Adam Ebbin
Encyclopedia
Adam P. Ebbin is an American politician
from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A Democrat
, he is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
, representing the state's 49th district in Northern Virginia
since January 2004. He was elected to the state senate
in November 2011 and will take office in January 2012.
in Washington, D.C.
, Ebbin was a Fellow at the University of Virginia
's Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership in 2000. A longtime Democratic Party activist, Ebbin spent a decade on the party's state central committee and was a delegate to both the 2000
and 2004 Democratic national convention
s.
opponent in the general election. He took office in January 2004 and was re-elected unopposed in 2005. Ebbin faced only an Independent Green
opponent in 2007, winning easily, and ran unopposed in 2009. The district includes a large part of South Arlington, the Del Ray and Arlandria portions of the City of Alexandria
and parts of Bailey's Crossroads
in Fairfax County
.
He faced a heated Democratic primary election held on August 23, 2011, with two opponents: Rob Krupicka, a member of the Alexandria city council, and Libby Garvey, a member of the Arlington school board. Krupicka, who led in fundraising, was widely considered the favorite but Ebbin prevailed narrowly in what local newspapers called an "upset" and a "shocker". Ebbin took 39% of the vote to Krupicka's 36% and Garvey's 25% – a margin of 335 votes. The 30th district race was the second most expensive primary in the state, with the three Democratic candidates raising a combined $746,000. In the general election, Ebbin faced Republican candidate Tim McGhee and prevailed easily. He will take office as a Virginia state senator in January 2012.
. His campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
. He was previously employed by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
as its Director of Communications.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
, representing the state's 49th district in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
since January 2004. He was elected to the state senate
Senate of Virginia
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia...
in November 2011 and will take office in January 2012.
Early life
A 1985 graduate of the American UniversityAmerican University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Ebbin was a Fellow at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
's Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership in 2000. A longtime Democratic Party activist, Ebbin spent a decade on the party's state central committee and was a delegate to both the 2000
2000 Democratic National Convention
The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
and 2004 Democratic national convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
s.
House of Delegates
He first sought the 49th district seat in 2003, narrowly winning a five-person Democratic primary and facing no RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent in the general election. He took office in January 2004 and was re-elected unopposed in 2005. Ebbin faced only an Independent Green
Independent Green Party of Virginia
The Independent Greens of Virginia, , is the state affiliate of the Independence Party of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It became a state party around 2003 when a faction of the Arlington local chapter of the Green Party of Virginia split from the main party...
opponent in 2007, winning easily, and ran unopposed in 2009. The district includes a large part of South Arlington, the Del Ray and Arlandria portions of the City of Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and parts of Bailey's Crossroads
Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia
Bailey's Crossroads is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 23,643 at the 2010 census...
in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
.
State Senate
Ebbin decided to give up his seat in the House of Delegates to run for the Virginia State Senate in 2011, following Patsy Ticer's announcement that she would not seek re-election. He ran in the 30th district, comprising parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County; the district leans heavily Democratic.He faced a heated Democratic primary election held on August 23, 2011, with two opponents: Rob Krupicka, a member of the Alexandria city council, and Libby Garvey, a member of the Arlington school board. Krupicka, who led in fundraising, was widely considered the favorite but Ebbin prevailed narrowly in what local newspapers called an "upset" and a "shocker". Ebbin took 39% of the vote to Krupicka's 36% and Garvey's 25% – a margin of 335 votes. The 30th district race was the second most expensive primary in the state, with the three Democratic candidates raising a combined $746,000. In the general election, Ebbin faced Republican candidate Tim McGhee and prevailed easily. He will take office as a Virginia state senator in January 2012.
Personal
A former president of the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club, Ebbin was the third openly gay elected official in Virginia and the first ever openly gay member of the Virginia General AssemblyVirginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
. His campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
. He was previously employed by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a non-profit legal services, watchdog, and policy organization founded in the United States in 1993. It is dedicated to ending discrimination and harassment of gay and lesbian U.S. military personnel negatively affected by the "Don't ask, don't tell"...
as its Director of Communications.