Incumbent Delegate Marcus Simon is a lifelong resident of Fairfax County who has represented the 53rd District in the House of Delegates since 2014. He earned a bachelor's degree from New York University and earned his law degree from American University. Since obtaining his law degree, he has worked as a real estate attorney and served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps. He currently lives in Fairfax with his wife and two children.

As chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee, Simon worked to ensure easy and fair access to our elections. In 2020, he helped pass legislation that established no-excuse absentee voting in Virginia. He also helped expand access to satellite voting sites, early voting, and Sunday voting. He supports the restoration of voting rights to returning citizens. He is also a strong advocate for campaign finance reform and has regularly introduced a bill to prohibit campaign funds from being used for personal use, though it has failed to pass the legislature.

Simon supported marijuana legalization and sees it as beneficial to the economy, healthcare, and criminal justice system. As a delegate, he’s worked to ensure all Virginians benefit from marijuana legalization. He advocated to ensure tax revenue from marijuana sales goes to important causes, including public education, substance abuse programs, and public health organizations. He supported legislation establishing the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board and Fund, which puts tax money back into communities disproportionately affected by drug enforcement laws.

Simon has also worked to preserve the environment. He voted for the Virginia Clean Economy Act to reduce Virginia’s use of fossil fuels. He supported a program to assist school boards in purchasing electric school buses as well as provide a rebate to those who buy electric vehicles. He also supported a requirement for car producers to sell a certain percentage of electric or hybrid cars. He has also worked to make sustainable transportation options safer and easier, such as voting for a bill to require drivers to change lanes when passing bicyclists.

Simon has advocated for working families as well. He voted for a bill to require certain Virginia businesses to provide paid sick leave to their employees. He also voted for a bill increase the minimum wage and the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which provides protections for employees like nannies and housekeepers. He supported the Virginia Values Act, which protects workers from discrimination based on race, sex, national origin or sexual orientation.

Simon is being challenged by Libretarian candidate Dave Crance. Crance is an Army veteran and the Regional Manager of a hotel chain who builds his platform on the issues of lowering taxes, which defunds safety net programs and school education. He wants tax cuts for small businesses and businessowners, and believes in establishing term limits for politicians.

Due to his support for voting rights, the environment, criminal justice reform, and working families, Delegate Simon is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 53rd District.
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