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Senator Scott A. Surovell has represented Eastern Fairfax County since 2010. Prior to his time in the Senate, Senator Surovell served six years in the House of Delegates. Senator Surovell lives in Mt. Vernon with his wife and four children. He practices law and has dedicated his legislative career to fighting for Northern Virginia’s fair share, protecting consumers, and preserving our environment for future generations.

Senator Surovell has been a voice for reproductive health care access throughout his career. In recent sessions, he voted to repeal the abortion prohibition in Virginia health insurance plans. He voted to establish the Reproductive Health Protection Act and voted against prohibiting state funding for abortion services. Earlier in his career, he voted against requiring an ultrasound prior to an abortion and against defining life as beginning at conception.

Senator Surovell has consistently voted as a criminal justice advocate. He voted against mandatory consecutive sentences of imprisonment, a policy that keeps people locked in a vicious cycle. He voted against requiring school principals to report student misdemeanors to law enforcement. He voted to expand voting rights to release inmates, a move praised by both criminal justice and voting rights advocates. Amongst other policies, he also sponsored a bill to require police to inform drivers on why they are being stopped.

Senator Surovell has also championed civil liberties and rights. In 2020, he voted to prohibit No-knock Search Warrants, a practice derided by civil rights groups. He voted to repeal the state statutory same-sex marriage ban and amend state documents to adopt gender-neutral terms. He voted to prohibit state funding for conversion therapy on minors and amend the anti-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity, a bill he also co-sponsored.

Gun violence prevention has also been at the top of his priorities. In 2021, he voted to establish gun-free zones on school board property and voted to prohibit the possession of firearms within 40 feet of a polling place. In 2020, he voted to prohibit individuals subject to a protective order from possessing firearms and voted to increase penalties for unsecured firearms. He also voted to require reporting lost or stolen firearms and authorize the temporary seizure of guns from persons posing substantial risk.

Senator Surovell is facing a challenge from Republican Mark Springman. Springman is a typical Republican: he will do nothing to curb police violence and abuse, he will weaken public education and further attacks on trans youth, and believes cutting taxes is a panacea for all economic ails.

Given his record on reproductive health, criminal justice, civil rights, and gun violence prevention, Senator Scott Surovell is the progressive choice in this race.
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Saddam Azlam Salim is a graduate of George Mason University where he received his Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in public and non-profit finance and currently works as a Senior Consultant advising federal clients. Salim is also actively involved in several community organizations. He serves as second Vice Chair on the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee, the Co-State Director for South Asians for America, and is a founding member of the API Caucus and the FCDC Black Caucus.

One of Salim’s priorities is reproductive rights. Salim pledges to ensure that people have access to reproductive health and education including “high quality and medically accurate sex education in our public schools.” Salim also understands the importance of having community resources and will fight to expand access to abortion in underserved communities. Additionally, Salim plans to bring down the maternal mortality rate by advocating for more resources for prenatal care, especially for people of color. Lastly, Salim has committed to making sure that accurate information regarding reproductive options are made available to patients and that no restrictions are placed on reproductive services or information.

Another issue in Salim’s campaign is LGBTQ+ rights. He promises to oppose all legislation that negatively targets LGBTQ+ communities. Once elected, Salim has plans to add legislation that protects the rights of LGBTQ+ people by adding Virginia to the list of states that include Rainbow Wall legislation. He also has plans to sponsor legislation that codifies the right to have gender affirming care and prohibits anti-trans legislation from other states. Salim promises to be an ally and fight alongside the LGBTQ+ community against all attacks.

This first time candidate also has a plan for climate action in the Commonwealth. Salim understands how crucial it is for Virginia to move towards clean energy. He plans to allow local governments to set energy codes in order to improve energy efficiency and aid in reaching 50% of the Virginia Clean Economy Act Goals.
Salim also supports the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). He promises to oppose any efforts by the Governor to pull out of RGGI and be an outspoken advocate of environmental policies.

Salim is a 2023 gun sense candidate and supports an assault weapons ban as well as legislation for mandatory waiting periods for firearm purchases. He also plans to support legislation that will restrict perpetual domestic abusers from making purchases. He pledges to support legislation that provides early prevention, investing in communities with higher gun violence rates and making sure that they have access to resources such as affordable housing, healthcare, and jobs, so that gun violence is less prevalent in their communities.

Salim’s opponent is Loudon County Supervisor, Republican Ken Reid, a former business owner and author. Reid obtained his M.A. University of Missouri School of Journalism from George Mason University along with an B.A. Rutgers in political science and Espanol. Reid builds his campaign off of his support for state income tax cuts as well as the removal of state interference in prescription medication and medical devices. Reid also shows strong support for the police department, believing that we should increase police funding despite clear and indisputable evidence that police are incapable of de escalating and stopping crime. He opposes environmental initiatives such as RGGI and allowing local government to set energy codes believing them to be “extremist environmental provisions.” Saddam Azlam Salim is the progressive choice for this race due to his advocacy for commonsense gun laws, his dedication to climate action, and his position to protect the LGBTQ+ community from growing attacks. Close Window