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Former Virginia state Sen. Janet Howell, who represented Tysons and neighboring Fairfax and Arlington communities for more than three decades, has died at 82, according to reports published Aug. 3.

Howell served in the Virginia Senate from 1992 until her retirement in 2024. She represented the 32nd Senate District, which included Tysons, Reston, Wolf Trap, northern Chantilly, portions of McLean and parts of Arlington County.

She was first elected to the Senate in 1991 and took office the following year. Before entering the Senate, Howell worked as a public schoolteacher and legislative assistant.

Officials credited Howell with influencing Virginia policy and budgets, particularly in public education, mental health, family-violence laws and family policy. She was also described as a mentor and a leading figure for women in Virginia politics.

Howell did not seek reelection in 2023 as newly redrawn Senate districts were implemented. She retired from the Senate on Jan. 10, 2024. Before her retirement, she was described as the longest-serving woman in the Virginia Senate alongside Louise Lucas.

Virginia political leaders shared tributes after news of Howell’s death. Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger said Howell “set a powerful example for so many of the women who have followed her in Virginia politics” and offered condolences to her loved ones.

Lucas, Howell’s longtime Senate colleague, said: “Her work touched the lives of countless Virginia families, and our Commonwealth is stronger because of it.”

State Sen. Jennifer Boysko called Howell “a model, a mentor, a leader.” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell described her as “a true giant of the Senate of Virginia.”

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine wrote that Howell spent “3+ decades” championing public education, mental health and women’s rights, adding that Virginia would miss her.

The tributes also highlighted Howell’s role in supporting and mentoring women who followed her into public service. Ghazala Hashmi was among the Virginia leaders who said Howell had mentored many women, while Mark Warner also expressed condolences.

Reports and public statements differ on how to describe Howell’s leadership of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. Some accounts call her the first woman to chair the committee, while a statement attributed to Surovell describes her as the first woman to co-chair it. That distinction remains unresolved in the supplied material.

The supplied reports do not provide the exact date, circumstances or cause of Howell’s death.