{{Short description|American politician}} {{about||the swim coach|Paula Miller (swim coach)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Paula J. Miller | image = Paula Miller 2008-08-16.jpg | state_delegate = Virginia | district = 87th | term_start = January 3, 2005 | term_end = January 11, 2012 | preceded = Thelma Drake | succeeded = David Ramadan | birth_date = {{Birth date and age | 1959 | 8 | 1}} | birth_place = Batavia, New York, U.S. | party = Democratic | spouse = George E. Schaefer, III | children = George E. Schaefer, IV; Molly Schaefer | alma_mater = Genesee Community College, State University of New York at Geneseo | occupation = Public information officer | committees = Militia, Police and Public Safety; Science and Technology | website = http://www.paula4virginia.com }}
'''Paula Jean Miller''' (born August 1, 1959) is an American politician. She was a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates 2005–2012, representing the 87th district in the city of Norfolk. She ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the special election to fill the seat being vacated by Ralph Northam, who was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, in the Virginia Senate, District 6, representing portions of Norfolk, the Eastern Shore, and Virginia Beach. She lost to fellow delegate Lynwood Lewis.
==Early life== Miller graduated from Attica Central High School in Attica, New York in 1977, then earned degrees in mass communications from Genesee Community College (1979) and speech communication from SUNY Geneseo (1981). She then began working locally in broadcast journalism.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
In 1984 Miller and her husband, George Schaefer, moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where she became a reporter for WTKR-TV, the local CBS affiliate. Miller worked at WTKR until 1999, when she took over the public information office of the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office. She subsequently held the same job with the Norfolk Sheriff's Office.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Miller has two children, George Schaefer IV and Molly Schaefer. In 2007, George attended American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C.,<ref>{{cite news | last = Woerner | first = Barbara J. | title = For two teens, it's summer and time for politics | work = The Virginian-Pilot | date = July 26, 2007 | page = B1, Virginia Beach Beacon section}}</ref> and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership's High School Leadership Program in Charlottesville, Virginia.<ref>{{cite web|title=HSLP Class of 2007 |publisher=Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership |url=http://www.sorenseninstitute.org/alumni/hslp/2007 |accessdate=August 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720072051/http://www.sorenseninstitute.org/alumni/hslp/2007 |archivedate=July 20, 2008 }}</ref>
==Electoral history== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Date !! Election !! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! % |- ! colspan="6" | Virginia House of Delegates, 87th district |- ! rowspan="4" align="center" | December 14, 2004<ref name="norf2004">{{cite web|title=December 14, 2004 Special Election Official Results |publisher=City of Norfolk, Virginia |url=http://www.norfolk.gov/archives/85/2004-12-14%20OFFICIAL%20RESULTS.pdf |accessdate=April 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054457/http://www.norfolk.gov/archives/85/2004-12-14%20OFFICIAL%20RESULTS.pdf |archivedate=March 4, 2016 }}</ref> | rowspan="4" align="center" | Special | '''Paula J. Miller''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''3,862''' | align="right" | '''50.07''' |- | Michael L. Ball | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 3,765 | align="right" | 48.81 |- | colspan="2" | Write Ins | align="right" | 15 | align="right" | 0.12 |- | colspan="4" style="background:Beige" | ''Thelma Drake resigned; seat changed from Republican to Democratic'' |- ! rowspan="4" align="center" | November 8, 2005<ref name="sbe2005">{{cite web|title=General Election – November 8, 2005 |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults/2005/nov2005/html/h_87.htm |accessdate=April 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228235527/http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults/2005/nov2005/html/h_87.htm |archivedate=December 28, 2012 }}</ref> | rowspan="4" align="center" | General | '''P J Miller''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''6,312''' | align="right" | '''50.27''' |- | M L Ball | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 4,716 | align="right" | 37.56 |- | colspan="2" | J A Coggeshall | align="right" | 1,515 | align="right" | 12.07 |- | colspan="2" | Write Ins | align="right" | 13 | align="right" | 0.10 |- ! rowspan="3" align="center" | November 6, 2007<ref name="sbe2007">{{cite web | title = November 6, 2007 General Election Official Results | publisher = Virginia State Board of Elections | url = https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2007/196E44FA-8B19-4240-9A44-737216DAA55D/Unofficial/8_p5_s.shtml | accessdate = April 16, 2013 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120612202300/https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2007/196E44FA-8B19-4240-9A44-737216DAA55D/Unofficial/8_p5_s.shtml | archivedate = June 12, 2012 }}</ref> | rowspan="3" align="center" | General | '''Paula J. Miller''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''5,248''' | align="right" | '''54.04''' |- | Henry C. "Hank" Giffin III | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 4,446 | align="right" | 45.78 |- | colspan="2" | Write Ins | align="right" | 17 | align="right" | 0.17 |- ! rowspan="3" align="center" | November 3, 2009<ref name="sbe2009">{{cite web | title = November 2009 General Election Official Results | publisher = Virginia State Board of Elections | url = https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2009/37C2EDEB-FACB-44C1-AF70-05FB616DCD62/Official/8_p5_s.shtml | accessdate = April 16, 2013 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054109/https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2009/37C2EDEB-FACB-44C1-AF70-05FB616DCD62/Official/8_p5_s.shtml | archivedate = March 4, 2016 }}</ref> | rowspan="3" align="center" | General | '''Paula J. Miller''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''6,693''' | align="right" | '''56.61''' |- | John N. Amiral | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 5,111 | align="right" | 43.23 |- | colspan="2" | Write Ins | align="right" | 17 | align="right" | 0.14 |}
