LAMAMIMET

Justin Edward Fairfax was born on February 17, 1979, in Pittsburgh and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. He graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School, earned a public‑policy degree from Duke University, and received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he served on the Law Review.

After working on several national political campaigns and as a federal prosecutor, Fairfax entered Virginia politics, winning the 2017 Democratic primary and the general election for lieutenant governor. He became the second African American elected statewide in Virginia and served from 2018 to 2022, later running unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2021. His tenure was marked by advocacy against major pipeline projects and by sexual‑assault allegations that led to his resignation from a law firm.

In April 2026, Fairfax’s life ended tragically when he murdered his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life in a murder‑suicide, concluding a career that had combined historic political milestones with personal controversy.