Jump to:

Virginia State Senate

Mark Obenshain

State Senate — District 2

Republican

RESOLUTE Citizen Score

68 / 70

Official Profile

Religion: Presbyterian (First Presbyterian Church)

Education: Virginia Tech (BA Economics & History, 1984), Washington and Lee School of Law (JD, 1987)

Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia

Background: Attorney (Obenshain Law Group). Son of former VA GOP Chairman Richard D. Obenshain (died 1978 plane crash while running for US Senate). In Senate since 2004.

Senior Republican senator. 2013 AG nominee (lost narrowly to Herring). Very conservative voting record. Strong on life, guns, and traditional values. | Family Foundation 100% (10/10, 2022-23). VCDL 100% (2024 + 2025). Freedom Index 79%.

Category Breakdown

America First

10/10

Candidate only displays the American flag (no foreign flags) in public appearances and communications

TRUE (+2)

Candidate promotes America exclusively and never promotes or defends foreign nations' interests over U.S. interests

TRUE (+2)

Candidate is a U.S.-born citizen with no dual citizenship

TRUE (+2)

Candidate has never accepted donations from foreign governments, foreign-backed lobbies (e.g., AIPAC), or foreign-linked PACs

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports verifiable paper ballots, opposes electronic voting machines, and advocates for election integrity measures including hand-counted audits and voter ID requirements

TRUE (+2)

Marriage

10/10

Candidate affirms marriage is exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman as instituted by God in Scripture

TRUE (+2)

Candidate opposes all forms of homosexual marriage, civil unions, and same-sex relationships as sinful

TRUE (+2)

Candidate rejects transgender ideology and affirms biological sex (male/female) as immutable and God-given

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports laws that protect biblical marriage and prohibit promotion of homosexuality or gender confusion in schools/public life

TRUE (+2)

Candidate views sexual relations as lawful only within biblical marriage and supports civil penalties against sexual immorality (adultery, fornication, sodomy)

TRUE (+2)

Abortion

10/10

Candidate affirms human life begins at conception; unborn child bears God's image and possesses full personhood/rights under biblical law

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports total abolition of abortion with no exceptions (rape, incest, health of mother)

TRUE (+2)

Candidate views elective abortion as murder of the innocent and calls for biblical justice (civil penalties) against it

TRUE (+2)

Candidate rejects any public funding, subsidies, or legal protections for abortion providers or procedures

TRUE (+2)

Candidate advocates righteous state protection of unborn life as a core duty of government under Reformed covenant theology

TRUE (+2)

Self-Defense & 2A

10/10

Candidate affirms the right to armed self-defense as a God-given natural right and biblical duty

TRUE (+2)

Candidate strongly supports the Second Amendment as an individual right that shall not be infringed for law-abiding citizens

TRUE (+2)

Candidate fully supports Castle Doctrine and Stand-Your-Ground laws, with no duty to retreat when lawfully defending life, family, home, or the innocent

TRUE (+2)

Candidate opposes all forms of gun control legislation (registration, red-flag laws, licensing, bans, or confiscation) that restrict the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms

TRUE (+2)

Candidate views a well-armed citizenry as essential for the preservation of liberty, protection of innocent life, and as a check against tyranny, consistent with Reformed covenant theology and America's Founding principles

TRUE (+2)

Immigration

10/10

Candidate supports closing the border and halting all illegal immigration

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports the removal and deportation of all illegal immigrants

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports protecting Anglo-Saxon breeding stock and demographic continuity

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports preserving multi-generational Anglo-Saxon American heritage

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports immigration policies that protect the historic Anglo-Saxon Christian character of the nation

TRUE (+2)

Education

8/10

Candidate supports absolute parental authority over children's education including homeschool, private, and religious school choice

TRUE (+2)

Candidate opposes sexually explicit or ideologically subversive materials in school libraries and curriculum

TRUE (+2)

Candidate opposes Critical Race Theory, DEI mandates, and all forms of Marxist ideology in public schools

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports voluntary prayer, Bible study, and religious expression in public schools without penalty

Not yet verified

Candidate opposes compulsory sex education and gender ideology instruction that contradicts parental values

TRUE (+2)

PCH/CBG

10/10

Candidate supports nation self-consciously acting as 'Christian nation' via laws/customs for earthly and heavenly good in Christ

TRUE (+2)

Candidate advocates government promotion/favor of Christianity as true religion over neutrality

TRUE (+2)

Candidate supports cultural/ethnic particularity and preference for historic Anglo-Saxon/Christian heritage

TRUE (+2)

Candidate believes state should order public life toward Christian principles (e.g., suppress blasphemy)

TRUE (+2)

Candidate rejects liberal pluralism; wants civil laws explicitly based on Christian moral order

TRUE (+2)

Sources & Evidence

virginiageneralassembly.gov/membersAndStaff/members/...VPAP — Virginia Public Access Project Virginia Legislative Information System Vote Smart — Voting Record reportcard.familyfoundation.org/www.vcdl.org/reportcard.familyfoundation.org/senate-voting-record/www.vcdl.org/voting-records freedomindex.us/va/reportcard.familyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2...irp.cdn-website.com/e9819c27/files/uploaded/gavr-202...

Have Information About This Official?

Help us improve this scorecard. If you have evidence of this official's positions — voting records, social media posts, public statements, or corrections — submit it below and we'll review and update the profile.