ABOUT RANDY : Biography

Printer-friendly PDF version
Download Adobe PDF Reader

J. Randy Forbes, a Republican, represents the diverse and expansive Fourth District of Virginia.  Elected in a special election in 2001, and now serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Randy has focused his efforts in Congress on protecting the security and sovereignty of our nation, preserving the moral and historical roots of our country, expanding military and veterans benefits, growing educational opportunities for our children, and promoting economic development through fiscal responsibility.

Since his election to Congress, Randy’s commitment to constituent service has quickly become a model on Capitol Hill.  By placing a high priority on direct communication with constituents and by partnering with the 18 cities and counties in his encompassing district, Randy has earned a reputation for his ability to aptly serve the needs of the citizens of the Fourth District. Additionally, in Washington , his service on three important House committees has enabled him to address key defense, judiciary, science and technology issues on a national level.  

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Randy believes in providing our military with the proper tools, facilities, and training to be the most effective military in the world.  Since taking office, Randy has supported initiatives that directly strengthen our national defense, including logistics training, modeling & simulation, and shipbuilding & ship repair. He has sponsored legislation that ranges from the prosecution of Weapons of Mass Destruction to the reformation of the military mail system.  Randy also sits on the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, which oversees the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

Randy has also championed the needs of men and women who serving our country by voting for initiatives to improve housing, benefits, and quality of life off the battlefield, as well as body armor and state-of-the-art protection on the battlefield.  Equally important, he knows that our nation’s commitment to those who have served our nation does not end when they retire and in three short years, Randy has become a leading defender of veterans’ rights in Congress.  

On the House Judiciary Committee, Randy addresses significant national issues including combating terrorism, addressing illegal immigration, balancing the federal budget, and reforming medical liability. His is particularly involved with issues relating to the moral welfare of our nation such as preserving traditional marriage and working to ban such practices as partial-birth abortion and human cloning.

Randy works with the House Science Committee to provide oversight for energy, space, science and technology issues. As the Committee's only member from Virginia , Randy strongly supports efforts to enhance our nation's space and aeronautics program. He promotes continued research and development so that the United States may maintain its competitive leadership in economic innovation and medical research & development.  

Randy serves on several congressional caucuses, or focus groups, including:

-         Congressional Prayer Caucus (Founder & Chair)

-         Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus (Founder & Chair)

-         Congressional China Caucus (Founder & Chair)

-         Navy/Marine Corps Caucus (Co-chair)

-         Congressional Boating Caucus

-         Judicial Activism Working Group

-         Alzheimer's Task Force

-         Army; Coast Guard; Special Operations Force Caucuses

-         Military Retiree-Veterans Caucus

-         Cancer Working Group

-         Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus

-         Internet Caucus

-         Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force

-         House Republican Israel Caucus

-         Children's Caucus

-         Diabetes Caucus

-         Immigration Reform Caucus

-         Historic Preservation Caucus

Randy's commitment of service to others has been the cornerstone of his professional career. A life-long resident of Virginia , he began his career in the private practice of law helping small and medium-sized businesses and ultimately became a partner in the largest law firm in southeastern Virginia . In 1989, he served the Commonwealth of Virginia in the General Assembly, first as a member of the House of Delegates, and then as a state senator in 1997. He served in both houses as a floor leader, and was chief patron of some of Virginia 's most important legislation in the past decade ranging from school construction to the abolition of parole.  

Randy graduated from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake in 1970. He was valedictorian of his 1974 class at Randolph-Macon College . In 1977, Randy graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Randy attends Great Bridge Baptist church, where he has taught Sunday school for over 20 years. He was born and raised in Chesapeake , Virginia where he still resides with his wife Shirley. He and Shirley have been married since 1978 and have four children: Neil, Jamie, Jordan, and Justin.