Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado (D-Manassas) announced her resignation from the Virginia House of Delegates effective May 31, 2026, after more than four years representing House District 20.
In a formal letter dated May 4, 2026, and shared publicly on May 5, Maldonado tendered her resignation to the Speaker of the House. She described her service as “a profound honor” and expressed gratitude to constituents, fellow delegates, leadership, and community partners.
“It is one of the toughest jobs I’ve ever loved, so making this decision to leave was difficult,” Maldonado stated. “Yesterday, I submitted my formal resignation to the Speaker of the House, effective May 31st. It has been my sincerest honor to serve, and I am grateful to my constituents, fellow electeds, legislators, and community advocates and volunteers, as well as the many collaboration partners for their trust in me and dedication to helping Virginians across the Commonwealth.”
Maldonado, a former tech attorney and small business owner, first won election to the House in 2021 by defeating incumbent Democrat Lee Carter in the primary for what was then the 50th District. She won re-election in 2023 and again in 2025 for the redrawn 20th District, which covers parts of Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. In her most recent general election victory in November 2025, she secured approximately 68% of the vote.
During her tenure, Maldonado served on committees including Courts of Justice, Finance, Labor and Commerce, Communications, Technology, and Innovation. She focused on issues such as consumer protections, technology policy (including AI regulation in healthcare), economic opportunity, housing, and paid family leave.
Her resignation creates a vacancy in District 20. Under Virginia law, Governor Abigail Spanberger is expected to call a special election to fill the unexpired term. The seat is considered Democratic-leaning based on recent election results.
Maldonado’s departure comes shortly after the conclusion of the 2026 General Assembly session — a session marked by Democratic supermajority control in both chambers that nevertheless failed to produce a state budget. The House is expected to be called back into a special session to address the impasse, as the state faces a government shutdown on July 1 if a budget is not enacted.
Meanwhile, Democrats had time during the session to advance and campaign for the April 21 redistricting referendum as well as to debate proposals for new taxes on a wide range of everyday services and goods — including dog walking, DoorDash deliveries, haircuts, dry cleaning, gym memberships, and streaming services — though those tax measures were not ultimately enacted and remain a possibility for future consideration.
No specific reason for her resignation beyond the personal difficulty of the decision was detailed in her announcement. Potomac Local News will provide updates on the special election process and any further statements from Maldonado or district leaders.
