Dawn Adams (Virginia)
Dawn Adams (Democratic Party) was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 68. She assumed office in 2018. She left office on January 10, 2024.
Adams (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 68. She won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Biography
Adams received her bachelor's degree in nursing from James Madison University, her master's degree in nursing from the University of Virginia, and her Ph.D. in nursing from Old Dominion University. Her professional experience includes working as a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner, and an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University. She has served as director of the office of integrated health at the Virginia Department for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.[1]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Adams was assigned to the following committees:
- General Laws Committee
- Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee
- House Privileges and Elections Committee
2020-2021
Adams was assigned to the following committees:
- General Laws Committee
- Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee
- House Privileges and Elections Committee
2019-2020
Adams was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2023
Dawn Adams did not file to run for re-election.
2021
See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2021
General election
General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 68
Incumbent Dawn Adams defeated Mark Earley Jr. in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 68 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dawn Adams (D) | 53.1 | 24,624 |
 | Mark Earley Jr. (R) | 46.8 | 21,693 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 54 | ||
| Total votes: 46,371 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68
Incumbent Dawn Adams defeated Kyle Elliott in the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dawn Adams | 61.9 | 5,756 |
 | Kyle Elliott | 38.1 | 3,536 | |
| Total votes: 9,292 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68
Mark Earley Jr. defeated Mike Dickinson in the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Earley Jr. | 91.5 | 2,056 |
 | Mike Dickinson | 8.5 | 192 | |
| Total votes: 2,248 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2019
See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019
General election
General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 68
Incumbent Dawn Adams defeated Garrison Coward in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 68 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dawn Adams (D) | 54.6 | 20,897 |
 | Garrison Coward (R) | 45.3 | 17,329 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 49 | ||
| Total votes: 38,275 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68
Garrison Coward defeated Lori Losi in the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 68 on June 11, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Garrison Coward | 74.0 | 2,415 |
 | Lori Losi | 25.9 | 847 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2 | ||
| Total votes: 3,264 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
General election
Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2017. All 100 house seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for primary election candidates was March 30, 2017. The filing deadline for non-party candidates and candidates nominated by methods other than a primary was June 13, 2017.[2] Dawn Adams (D) defeated incumbent Manoli Loupassi (R) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 68 general election.[3]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 68 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Dawn Adams |
50.44% | 19,772 | |
| Republican | Manoli Loupassi Incumbent | 49.56% | 19,427 | |
| Total Votes | 39,199 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
Democratic primary election
Dawn Adams defeated Mary Jo Sheeley and Ben Pearson-Nelson in the Virginia House of Delegates District 68 Democratic primary.[4]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 68 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Dawn Adams |
47.30% | 4,556 |
| Mary Jo Sheeley | 36.20% | 3,487 |
| Ben Pearson-Nelson | 16.51% | 1,590 |
| Total Votes | 9,633 | |
Republican primary election
Incumbent Manoli Loupassi ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 68 Republican primary.[5]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 68 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Manoli Loupassi Incumbent | ||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Dawn Adams did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Dawn Adams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Adams' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
1. Healthcare access- especially as it relates to the lack of infrastructure to support our aging community and the crisis in epidemic rates of dementia.
2. Environmental solutions that preserve and protect clean air, water and land; the threat to our coastal communities; and the increasing number of heat zones
3. Education- both K-12 and post secondary education options that yield opportunities for employment and student debt reform
I am personally passionate about the three areas I have listed as priorities. Each of these are in need of immediate attention through innovation, policy reform, and finding paths to affordable solutions.
I look up to everyday people who work hard and value integrity, honesty, loyalty and commitment.
There is no one book or film. I read constantly and the list is broad; I watch informative documentaries and socially popular films of all kinds except for horror, or those that are super violent, or graphic. I enjoy assimilating the knowledge gleaned from all of these media forms.
Despite media's disinterest in highlighting, I value integrity, trustworthiness and authenticity. I think there are many people in politics who are in it for the right reasons. I am not perfect, but I work extremely hard and when I make a mistake I learn from it. Its not popular today to own one mistakes, but its the right thing to do. I wish that we weren't so hard on one another. Most people are doing their best.
I am a relentless worker. Despite obstacles, setbacks or disappointments I will stand back up. I believe building relationships is critical to all success and I value peoples thoughts and input; I build relationships across the aisle, and even when I disagree with the person in front of me, I do my best to make them feel heard. I believe people want elected officials who listen, are smart, are strong problem solvers and are tireless in their representation; I believe I have represented my district with these qualities.
The core responsibilities are to represent the interests and wishes of the collective district constituency, and to make responsible policies that ensure the impact on the global Commonwealth is fair and representative while preserving fiscal solvency.
I would like to be a part of making good policy that helps improve the quality of life for all individuals across the Commonwealth.
I remember the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam war coverage. There were only three channels and the "breaking news" stories always scared me and indicated something bad was happening. That was back in the days though when "breaking news" was more rare.
My very first job was as a babysitter at 10 and I did that until I was able to get a "real job" at 15. I worked in a movie theater in northern Virginia until I became a life guard. Since I went to college at 17, I was not employed in these jobs very long.
Thanksgiving; it is a day to be grateful without presents and commercialization.
My family- because everything else is replaceable.
