Tara Durant
Tara Durant | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 27th district | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 28th district | |
| In office January 12, 2022 – January 10, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Joshua Cole |
| Succeeded by | Joshua Cole (redistricted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 26, 1972 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Coe College (BA) University of Baltimore |
Tara Anne Durant (born October 26, 1972)[1] is an American politician and former educator serving as a member of the Virginia Senate for the 27th district since 2024. The district includes the entirety of Fredericksburg, along with portions of Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2022 to 2024. On June 18, 2025, Durant declared her candidacy for Congress in Virginia's 7th congressional district to challenge Democratic incumbent Eugene Vindman in 2026.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Durant was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1972. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and political science from Coe College and attended the University of Baltimore School of Law.[3]
Career
[edit]Outside of politics, Durant has worked as an educator in Iowa and Virginia. She was a teacher at the Holy Cross Academy in Stafford County from 2017 to 2021 and works as a librarian at the school.[4] She was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2021, defeating incumbent Democrat Joshua G. Cole.[5] She assumed office on January 12, 2022.[6]
Tara currently serves on the Senate Committees on Education & Health, Local Government, and Privileges & Elections; as well as the Behavioral Health Commission, Rappahannock River Basin Commission, Autism Advisory Council, Veterans Services Board, and Southern Regional Education Board.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Candidate profile: Tara Durant". Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ a b "Meet Tara". Tara Durant. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
- ^ "Tara Durant's Biography". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ STAFF, INSIDENOVA. "Tara Durant announces campaign for 28th District House seat". INSIDENOVA.COM. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ "GOP on track to regain House, despite Dem wins in Northern Va". WTOP News. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ "Tara Durant". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- 1972 births
- 21st-century American educators
- 21st-century American women educators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- 21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly
- Coe College alumni
- Living people
- People from Stafford County, Virginia
- Politicians from Des Moines, Iowa
- Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Republican Party Virginia state senators
- Schoolteachers from Virginia
- Women state legislators in Virginia