Representative Laura Jane Cohen Contact information

Laura Jane started her career working for the Democratic Lt. Governor and Secretary of State of Georgia, her native state. In 2001, she moved to Fairfax County and became an advocate on Capitol Hill for several disease prevention and treatment organizations, eventually becoming director of outreach for a national Parkinson’s nonprofit.

After having two kids, Laura Jane taught preschool for several years before becoming a long-term substitute teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. Later, as her children entered school, Laura Jane served on the Cherry Run Elementary PTA board for nine years – three years as staff relations chair, two terms as president, and as liaison to the Fairfax County Council of PTAs.

In addition to her advocacy work, Laura Jane was a small business owner for several years, running a vintage home décor shop with a close friend in Clifton.

Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Laura Jane began volunteering with Moms Demand Action, proudly wearing her red shirt to lobby lawmakers in Richmond and D.C. to reform weak gun laws. She remains an active volunteer with the group to this day.

When Laura Jane’s local school board member refused to respond to her plea to add classroom doors to her children’s open-concept elementary school, and instead insisted teachers should be armed, she knew she had to challenge the incumbent in the next election.

Claiming a nearly ten-point victory, Laura Jane went to work for Springfield District families in 2020. On the School Board, she has fought to address COVID learning loss, teach accurate and inclusive history, increase teacher and staff pay, protect school libraries from censorship, prevent gun violence, defend LGBTQIA+ students, and give teachers and school staff a seat at the decision-making table with collective bargaining rights.

In the General Assembly, Laura Jane will stand up to Governor Youngkin’s far-right agenda and stop Richmond Republicans from undermining Virginian’s values. She will fight to protect our world-class local public schools, defend abortion access, prevent gun violence, and protect our democracy.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Laura Jane and Seth met in high school and have been married for more than twenty years. Both of their kids attend local public schools, though one will graduate this June and go on to Virginia Commonwealth University. In her free time, Laura Jane loves to hang out with her crazy family and volunteer with Food for Neighbors and Moms Demand Action. She also enjoys refinishing furniture, hiking, trashy reality tv, and bourbon.