L. Louise Lucas is a Democratic Virginia State Senator representing District 18 , serving since 1992. Born January 22, 1944, in Portsmouth, Virginia, she is a Portsmouth native and product of its public schools. She began her career as an apprentice shipfitter at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1967, becoming the first woman shipfitter , engineering draftsman , naval architect technician , Command Federal Women’s Program Manager , and Equal Employment Manager .

A trailblazer, she was the first Black woman elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1984 and, in 2019, the first woman and first African American elected Senate President pro tempore . She chairs the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and serves on Commerce and Labor, Education and Health, and Rules committees. Notable achievements include advocating for voting rights restoration, gun control measures like expanded background checks, redistricting, casino gaming regulation, and health care expansion. As an entrepreneur, she is President/CEO of Lucas Lodge, Lucas Transportation, Southside Direct Care Provider, and related businesses offering residential and health care for intellectually disabled adults in Portsmouth's Lucas Professional Center.

Education and Political Experience

Education: B.S. in Vocational-Industrial Education and M.A. in Urban Affairs , both from Norfolk State University.

Political Experience:
- Portsmouth City Council , first Black woman elected.
- Elected to Virginia Senate District 18 .
- Interim Executive Director and Executive Director , Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project .
- Congressional Liaison for Sponsored Programs, Old Dominion University .
- Assistant Professor and Special Assistant to the Vice President for University Advancement, Norfolk State University ; Vice President for University Advancement .
- Ran for U.S. House District 4 in 2000 .
- Active in Senate Democratic Caucus, Virginia Legislative Black Caucus , and Democratic Party of Virginia .