Vivian Watts - Ballotpedia

Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings

Vivian Watts is from Detroit, Michigan. She has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan. She lives with her husband, David, and their 2 children in Annandale, Virginia. She attends Arlington Unitarian Church.

Vivian previously worked as a Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocate and for the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.


Vivian Watts | Democrat | Virginia House of Delegates District 14

Vivian currently serves as a a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 14. She assumed office in 2024. From 1996 to 2023, she represented Virginia House of Delegates District 39 and served in as a House Delegate in a different district from 1982 to 1983. 

Supports providing alternatives to single-passenger cars to reduce pollution, congestion, and costs, noting that in 2018, 55% of users of the Beltway and I-95 Express Lanes rode free by carpooling or taking the bus.

Supports diversifying Virginia's economy by leveraging strong educational institutions, low taxes, and global market access to expand high-paying jobs.

As a state delegate, raised Virginia’s standard deduction to provide tax relief to households under $60,000.

Supports increased state spending to avoid cutting basic programs.

- Supports providing alternatives to single-passenger cars to reduce pollution, congestion, and costs, noting that in 2018, 55% of users of the Beltway and I-95 Express Lanes rode free by carpooling or taking the bus.
- Supports diversifying Virginia's economy by leveraging strong educational institutions, low taxes, and global market access to expand high-paying jobs.
- As a state delegate, raised Virginia’s standard deduction to provide tax relief to households under $60,000.
- Supports increased state spending to avoid cutting basic programs.

Economy

Supports the development of offshore wind power in Virginia, noting its potential to generate 2,600 megawatts by 2026, enough to power 650,000 homes, and believes it underscores the challenge of matching Europe's 20-year achievements in wind energy.

Supports the development of offshore wind power in Virginia. .

Supports modernizing Virginia’s power grid to efficiently distribute solar energy from diverse sources like commercial rooftops and rural areas.

Supports carbon neutrality and opposes fracking.

Supports energy efficiency and conservation to reduce the need for increased power generation and save costs.

As a state delegate, helped preserve the Land Conservation Tax Credit, which incentivizes land conservation. Supports transferable development rights with irreversible terms.

- Supports the development of offshore wind power in Virginia. .
- Supports modernizing Virginia’s power grid to efficiently distribute solar energy from diverse sources like commercial rooftops and rural areas.
- Supports carbon neutrality and opposes fracking.
- Supports energy efficiency and conservation to reduce the need for increased power generation and save costs.
- As a state delegate, helped preserve the Land Conservation Tax Credit, which incentivizes land conservation. Supports transferable development rights with irreversible terms.

Energy & the Environment

Believes Virginia's laws should be non-discriminatory, advocating for broader harassment protections in legislation.

Supports comprehensive gun control measures, including background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on high-capacity weapons.

As a state delegate, passed laws to enhance gang-related offenses.

Believes reducing elementary school class sizes will prevent gang involvement.

As a state delegate, passed legislation to strengthen child abuse laws, increase penalties for sexual crimes against children, and empower police to intervene in potential online predation.

As a state delegate, carried legislation to establish procedures for preserving physical evidence recovery kits (PERK) for sexual assault victims.

As a state delegate, sponsored legislation to strengthen Virginia's human trafficking laws, establishing severe penalties for abduction and trafficking offenses, including a 20-year to life sentence for certain crimes and 2 to 10 years for benefiting from forced labor or exploitation.

- Believes Virginia's laws should be non-discriminatory, advocating for broader harassment protections in legislation.
- Supports comprehensive gun control measures, including background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on high-capacity weapons.
- As a state delegate, passed laws to enhance gang-related offenses.
- Believes reducing elementary school class sizes will prevent gang involvement.
- As a state delegate, passed legislation to strengthen child abuse laws, increase penalties for sexual crimes against children, and empower police to intervene in potential online predation.
- As a state delegate, carried legislation to establish procedures for preserving physical evidence recovery kits (PERK) for sexual assault victims.
- As a state delegate, sponsored legislation to strengthen Virginia's human trafficking laws, establishing severe penalties for abduction and trafficking offenses, including a 20-year to life sentence for certain crimes and 2 to 10 years for benefiting from forced labor or exploitation.

