ABOUT ADAM
Former Virginia Senator Adam P. Ebbin took office in 2012 after serving for eight years in the House of Delegates.
Adam was a leader on advancing public safety in the General Assembly, banning firearms in state-owned buildings and on the grounds of the State Capitol (SB 1215, 2021), prohibiting public and private school personnel from recommending suspected sexual misconduct offenders to prospective employers (SB 605, 2018; SB 832, 2020), and providing support to victims of human trafficking (SB 259, 2012 and HB 2190, 2011).
He worked tirelessly to protect civil rights; he passed a comprehensive ban on discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity (SB 868, 2020). He also decriminalized and then legalized marijuana (SB 2, 2020; SB 1406, 2021), established statutory penalties for unlawful evictions (SB 1215, 2021), allowed employees to sue employers for stealing earned wages (SB 838, 2020), protected the Latino community from legal fraud (SB 503, 2014), and created a public defender office in Arlington County (HB 1500, 2004).
Adam was a champion for coalition building and pragmatic solutions. He passed legislation to enable lower interest rates on deferred property taxes for seniors (HB 2635, 2005), provided prenatal care for immigrant mothers (SB 568, 2012), and ended the practice of suspending driver's licenses for nonpayment of court costs and fees (SB 10, 2020).
He served as the Chair of the influential General Laws and Technology Committee, as well as a member of four other Senate Committees: Finance and Appropriations; Commerce and Labor; Privileges and Elections; and the Senate Rules Committee. Adam chaired the Commission on Unemployment Compensation and was a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the School Readiness Committee, and the Joint Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources Oversight. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and co-chaired the General Assembly Gun Violence Prevention caucus.
He worked inside and outside the legislative process to fight for progressive change in Virginia. He founded the Virginia Partisan Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club. In 2023, Adam raised and contributed more than $500,000 to Democratic candidates in state races, helping Democrats defend the State Senate and retake the House of Delegates. Following the 2023 elections, Adam was elected by his Senate Democratic colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Adam was honored by many organizations for his service. He was recognized by the Virginia Education Association as "Solid as a Rock for Education," named an "Environmental Hero" by the League of Conservation Voters, and selected as one of Equality Virginia's "OUTstanding Virginians." He also received Neighborhood Health's Health Equity Award, the NORML Vanguard Award, recognition from the Virginia Humane Society as an "All Star for Animals," and was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Metropolitan Washington Building Trades Council.
A native of Commack, New York, Adam resided in Alexandria beginning in 1989 and was a 1985 graduate of American University in Washington, DC. He was a Fellow with the Flemming Foundation for Legislative Leadership (2006), the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership (2000), and Harvard University's Kennedy School program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government (2012).
Adam was a leader on advancing public safety in the General Assembly, banning firearms in state-owned buildings and on the grounds of the State Capitol (SB 1215, 2021), prohibiting public and private school personnel from recommending suspected sexual misconduct offenders to prospective employers (SB 605, 2018; SB 832, 2020), and providing support to victims of human trafficking (SB 259, 2012 and HB 2190, 2011).
He worked tirelessly to protect civil rights; he passed a comprehensive ban on discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity (SB 868, 2020). He also decriminalized and then legalized marijuana (SB 2, 2020; SB 1406, 2021), established statutory penalties for unlawful evictions (SB 1215, 2021), allowed employees to sue employers for stealing earned wages (SB 838, 2020), protected the Latino community from legal fraud (SB 503, 2014), and created a public defender office in Arlington County (HB 1500, 2004).
Adam was a champion for coalition building and pragmatic solutions. He passed legislation to enable lower interest rates on deferred property taxes for seniors (HB 2635, 2005), provided prenatal care for immigrant mothers (SB 568, 2012), and ended the practice of suspending driver's licenses for nonpayment of court costs and fees (SB 10, 2020).
He served as the Chair of the influential General Laws and Technology Committee, as well as a member of four other Senate Committees: Finance and Appropriations; Commerce and Labor; Privileges and Elections; and the Senate Rules Committee. Adam chaired the Commission on Unemployment Compensation and was a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the School Readiness Committee, and the Joint Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources Oversight. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and co-chaired the General Assembly Gun Violence Prevention caucus.
He worked inside and outside the legislative process to fight for progressive change in Virginia. He founded the Virginia Partisan Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club. In 2023, Adam raised and contributed more than $500,000 to Democratic candidates in state races, helping Democrats defend the State Senate and retake the House of Delegates. Following the 2023 elections, Adam was elected by his Senate Democratic colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Adam was honored by many organizations for his service. He was recognized by the Virginia Education Association as "Solid as a Rock for Education," named an "Environmental Hero" by the League of Conservation Voters, and selected as one of Equality Virginia's "OUTstanding Virginians." He also received Neighborhood Health's Health Equity Award, the NORML Vanguard Award, recognition from the Virginia Humane Society as an "All Star for Animals," and was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Metropolitan Washington Building Trades Council.
A native of Commack, New York, Adam resided in Alexandria beginning in 1989 and was a 1985 graduate of American University in Washington, DC. He was a Fellow with the Flemming Foundation for Legislative Leadership (2006), the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership (2000), and Harvard University's Kennedy School program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government (2012).