“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 third term in the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 45th District in the House of Delegates, where he is Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and serves on the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Agriculture, Chesapeake, an Natural Resources Committee. Governor Kaine appointed David to Virginia’s Poverty Reduction Task Force, and he has previously served on the Privileges and Elections Committee in the House of Delegates and on special joint subcommittees to improve math, science, and technology education, to expand telework opportunities, and to examine local business incentives for economic development.
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 the Mirant Plant, for equal rights, reproductive rights, and voting rights, and to lower health care costs for families and businesses. David fought to cut middle class income taxes and promoted new green jobs that also help 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” three 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. David began his life in public service 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, so they put down roots in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. As he transitioned from military to civilian public service, David became active in the civic and political life of the city, serving on the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, as a committee chairman in the Del Ray Citizens Association, as an Alexandria Democratic Committee precinct captain, and organizing and mobilizing fellow military veterans on behalf of Democratic candidates. Keeping a hand in international issues, he also conceived and launched an online effort to lobby Congress and the White House to take action against the genocide in Darfur, 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 in not in session, in addition to his year-round public service duties, David is a vice president at a local public relations firm and general manager of Caleb’s various extracurricular activities, which includes learning to skateboard with Caleb. David also serves on the Alexandria Regional 
Council of the United Way of the National Capital Area 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.
