Justin Fairfax

Biography

Justin Edward Fairfax (February 17, 1979 – April 16, 2026) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st lieutenant governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the second African American to be elected to statewide office in Virginia, after Douglas Wilder. In 2019, he faced sexual assault allegations dating to 2000 and 2004, resulting in his departure from his law firm and calls for his resignation as lieutenant governor. He served out the remainder of his term. Fairfax was a Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia in the 2021 election. He finished fourth in the Democratic primary with 3.54% of the vote. On the morning of April 16, 2026, Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself in a murder–suicide.

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