This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from Adam Ebbin, who is running for the 39th Virginia State Senate District as a Democrat.
Dear Neighbor,
I have represented portions of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax in the Virginia Senate since 2011, and for eight years in the House of Delegates before that. With the coming unprecedented turnover in the General Assembly as a result of retirements and redistricting, I look forward to continuing my service as an experienced progressive leader for Northern Virginia.
Democrats have made important progress. We need to protect it. We made the largest investment in affordable housing in Virginia history, expanded Medicaid to cover more than 700,000 Virginians, gave raises to our educators and first responders, and we took historic action to reduce the damage of climate change. I passed bills that first decriminalized – then legalized – cannabis, banned guns in state buildings, and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
But Governor Youngkin and his fellow Republicans are trying to drag us backwards. They want to repeal the RGGI tax on corporate polluters, repeal criminal justice reforms, gun safety laws, and LGBTQ+ protections, and limit reproductive freedom in Virginia. The Democratic Virginia Senate Majority has defended that progress: we’ve fought Republican efforts to reduce education spending, we’ve blocked Republican bills that would weaken the right to vote, and we have been the Blue Brick Wall protecting the last bastion of reproductive freedom in the Southeast.
That’s why you need to vote. Early voting ends on Saturday, November 4 th . Election Day is Tuesday, November 7 th .
With Governor Younkgin in office until January 2026, there are many things we Democrats can do to keep making progress – not just playing defense. We can protect reproductive freedom in Virginia’s Constitution, and finally repeal the ban on marriage equality that was added to the state constitution in 2006. The General Assembly can approve these constitutional amendments, and send them to the people for their approval without the interference of Governor Youngkin.
But doing that starts with electing a Democratic majority in 2023.
We have critical fights ahead to protect Virginia’s public education and health care systems, as well as our AAA bond rating. I stood strong with my colleagues on the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee this year against Youngkin’s reckless permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and individuals. Instead, we succeeded in forcing Republicans to invest more in public education and mental health – investments that would be unaffordable with Youngkin’s new permanent tax cuts.
Thank you for the honor of representing you in the State Senate. I’m asking that you again entrust me with your vote, so I can keep delivering results and protecting the progress we’ve made from extremists trying to take Virginia backwards.
I’ve worked hard to get results for our community’s progressive values, including protecting access to reproductive health care, safeguarding tenants from unlawful evictions, investing in our schools, banning guns from state buildings, and passing protections for LGBTQ+ Virginians. But there’s more work to do, and I’m up for the fight.
With your support, I’ll never stop fighting for you.
Adam P. Ebbin
Member, Senate of Virginia
Running to Represent the 39 th Senate District