Chap Petersen

He represented the state's 34th district, made up of the city of Fairfax and large parts of Fairfax County.

In June 2023, Petersen lost the Democratic primary for District 37 to Saddam Azlan Salim.

Salim won the general election, and assumed office on January 10, 2024.

John Chapman "Chap" Petersen (born March 27, 1968) is an American politician.

Petersen's wife Sharon Kim (born September 10, 1970, Daegu, South Korea), is a practicing attorney; the couple have four children.

Petersen graduated from Fairfax High School in 1986.

He received a B.A. degree from Williams College in 1990 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1994, when he began practicing law.

He a partner with the law firm of Surovell, Markle, Isaacs & Levy, PLC.

Petersen served on the Fairfax city council 1998–2001.

He was elected to two terms in the House of Delegates, both times (2001 and 2003) defeating his predecessor, Republican Jack Rust.

A Democrat, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates 2002–06, was elected to the Virginia State Senate in November 2007, and was reelected in 2011.

In 2005, Petersen ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

He was defeated in the Democratic primary, finishing third with 22% of the vote in a four-way race, behind State Senator Leslie L. Byrne and State Delegate Viola Baskerville, but ahead of State Senator Phil Puckett.

In 2006, Petersen was a senior advisor to Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb, who defeated incumbent Republican Senator George Allen.

Petersen announced his candidacy for the 34th district seat in the State Senate, Wednesday, January 3, 2007.

He defeated incumbent Republican Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, wife of Congressman Thomas M. Davis, in the November 2007 election, taking 55% of the vote.

The district had been the most Democratic state senate district held by a Republican.

During the week of October 22, 2007, the Devolites-Davis campaign sent out 60,000 campaign flyers accusing Petersen of not disclosing that his former law firm was working on issues that Petersen voted on while in the House of Delegates.

The flyer included a copy of a section of Petersen's Statement of Economic Interest, which he filed while serving in the House.

It includes Petersen's home address, telephone number, and the names of his wife and children, which were not redacted.

Petersen held a press conference on October 26 in front of Devolites-Davis' headquarters in Fairfax.

He said that "words cannot describe the anger I feel" about the flyer, and called it "shocking" that Devolites-Davis would use his personal information in such a manner.

Petersen said that advertising his personal information was not in and of itself a problem, but using it in an attack ad went too far.

Such tactics, Petersen said, endangered his family.

Devolites-Davis said in her own press conference that Petersen himself published the names and pictures of his family, and showed a mailer from the Petersen campaign showing pictures of his children.

The mailer identifies the children by name.

She claimed the Petersen campaign uploaded a video to YouTube which brought up her daughter's armed robbery conviction of several years ago.

According to WUSA, there is no evidence that anyone from the Petersen camp uploaded the video.

On June 20, 2023, Petersen lost the Democratic primary for the new 37th Senate district to Saddam Azlan Salim.

Petersen has voted multiple times against Castle Doctrine bills.

In mid-October 2007, Devolites-Davis, Petersen's opponent, began running television ads showing a photo of her opponent Chap Petersen with text stating "Supports Increasing the Estate Tax", "Supports a 38 cent gas tax increase", and "Voted for Concealed Weapons on School Property" superimposed.

The voiceover attributed these allegations to Petersen's prior votes in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Davis's website contains references to past Petersen votes.

He responded that he never voted to increase the Virginia estate tax.

Petersen co-sponsored bills, including SB 1309, intending to preserve the tax for Virginians in higher income brackets.

In January 2011, Petersen voted against Senate Bill 876 (Castle Doctrine) which would have allowed “a lawful occupant use of physical force, including deadly force, against an intruder in his dwelling who has committed an overt act against him, without civil liability.” In February 2011, Petersen was one of eight senators on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee who “passed by indefinitely” House Bill 1573, defeating the bill by an 8 to 4 margin.

In February 2020, Petersen was one of four Democrats in the Virginia State Senate who broke party ranks to defeat an assault weapons ban.

In 2020, Petersen led a lawsuit against Fairfax County when the Board of Supervisors voted to remove a monument in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse commemorating the death of the first Confederate soldier during the Civil War.

Chap Petersen called the county's move "Orwellian".

In 2021, Petersen was the only Senate Democrat to vote against the legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use.