“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 oppressed — a fair shake and an equal shot at the American dream. We’re all in this together, bound to one another, and together we must make government work for people to strengthen our communities and make real the promise of freedom.”
David Englin is currently serving his second term in the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 45th District in the House of Delegates, where he is a Democratic Whip and serves on the Privileges and Elections Committee, and the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee. David also serves on special joint subcommittees to improve math, science, and technology education and to examine local business incentives for economic development, and he is a member of the Virginia Geographic Information Systems Advisory Board.
In March of 2006, The Hotline, an online publication of the National Journal, listed David as one of the top nine new up-and-coming stars in Virginia politics. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has twice named David a “Legislative Hero” for his work on environmental issues, and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia has recognized David for leadership in defense of reproductive freedom.
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. David began his lifelong commitment to serving others when he joined the Air Force at age 17. 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. Before being honorably discharged in May 2004, David helped establish and eventually directed a $2.5-million service-wide program to assist the families and civilian employers of National Guard and Reserve airmen.
As his military career was coming to a close, David, his wife, Shayna, and their son, Caleb, chose to make Northern Virginia their home because of its strong communities and strong values. They put down roots in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, where David became active in the civic and political life of the city. In 2003, the Alexandria City Council appointed David to the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. David also led Alexandria Veterans for Kerry, was active in the Del Ray Citizens Association, served as an Alexandria Democratic Committee precinct captain, and conceived and launched an online effort to lobby Congress and the White House to take action to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
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n 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. In November 2007, David defeated a credible and well-funded Republican challenger, winning re-election with more than 64 percent of the vote.
In addition to his work for a local public relations firm, his duties as general manager of Caleb’s various extracurricular activities, and learning to skateboard with Caleb, David serves on the Regional Council of the Alexandria United 
Way and 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, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, Equality Virginia, Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington, Progressive Democrats of America, the Democratic Leadership Council, and a number of other political and civic organizations. An Eagle Scout and a strong believer in youth advocacy, David has been a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters and is on the PTA at Maury Elementary School, the Alexandria public school his son attends.
David and his family belong to Alexandria’s Beth El Hebrew Congregation, and they reserve Friday nights to observe Shabbat as a family.
