Laura Jane Cohen is a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 15th District in Fairfax County. She was born in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been a resident of Fairfax County for over two decades. Cohen is married to Seth I. Cohen and has two children, Finn and Lucas.

Education and Early Career

Cohen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia in 1997. She began her career in Georgia, working for the state's Democratic Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State before relocating to Fairfax County in 2001. In her early years in Virginia, she worked as an advocate on Capitol Hill for disease prevention and treatment organizations, eventually serving as director of outreach for a national Parkinson's nonprofit.

Political Experience

Cohen transitioned to education, teaching preschool and later becoming a long-term substitute teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. She was actively involved in her community through the Cherry Run Elementary PTA, serving nine years on the board, including three years as staff relations chair and two terms as president.

In 2019, Cohen ran for the Springfield District School Board and won, serving from 2020 until 2023. During her tenure on the School Board, she focused on addressing COVID learning loss, increasing teacher and staff pay, protecting school libraries from censorship, preventing gun violence, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ student protections.

Cohen was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2023, representing the newly created 15th District and defeating her Republican opponent by over 61%. She was re-elected in 2025. Her key legislative priorities include protecting public education, defending abortion access, preventing gun violence, and addressing climate change.