I believe it is extremely beneficial to have a background in public service- be that in healthcare, government, law, education, fire and police- to name a few. Bureaucracy, as much as we all hate it serves an important purpose. It is extremely important that one understands people in a personal and helping capacity; it affords one the ability to look as issues from many sides and the possibilities for unintended consequences. I think it is also important to understand and appreciate the importance of budgeting and I think you can understand that well only if you have had to manage one- so that is also super helpful.
Preserving our coastal communities and the quality of air, land and water. Addressing the lack of infrastructure to support the long-term health demands of o Commonwealth, and addressing the economic disparities in everything from education to criminal justice.
The ideal relationship would be have true separate but equal powers.
Building relationships with other legislators is critical to accomplishing anything in the General Assembly.
I favor an independent redistricting commission; Virginia's compromise is an adequate first step
As a minority party member and freshman, I was assigned to my committee and have no input in them. Despite my extensive background in Healthcare and Education, I was placed in Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and Militia, Police, and Public Safety- so I bring a health lens to these committees. Agriculture by far is the most fun.
I was recently made assistant to the policy chair for the caucus- this is the first time they have offered this role to its members.
I am interested in representing my district and if I can be more helpful in another role I would consider it. I enjoy being a Virginia Delegate.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2017
Ballotpedia candidate survey
Adams participated in a survey created by Ballotpedia. The survey was designed to let our readers know more about the candidates and feel confident that they are voting for the best person to represent them. The survey questions appear bolded, and Adams' responses follow below.
| “ | My potential constituents are individuals and families living in parts of Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield. They are hard working, ambitious, and compassionate. They wish to have a stronger public education system and are concerned about whether or not they're going to be able to afford to send their kids to college or a trade school. Citizens of the 68th District care about access to quality affordable healthcare for everyone and protecting our environment. We are one of the parts of Virginia where the James River runs right through our beautiful community. As of late, many of the people living in my district have become disillusioned with the state of national and state politics in Virginia. They are becoming increasingly aware of the rampant gerrymandering and the fact that Virginia is like the Wild West of campaign finance. The people in my district are looking to take back the power and influence from the special interests that line the pockets of legislators in both parties and have their voices heard with an equal seat at the table.[6] | ” |
| —Dr. Dawn M. Adams | ||
| “ | The primary job of a state legislature in our representative democracy is to serve as a surrogate in the General Assembly for the constituents of their district. They should vote the interests of their community, not based on their own personal ideology, and should have the courage to buck the party line if it is in the greater interest of families in the neighborhoods they represent. As delegate, I intend to be transparent in my votes and policy position and intend to inform those policy positions by having active conversations with citizens and stakeholders in my district. I believe that the best legislators are collaborators and are actually able to shape their legislative priorities and their policy stances based on the concerns and needs of their constituents.[6] | ” |
| —Dr. Dawn M. Adams | ||
| “ | As a nurse practitioner, I understand the significance and necessity of building strong relationships in providing health care, living in community, and working within government. One of my top priorities will be to build collaborative relationships with all members irrespective of party affiliation. Since I announced my candidacy in February, I've taken every opportunity to speak with individual citizens, local advocacy groups, and non-partisan organizations to not only learn which issues matter most to them, but listen to what they see as the most effective course of action to address those priorities. I make it a point in these conversations to speak as little as possible unless asked a direct question so that I can truly listen to their concerns without interjection. This strategy has helped me truly tap into the sentiments of voters in my district and I would make it a priority to continue this strategy when I represent the families of the 68th.[6] | ” |
| —Dr. Dawn M. Adams | ||
| “ | I believe the Commonwealth is ripe with opportunity for growth in jobs and associated pay. My general philosophy concerning economics, jobs, and growth is that the best way to strengthen the economy, create jobs, and create growth is through investing in our system of public education. Many school districts in Virginia, including all three represented in the 68th District, have per-capita spending levels in 2017 that are still not as high as they were before the Great Recession. We have school buildings in disrepair, teachers with salaries far below their colleagues in neighboring states, and a majority in the General Assembly seeking to pull funds out of our public school in favor of vouchers. By investing in education and proving to students that we value their academic success, we can move towards securing a strong, 21st century economy. I'd also like to see more investment in apprenticeship programs and re-training initiatives to help workers in dying industries learn the skills they need to compete in the modern workforce. Finally, we need to make it easy for entrepreneurs to start small businesses in the 68th and ensure that regulations intended to protect consumers from the negative externalities that can be produced by larger corporations.[6] | ” |
| —Dr. Dawn M. Adams | ||
Candidate website
Adams' campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Increase Access to Affordable Healthcare |
” |
| —Dawn Adams, [7] | ||
Endorsements
2017
In 2017, Adams' endorsements included the following:
- NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia[8]
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 11 to February 25.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 12 to March 12.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 13 to February 8.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 8 to March 12. A special session was held from August 18 to November 9.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 through February 24.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 10 through March 10. Special sessions were held from April 11 to May 30 and from August 30 to October 30.
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See also
2021 Elections
- State legislative elections, 2017
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017
- State legislative special elections, 2017
- Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia State Legislature
External links
|
Candidate Virginia House of Delegates District 68 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Vote Dawn M. Adams, "About Dawn," accessed May 15, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 November General Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Democratic Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Republican Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Dawn M. Adams, "Issues," accessed May 15, 2017
- ↑ NARAL, "2017 Endorsed House Candidates," accessed August 31, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Virginia House of Delegates District 68 2018-2024 |
Succeeded by Keith Hodges (R) |
