Virginia State Senator Adam Ebbin on
Friday declared his candidacy for the U.S. House seat being vacated
by retiring Congressman Jim Moran.
Ebbin, the Virginia Senate's only
openly gay member, joins seven other declared candidates running in
the June 10 Democratic primary.
The 50-year-old Ebbin made his
announcement in a videotaped message.
“Today, I'm excited to announce that
I'm running to succeed [Congressman Moran],” Ebbin said in the
2-minute video. “For over a decade in the General Assembly, I've
been a strong voice for progressive values who's gotten results.
We've increased protections for seniors and the disabled. We fought
to end human trafficking. We fought for LGBT equality. And strongly
resisted those who would deny fundamental rights to gay Virginians.”
(The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
The 8th Congressional
District which Ebbin is vying for is considered a Democratic
stronghold. It includes parts of Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church
and Fairfax County.
(Related: Sen.
Adam Ebbin: Repealing Virginia's gay marriage ban is possible.)