Scott Surovell

Scott Surovell
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 36th district
Assumed office
January 13, 2016
Preceded by Toddy Puller
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 44th district
In office
January 13, 2010 – January 13, 2016
Preceded by Kristen J. Amundson
Succeeded by Paul Krizek
Personal details
Born Scott Anthony Surovell
(1971-08-21) August 21, 1971
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Erinn M. Madden
Residence Tauxemont, Virginia
Alma mater James Madison University
University of Virginia
Profession Attorney
Committees Counties, Cities & Towns, Science and Technology, Militia, Police & Public Safety, Virginia Broadband Commission

Scott Anthony Surovell (born August 21, 1971 in Washington D.C.) is a member of the Virginia Senate, representing the 36th district, which encompasses portions of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, roughly following U.S. Route 1. He previously represented the 44th district in the Virginia House of Delegates.[1]

Early life

Surovell grew up in the Tauxemont, Virginia area, and attended preschool, elementary school and intermediate school there. In 1989, he graduated from West Potomac High School, and went to college at James Madison University, where he was student body vice-president. He graduated in 1993, with a major in Political Science.

Professional career

In 1993, he served as a Governor's Fellow in the Administration of Governor L. Douglas Wilder. Surovell worked for DMV Deputy Commissioner Bill Leighty who later served as Chief of Staff under Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. He also interned in Washington, D.C. for Representative Jim Moran of Virginia and then-congressman Ron Wyden of Oregon.[2]

Surovell earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996, where he served as executive editor of the Virginia Journal of Environmental Law.[3]

Surovell is a trial lawyer specializing in criminal and traffic defense, domestic relations, personal injury, and commercial litigation. In 2002, Surovell founded Surovell Markle Isaacs and Levy PLC, a firm which specialized in representing individuals and small businesses throughout Northern Virginia with four other attorneys. In 2005, former state delegate Chap Petersen joined the firm as a partner. He was later elected to the Senate of Virginia.

Surovell argued his first case before the Supreme Court of Virginia at age 28 involving a fraud claim involving the sale of a used car.[4] In 2007, Surovell successfully blocked an insurance company from paying a man convicted of killing his wife $300,000 of life insurance proceeds from his wife's policy.[5] The case ultimately resulted in modifications[6] to the Virginia Slayer Statute[7] in the 2008 General Assembly Session. In 2010, Surovell also won a $4.80 million jury verdict[8] in favor of a Vienna family who was permanently injured in a fireworks accident in the Town of Vienna.

Political career

In 2003, Surovell was elected Chairman of the Mount Vernon District Democratic Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. In 2008, he was elected Chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee where he organized and led local grassroots campaign activities for the Obama-Biden, Warner, Moran, Connolly and Feder campaigns.

In 2009, Surovell resigned as Chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee in order to run for the House of Delegates.

Surovell has served on the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee (2010-2015), the Science & Technology Committee (2010-2015), and the Militia, Police & Public Safety Committee (2012-2015). In 2014, the Speaker appointed Delegate Surovell to the Virginia Broadband Commission. In 2014, Surovell was elected Caucus Chairman by the Virginia House Democratic Caucus.[9]

For several years Surovell has written a blog, entitled The Dixie Pig, named after a now-defunct restaurant on U.S. Route 1 in his district that was his grandmother’s favorite.[10]

In January 2015 Delegate Surovell announced a run for the Virginia Senate, District 36, hoping to fill the seat of retiring Senator Toddy Puller.[11][10] He won election to the State Senate by a margin of 60.52% to 39.28%.

Electoral history

Surovell first ran for the Virginia House of Delegates during the 2009 elections to replace retiring Democratic incumbent Kristen J. Amundson. He defeated his Republican challenger 53% to 44%, and was sworn into office the following January in Richmond, Virginia.[12]

Election to the Virginia House of Delegates, 2009
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Scott Surovell 9,960 54.3
Republican Jay McConville 8,384 45.7
Election to the Virginia House of Delegates, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Scott Surovell 8,738 59.38
Republican John Barsa 5,742 39.02
Independent Joe Glean 223 1.52
Election to the Virginia House of Delegates, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Scott Surovell 13,177 71.66
Independent Joe Glean 5,210 28.34
Election to the Virginia State Senate, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Scott Surovell 18,320 60.52
Republican Gerard M. Foreman II 11,890 39.28

References

  1. ↑ Virginia House of Delegates - Scott Surovell, retrieved February 25, 2010
  2. ↑ Bio on official Campaign website, retrieved February 25, 2010
  3. ↑ Bio on law firm website, retrieved December 20, 2010
  4. ↑ "HOLMES v. LG MARION CORPORATION". Findlaw. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Somashekhar, Sandhya (May 16, 2007). "Judge Rules Against the Killer and the Insurer". The Washington Post.
  6. ↑ Somashekhar, Sandhya (January 20, 2008). "Fairfax Lawmaker Aims to Close Slayer Statute Loophole". The Washington Post.
  7. ↑ http://leg1.state.va.us/000/lst/LS418462.HTM
  8. ↑ Jackman, Tom (November 13, 2010). "Jury awards $4.75 million in Vienna fireworks accident". The Washington Post.
  9. ↑ Vozella, Laura (September 24, 2014). "Surovell wins No. 2 Democratic Party post in Virginia House of Delegates". The Washington Post.
  10. 1 2 Barton, M.A. Scott Surovell Running for Virginia Senate Seat. Mount Vernon Patch, January 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ Peterson, T. Scott Surovell (D-44) Announces Bid for State Senate. Connection Newspapers, Tuesday, January 20, 2015.
  12. ↑ "2009 Virginia Election Results: House of Delegates - 44th District". Hampton Roads. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.