Public Safety

Supports smaller class sizes for students through 3rd grade.

Supports increasing public school funding statewide and adjusting the school funding formula to reflect the high cost of living in Nevada.

Supports increasing public school funding statewide and adjusting the school funding formula to reflect the high cost of living in Northern Virginia. 

Supports raising teacher salaries to attract and retain quality teachers.

Supports smaller class sizes, saying "Academic performance definitely improves... smaller classes make it possible to actively involve all the kids."

Supports reducing emphasis on test-taking, using Virginia SOL tests for remedial help, and advocating for testing modifications to enhance learning.

- Supports smaller class sizes for students through 3rd grade.
- Supports increasing public school funding statewide and adjusting the school funding formula to reflect the high cost of living in Northern Virginia. 
- Supports raising teacher salaries to attract and retain quality teachers.
- Supports smaller class sizes, saying "Academic performance definitely improves... smaller classes make it possible to actively involve all the kids."
- Supports reducing emphasis on test-taking, using Virginia SOL tests for remedial help, and advocating for testing modifications to enhance learning.

Education

Supports improving mental health services in Virginia, addressing stigma, and enhancing access and accountability, drawing on her educational background and experience in initiating prison mental health services and working with abused children.

Supports increasing funding for healthcare waivers to reduce waiting lists for urgent services, particularly for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), to alleviate trauma for aging parents seeking timely care for their adult children.

Supports increasing Medicaid service waivers for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and emphasizes the need for accurate assessments and ongoing oversight to ensure adequate funding for community services.

Supports access to abortion and public funding for Planned Parenthood.

Supports addressing racial disparities in childbirth outcomes through public dialogue and improved healthcare access, acknowledging that Medicaid expansion for Black women in poverty is only a partial solution.

- Supports improving mental health services in Virginia, addressing stigma, and enhancing access and accountability, drawing on her educational background and experience in initiating prison mental health services and working with abused children.
- Supports increasing funding for healthcare waivers to reduce waiting lists for urgent services, particularly for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), to alleviate trauma for aging parents seeking timely care for their adult children.
- Supports increasing Medicaid service waivers for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and emphasizes the need for accurate assessments and ongoing oversight to ensure adequate funding for community services.
- Supports access to abortion and public funding for Planned Parenthood.
- Supports addressing racial disparities in childbirth outcomes through public dialogue and improved healthcare access, acknowledging that Medicaid expansion for Black women in poverty is only a partial solution.

Healthcare

As of September 17, 2025, Vivian E. Watts’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Voting & Elections

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Vivian E. Watts

Vivian Watts is from Detroit, Michigan. She has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan. She lives with her husband, David A. Watts, and their two children in Annandale, Virginia. She attends Arlington Unitarian Church.

Vivian is currently a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 14. She assumed office in 2024. From 1996 to 2023, she represented Virginia House of Delegates District 39. She also served in the House of Delegates from 1982 to 1983. 

As of September 17, 2025, Vivian E. Watts did not have a website or any information online.

Named a "Legislative Hero" by the League of Conservation Voters.

Received the "Legislator of the Year" award from the Virginia Interfaith Center.

- The Virginia General Assembly, made up of the House of Delegates and the State Senate, is responsible for creating state laws.  
- Your state delegate serves your local district in the Virginia House of Delegates, advocating for your community's needs and interests.  
- Delegates have the power to write, sponsor, and vote on proposed legislation, including all bills related to the state budget, which begin in the House of Delegates.  
- The House of Delegates consists of 100 members, each elected to represent one district.  
- Delegates serve two-year terms and receive an annual salary of $17,640.