Rumors in Alexandria have finally been confirmed as State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39) announced Wednesday night that he will be resigning to join Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Ebbin will be the senior advisor at the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, according to a press release, and his resignation will go into effect Feb. 18. Soon after Ebbin’s announcement, Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) and former Del. Mark Levine (D-45) announced their intention to run for Ebbin’s seat.
Additionally, Alexandria City Councilman R. Kirk McPike now says that he’s considering running for Bennett-Parker’s current seat.
“I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s goal that adults 21 and over who choose to use cannabis, and those who use it for medical treatment, have access to a well-tested, accurately-labeled product, free from contaminants,” Ebbin said in his announcement. “2026 is the year we will move cannabis sales off the street corner and behind the age-verified counter.”
Over the last several years, Ebbin has sponsored a number of defeated bills to create a marketplace for legal sales and purchasing of cannabis. Ebbin has held the seat since 2012, before which he represented the 49th District in the House of Delegates for eight years.
Alexandria Democratic Committee Chair Jon DeNunzio said there will be a firehouse primary soon after Ebbin’s resignation.
“Local communities like the ADC are charged with running firehouse primaries — also known as unassembled caucuses — in cases like this, often within five days of a resignation like Sen. Ebbin’s,” DeNunzio said. “While we don’t have all the details on what will be required as of 8 p.m. Wednesday, we will get them soon and distribute the information on candidate filing, polling dates, times and locations as quickly as possible.”
Ebbin joining Spanberger’s administration and prompting a potential electoral shift has been rumored ever since the Governor-elect’s win in November.
“It’s a fascinating moment,” former Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg told ALXnow. “I would expect others to be throwing their hat in the ring. We have a deep bench of Democrats, and we have serious issues to face in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Bennett-Parker announces campaign
Bennett-Parker launched a campaign website and announced her candidacy shortly after Ebbin’s announcement.
“I am excited to share that I am running for Senate District 39 in the upcoming special election,” she said in a release. “I’m running to continue delivering real results for my constituents and to build on my work over the last four years, now with a Democratic trifecta.”
She also touted passing 21 bills into law during her tenure and demonstrated support for Democratic values like gun control and taking away tax breaks for millionaires.
“In my two terms in the House of Delegates and despite our divided government, I passed 21 bills into law on topics ranging from strengthening voting rights and disability rights, eliminating a tax break for multimillionaires, protecting victims of stalking, reducing food waste, and much more. I am also proud to have passed bills to preserve affordable housing and enact commonsense gun violence prevention policies, and proud of the progress we have made as a Democratic majority: providing historic investments to our public schools, raises for teachers and first responders, and delivering direct relief to Virginians through tax rebates.
Now in her second term, Bennett-Parker’s political trajectory has been relatively swift. She was elected Alexandria’s vice mayor in 2019, her first political race, and then defeated then-Del. Mark Levine in a primary in 2021.
In her announcement, she said that Ebbin has been an “exemplary legislator and leader” and congratulated him. Bennett-Parker also announced some powerful endorsements.
“I look forward to continuing this work in the Virginia Senate and I am honored to have the endorsements of Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, Speaker of the House of Delegates Don Scott, and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring,” she said.
On Thursday, Bennett-Parker announced that she received an endorsement from Ebbin.
“I’ve worked alongside Elizabeth and have seen her fight for the values of our community,” Ebbin said. “She’s dedicated, hardworking, and gets things done. Our Commonwealth and our community will be stronger with Elizabeth in the Virginia Senate.”
Her announcement also earned the support of retired Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne.
“I support Elizabeth Bennett Parker’s decision to seek Adam’s position,” Lawhorne told ALXnow. “If she wins, Kirk McPike has already expressed an interest in seeking her seat. I hope others decide to run for that seat so we can have a choice.”
Levine announces candidacy
It’s going to be a rematch of sorts, as Levine, at 9:11 p.m., announced his candidacy for Ebbin’s senate seat with a campaign website and a social media post.
“Sometimes history is made in a matter of years,” Levine wrote on social media. “And sometimes it’s made in days. You and I can make history together and help turn Virginia into a bastion of safety against the authoritarian regime that seeks to undermine our constitutional republic.”
Levine, a former radio talk show host, was elected in 2015 and campaigned for stricter gun control regulations and expanding health care access, among other progressive goals. He lost his seat when he was primaried by Bennett-Parker in 2021, while simultaneously losing a race for lieutenant governor.
“Our country is in a crisis, with a corrupt PRESIDENTIAL Administration determined to take away our freedoms, weaken our democracy, and unloose ICE to terrorize our communities,” Levine wrote. “The people of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax face an affordability crisis, with a tough job market, students struggling with student loans, high home prices, and runaway inflation caused by the Trump Tariffs.”
McPike expresses interest
At 6:59 p.m. — almost two hours after Ebbin announced, and about an hour-and-a-half after Bennett-Parker, Alexandria City Councilman R. Kirk McPike announced that he is considering running for her open seat, should she win.
McPike is the chief of staff to Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), and was first elected to City Council in 2021.
“I’m thinking about running,” McPike said, “and speaking with my family, friends, campaign team and supporters about what a campaign would look like. I’ll make a decision in the next few days. The campaign will be very fast.”
Like Bennett-Parker’s praise of Ebbin, McPike praised Bennett-Parker’s candidacy.
“In the next few days, a firehouse Democratic primary will be scheduled to select Adam’s replacement in the Virginia Senate,” McPike announced via email. “I’m excited to support Elizabeth Bennett-Parker for this seat. Elizabeth has been a leader in the House of Delegates, and on the Alexandria City Council before that. Elizabeth had 21 bills signed into law on issues ranging from voting rights, disability rights, reducing food waste, and much more. She has been a champion for working families, and in this upcoming session she will be passing the Constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights.”
McPike then said that this moment is a transition for Alexandria and the “whole Commonwealth.”
“Adam [Ebbin] hasn’t just been a great representative for us, he’s been a statewide leader on issues including transit, LGBTQ rights, and cannabis,” McPike added. “We’re fortunate to have a great slate of delegates in Leader [Charniele] Herring, Del. [Alfonso] Lopez, and Del. Bennett-Parker. I think over the next few weeks Alexandrians are going to have a chance to show where they want this Commonwealth to go in this new era under Governor Spanberger.”
An official date for the election to replace Ebbin has yet to be announced.
