Political staffer

In 2009, Chase worked for Republican Ken Cuccinelli during his successful campaign for Virginia Attorney General; later, she was a staffer to Republican congressman Dave Brat.^[10]

Elections to the Virginia State Senate

In 2015, Chase won the Republican nomination in Virginia's 11th State Senate District in an upset primary victory against incumbent senator Stephen H. Martin,^[11] who had served since 1994. The solidly Republican district^[12][13] comprises Amelia County, Colonial Heights, and much of Chesterfield.^[11] Chase went on to defeat the Democratic nominee, attorney and retired Army colonel E. Wayne Powell, in the general election by about 69% to 31%.^[12] Chase won reelection in 2019, defeating Democratic nominee Amanda Pohl.^[13]

Removal from the Chesterfield County Republican Party

In 2019, Chase was removed from the Chesterfield County Republican Party Committee after clashing with others in the organization; Chase had promoted the campaign of an independent candidate for sheriff, violating a party rule barring Republican committee members from supporting a non-Republican candidate running against a Republican nominee. The move was mostly symbolic, depriving her of voting rights in the county party, but having no effect on her status as a Republican nominee.^[21]

Departure from Republican caucus

In November 2019, Chase announced that she would not caucus with the Republicans in the State Senate in 2020, citing what she called broken and failed Republican leadership, and lack of transparency. Chase remains affiliated with the Republican Party.^[22]

Wearing a firearm in session

On January 15, 2019, Chase openly carried a loaded .38-caliber handgun in a holster while presenting bills to a state Senate committee, saying she did so as "a deterrent for over-exuberant folks.^[23][24]

Dispute with Capitol Police officer

On March 22, 2019, Chase reportedly became "irate" and used supposed profanities at Capitol Police officers after being told that she was not allowed to park in the secured Pedestrian Plaza on Bank Street where she would park at times during session. When asked to move her car she told the officer that she would not move her vehicle "unless you let the f---ing barricades down to let me in". She was eventually allowed to park.^[25][26]

Controversial statements

In a July 2019 post on Facebook about the Second Amendment, Chase said "[i]t's those who are naive and unprepared that end up raped. Sorry. But I'm not going to be a statistic." After a backlash, Chase posted a video in which she declined to apologize; said that her reply was "taken out of context"; and attacked critics as "trolls".^[27]

In April 2021, a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd (see Trial of Derek Chauvin). Chase said in a video that the conviction made her "sick" and claimed that the verdict was motivated by politics.^[28][17]

Confederate monuments

Chase opposes removing the Richmond, Virginia, Robert E. Lee Monument, which has become a flashpoint of protests in recent times. "Removing the Robert E. Lee statue is a cowardly capitulation to the looters and domestic terrorists."^[29] Chase further stated that the removal of Confederate statues is an "overt effort to erase all white history".^[30]

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chase refused to wear a face mask during Virginia Senate sessions, contrary to public health guidance at the time. As a result of her refusal to wear a mask, she was required to sit in a plexiglass box during Senate sessions.^[31]

Affiliation with Antonio Lamotta

Chase has repeatedly posed for photographs with Antonio Lamotta, a QAnon promoter who was arrested in Philadelphia shortly after the 2020 election for carrying pistols, an AR-15 rifle, and over 150 rounds of ammunition without a valid Pennsylvania firearms permit, a third-degree felony.^[32] Chase said that the story was "fake news" from the "fake media" and that there is "no connection" between her and Lamotta other than his being a supporter of hers.^[33]

Support for declaration of martial law

In a Facebook post on December 15, 2020, after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Chase called upon Trump to declare federal martial law and overturn the election results.^[34] Chase baselessly asserted that there was "extensive fraud here in Virginia"^[35] and alleged that the Biden–Harris campaign "cheated to win". Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton called Chase "unhinged" and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kirk Cox called her position "absurd and dangerous"; other officials also condemned Chase's statement, including Denver Riggleman, Barbara Comstock, and David Ramadan.^[20]

Storming of the United States Capitol and censure by the state Senate

Chase attended Donald Trump's rally prior to the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but stated that she left before the rioting began.^[16] Chase refused to denounce the attack on the Capitol.^[36] She praised the rioters as "Patriots who love their country and do not want to see our great republic turn into a socialist country"^[36] while falsely suggesting that left-wing "antifa or BLM agents of destruction" were to blame for the assault.^[16][37] (After Chase promoted this falsehood on Facebook, the social media site suspended her official Facebook account, which has more than 100,000 followers, for one week;^[16][18][37] her personal Facebook account was unaffected.^[18])

Chase also expressed her disappointment that Vice President Mike Pence did not intercede in the counting of the electoral votes to overturn Biden's victory.^[38][36] Chase later said that Trump still might be sworn in for a second term, saying, "The insurrection is actually the deep state with the politicians working against the people to overthrow our government."^[39]

On January 27, 2021, the state Senate voted 24–9 to censure Chase for "conduct unbecoming a senator" and "fomenting insurrection against the United States."^[4][5] Three Republicans joining the majority in passing the censure resolution, which marked the first censure of a Virginia state senator since 1987.^[4][5] Six Republican senators did not vote.^[16] Republican leaders in the Virginia Senate removed her from her committee assignment and bemoaned her "selfishness and constant need for media attention."^[40] In February 2021, Chase sued the state Senate and its clerk, claiming that the censure violated her First Amendment rights;^[6] the court dismissed her suit in May 2021.^[41]

Chase also claimed that Democratic state Senator Jennifer McClellan, a candidate for governor, could not represent all Virginians because of her leadership role in the Virginia Legislature's Black Caucus; this was one of several statements cited in the censure resolution against Chase.^[19]