“I will continue to fight for progressive policies grounded in social justice that give every member of our community — including the poor, the elderly, the weak, and the dispossessed — a fair shake and an equal shot at the American dream. We are joined together as neighbors, and together we must strengthen our economically and socially diverse community, defend our community’s traditional progressive values, and invest in a bright and prosperous future.”
David Englin is serving his fourth term in the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 45th District in the House of Delegates, where he serves on the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. First elected to the House in 2005, David has worked to end the regressive sales tax on food, for quality pre‐school for every child, against harmful pollution from coal-fired power plants, for marriage equality, reproductive rights, and voting rights, to protect public education and expand college opportunity, to lower health care costs for families and businesses, and for new energy policies to reverse climate change.
Since the National Journal listed David as one of the top nine new up-and-coming stars in Virginia politics in The Hotline in March 2006, David has proven himself to be a principled, effective, progressive leader. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has named David a “Legislative Hero” five times for his work on environmental issues, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia has recognized David for leadership in defense of reproductive freedom, and the Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance honored David with its 2009 Equality Award for his unflinching advocacy of equal rights, including his successful legislation securing equal rights in hospital visitation.
David was born and raised on military bases overseas, where his mother, who was a single parent, taught elementary school special education in the Department of Defense public school system. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History from the U.S. Air Force Academy and then a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
During his military service, David managed a wide range of issues, from sensitive and politically-charged public safety and environmental programs, to supporting the needs of military families, to building bridges between the military and local community and business organizations. David was on duty inside the Pentagon when it was attacked on September 11, 2001, and he deployed overseas as the chief of public affairs for the 16th Air Expeditionary Wing conducting counter-genocide and peacekeeping operations in the Balkans.
As his military career was coming to a close, David, his wife, Shayna, and their son, Caleb, put down roots in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. David became active in the civic and political life of our community, working to expand affordable housing, reduce neighborhood traffic, and mobilize fellow military veterans on behalf of Democratic candidates, while also launching an online effort lobbying Congress and the White House to address genocide in Sudan.
In June 2005, in his first bid for elected office, David won a competitive six-way primary for the Democratic nomination and went on to defeat a Republican opponent to succeed retiring Delegate Marian Van Landingham. Since then, he has consistently won re-election against credible Republican challengers with more than 61 percent of the vote.
When the General Assembly is not in session, in addition to his year-round public service duties, David is general manager of Caleb’s various extracurricular activities and a principal at Englin Consulting, the communications and advocacy firm his wife, Shayna, founded in 2006. An Eagle Scout and a strong believer in youth advocacy, David has been a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters is on the PTA at George Washington Middle School, the Alexandria public school his son attends. David is a member of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the U.S. Air Force Academy Association of Graduates, and a number of other political and civic organizations.
David and his family belong to Alexandria’s Beth El Hebrew Congregation, and they reserve Friday nights to observe Shabbat as a family.
Meet Shayna
Meet Caleb
The name "Englin"