Ryan T. McDougle is a Republican serving as Senate Minority Leader for District 26 in the Virginia State Senate, representing all of Gloucester, Mathews, and New Kent Counties, and parts of Hanover, James City, and King and Queen Counties. Born on November 9, 1971, in Hanover, Virginia, he is an attorney married to Robyn Diehl McDougle and affiliated with the Baptist faith. Notable positions include Chairman of the Rules Committee, Chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Public Safety, and Vice-Chairman of the Courts of Justice Committee; he has championed lower taxes, Second Amendment rights , small business support, and opposed Medicaid expansion.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: B.S. in Political Science and History from James Madison University; J.D. from Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary.
• Political Experience: Served in the Virginia House of Delegates ; elected to the Virginia Senate in 2006, representing District 26 . Former Hanover Prosecutor and founding member of the Hanover Child Abuse Response Team; current committees include Commerce and Labor, Finance and Appropriations, and Rehabilitation and Social Services. Achievements include sponsoring tax relief measures like the Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday and gun-related bills post-Virginia Tech shooting, such as requiring mental health inquiries for firearm purchases.