==Political career== Miller's husband, George Schaefer, became heavily involved in Norfolk Republican politics, serving as local party chair and making unsuccessful bids to unseat 86th district Delegate George Heilig in 1993 and 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=1995 Election Results – HOD Of Virginia |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults/1995/rslts95-hod_va_dist-loc.htm |accessdate=April 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725003210/http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults/1995/rslts95-hod_va_dist-loc.htm |archivedate=July 25, 2013 }}</ref> Due to her TV news job, Miller's role in Schaefer's campaigns was severely limited.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Schaefer switched political allegiances at the turn of the millennium and was elected Norfolk Clerk of Circuit Court as a Democrat in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=November 4, 2003 General election results, Norfolk City, local offices |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://www2.sbe.state.va.us/web_docs/election/results/2003/nov/local/710.htm |accessdate=August 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317125130/http://www2.sbe.state.va.us/web_docs/election/results/2003/nov/local/710.htm |archivedate=March 17, 2008 }}</ref> Now out of TV news, Miller was able to take an active role in his campaign.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Delegate Thelma Drake, a Republican, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2004, creating a vacancy in the 87th district, where Miller's house was then located. She decided to run and was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the special election on December 14, she narrowly defeated Michael Ball, the local Republican chair and a professional fundraiser for conservative televangelist Pat Robertson's Regent University. Miller stressed the need for bipartisan solutions to such issues as transportation and the environment, in the manner of Democratic Governor Mark Warner; Ball emphasized his conservative credentials and his potential for delivering for the district as a member of the House majority.<ref>{{cite news | last = Minium | first = Harry | title = Moderate GOP backs Democrat in 87th District | work = The Virginian-Pilot | date = December 11, 2004 | page = B1, Local section}}</ref>
In 2005 she won reelection in a three-way race with Ball and independent John Coggeshall, a local lawyer, cabaret entertainer and radio talk show host. In 2007 she defeated retired Vice Admiral Henry C. "Hank" Giffin III, and in 2009 she defeated Republican John Amiral, a former Navy officer, to return for her third term in Richmond.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
In 2011, Miller was redistricted into House district 100 along with fellow Democrat Lynwood Lewis.<ref>{{cite news | last = Walker | first = Julian | work = The Virginian-Pilot | title = Redistricting plans are approved General Assembly | date = April 8, 2011 | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/redistricting-plans-are-approved-general-assembly-0 | accessdate = April 16, 2013}}</ref> She did not run that year. The 87th district, which was moved to northern Virginia, was won by Republican David Ramadan.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Miller considered a run for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2013, but chose not to.<ref>{{cite news | last = Walker | first = Julian | work = The Virginian-Pilot | title = Miller declines LG run, eyes future Va. Senate bid | date = October 15, 2012 | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2012/10/miller-declines-lg-run-eyes-future-va-senate-bid | accessdate = April 16, 2013}}</ref> Following Ralph Northam's election as Lieutenant Governor, Miller announced she would run to be the Democratic nominee in the special election for Northam's seat in the Virginia Senate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-politics-senate-seat-20131108,0,569253.story?track=rss|title = Daily Press: Hampton Roads News, Virginia News & Videos}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== *[http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/a7b082ef6ed01eac85256c0d00515644/807ab96080b869258525738a0052b65f?OpenDocument Virginia House of Delegates: Bio for Paula J. Miller (2008 session)] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20161014233905/http://www.delegatepaulamiller.com/ Official website] *Virginia State Board of Elections: Election Results for 87th House District **[https://web.archive.org/web/20080815122738/https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2007/196E44FA-8B19-4240-9A44-737216DAA55D/Unofficial/00_p_710_B7089B28-F5AC-4EC9-8A41-FC631BBA1655.shtml November 6, 2007 General Election] **[https://web.archive.org/web/20090502010023/http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/web_docs/Election/results/2005/nov2005/html/h_87.htm November 8, 2005 General Election] **[https://web.archive.org/web/20080309085534/http://www2.sbe.state.va.us/Election/results/2004/Results12_14_2004.asp December 14, 2004 Special Election]
==External links== *[http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/home/71559 Virginia Public Access Project: Paula Miller] *[http://www.vbso.net Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Paula Jean}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Category:Politicians from Norfolk, Virginia Category:Women state legislators in Virginia Category:State University of New York at Geneseo alumni Category:People from Batavia, New York Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly