The State Capitol building in Richmond was designed by Thomas Jefferson, and the cornerstone was laid by Governor Patrick Henry in 1785.

The Lieutenant Governor is Winsome Sears, a Republican, and is Virginia's first black female Lt.

Governor, and Virginia's attorney general, Jason Miyares, is a Republican and the first Latino elected to statewide office.

It is composed of the following offices,[1] nominated by the governor and then presented to the Virginia General Assembly for confirmation: Many executive branch agencies have the authority to promulgate regulations.

Proposals to create or amend state regulations are often subject to review by the executive branch.

Combined, the General Assembly consists of 140 elected representatives from an equal number of constituent districts across Virginia.

However, all local governments (cities, counties, and incorporated towns) are political subdivisions of the state.

All public school divisions are political subdivisions of the state, although each has local and some controlling relationships of varying types with the counties, cities and/or towns they serve.

Many authorities (such as water, or transportation districts) are created by specific legislation as political subdivisions of the state.

[3] Virginia limits the authority of cities and counties to enact ordinances by what is known as the Dillon's Rule.

[4] Dillon's Rule will invalidate local ordinances that exceed authority granted by the state.

As of November 2007, the courts were in the process of clarifying the duties and powers, and limitations thereupon in response to multiple lawsuits filed by other locally elected officials.

Article 7, Section 4 of the Virginia constitution provides, "There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county and city a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a clerk, who shall be clerk of the court in the office of which deeds are recorded, and a commissioner of revenue."

Where a police department has been established, the sheriff remains authorized to enforce the criminal laws.

[10] The sheriff, however, is responsible for the operation of the local jail, courthouse security and service of civil papers and may also execute criminal warrants.

By the time of the Constitution of 1901, which lasted longer than any other state constitution, the General Assembly continued as the legislature, the Supreme Court of Appeals acted as the judiciary, and the eight executive officers were elected: the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of the commonwealth, state treasurer, auditor of public accounts, superintendent of public instruction, and commissioner of agriculture and immigration.