (2009), and Science and Technology (since 2010).
Herring is a member of the Democratic Party.