[2] Favola was a policy advisor for 15 years at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

[3] Favola was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 2011 in the 31st district, defeating Republican Caren Merrick with 58% of the vote.

In doing so, she defeated James DeVita in the June 20th Democratic primary, and Republican David Henshaw in the November 7th general election, winning 83.74% and 80.92% of the vote, respectively.

She currently serves on the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Finance and Appropriations, Rules, and Education and Health committees.

[10] In 2019, Favola sponsored a bill that would protect individuals with a severe mental illness from receiving the death penalty.