Virginia State Sen. Aaron Rouse announces run for lieutenant governor

VIRGINIA BEACH — Virginia State Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Virginia Beach Democrat, announced Tuesday he will run for lieutenant governor in 2025.

Two other Democrats are also in the running for the seat, which is currently held by Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney also announced Tuesday that he’s dropping his campaign for governor to run for the lieutenant governor role instead. Babur Lateef, a Northern Virginia eye surgeon and chair of the Prince William County School Board, is a third candidate in the race.

Rouse, a former NFL player and Virginia Beach City Council member, has been steadily moving up through public service ranks over the last several years.

In January 2023, Rouse won a special election for former state Sen. Jen Kiggans’ seat after she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Last November, he won the seat for the newly redistricted Senate District 22.

He’s been a strong advocate of reproductive and voting rights, including the district voting system in Virginia Beach. He also supports a regulatory structure for the sale of marijuana in Virginia.

In an interview Tuesday, Rouse said he prides himself on his ability to stand up to Republicans, who he said are trying to “turn back the hands of time in our commonwealth.”

At this year’s General Assembly session, Rouse took the lead on on two big pieces of legislation: legalization of slot machine-like skill games and marijuana retail regulation. In some ways, those bills have been an uphill battle for Rouse. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin heavily amended the skills game bill and its fate remains to be seen, and the governor vetoed the bill that would legalize retail marijuana.

When asked to what degree he’ll be able to work with Republicans to accomplish his goals, Rouse said he’s confident he can “bring everyone to the table.”

“It takes effort to work with both sides,” said Rouse. “That’s something I look forward to continue doing for the people of Virginia, to continue to build those bridges.”

Rouse grew up in Norfolk’s Young Terrace and later in Friendship Village, a low-income housing community that’s subsidized by the federal government in Virginia Beach. He played football for Virginia Tech and was the first in his family to graduate college. After graduation, Rouse was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Following his retirement from the NFL, Rouse returned home to Virginia Beach where he served four years as an at-large member of the City Council. Rouse founded Rouse’s House, a nonprofit organization that promotes the value of education for children.

“I’ve never forgotten where I come from and who I fight for,” Rouse said. “It’s extremely important that the communities I come from see someone that comes from their communities is running for lieutenant governor.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com