Adam represents the 30th Senate District, consisting of approximately 200,000 residents who reside in portions of Arlington, Alexandria and parts of Fairfax County’s Mount Vernon and Lee Magisterial Districts. The 30th district borders the Potomac River and includes Reagan National Airport, Old Town Alexandria and George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate.

As a leader in the General Assembly, Adam has fought to advance progressive priorities, including incentives for cleaner energy, funding for mass transit improvements, an end to discrimination in state employment, and justice for exploited workers and victims of human trafficking. He served as Chair of the Virginia Commission on the Prevention of Human Trafficking.

“When he takes the House floor to speak, his colleagues listen.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch

“…well respected, substantive and effective…” – The Washington Post

Adam has distinguished himself as a voice for the easily exploited. He has won approval of legislation to enable lower interest rates on deferred property taxes for seniors (HB 2635, 2005), to create a solar resource fund to increase production of clean energy (HB 2919, 2011), to create a Public Defender office in Arlington County (HB 1500, 2004), to provide support to victims of human trafficking (SB 259, 2012; HB 2190, 2011) and to provide prenatal care for immigrant mothers (SB 568, 2012). He also led a bipartisan effort that provided access to life insurance benefits to domestic partners (HB 865, 2008; HB 352, 2010).

The first openly gay member of the Virginia General Assembly, Adam co-founded Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club in 1992.

His leadership skills were previously recognized by Governor Mark Warner, who in 2002 appointed Adam to serve as Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry.

A member of the Alexandria Democratic Committee for more than 20 years, Adam also served on the State Central Democratic Committee.

A native of Commack, New York, Adam has resided in Alexandria since 1989 and is a 1985 graduate of American University in Washington,DC. He was a Fellow with the Flemming Foundation for Legislative Leadership in 2006 and at theUniversityofVirginia’s Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership in 2000. In 2012, Adam also was a fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.