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.
Video Scott Surovell
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.
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.
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. Former state delegate and now Senator Chap Petersen was a member of the firm from 2005 through 2017.
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. 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. The case ultimately resulted in modifications to the Virginia Slayer Statute in the 2008 General Assembly Session. In 2010, Surovell also won a $4.80 million jury verdict 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.
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.
In January 2015 Surovell announced a run for the Virginia Senate, District 36, hoping to fill the seat of retiring Senator Toddy Puller. He won election to the State Senate by a margin of 60.52% to 39.28%.
Surovell was appointed to the General Laws and Technology Committee, Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee and Local Government Committee. In 2016, Surovell was also appointed to the Virginia High Speed Rail Commission.
In 2017, Surovell backed legislation to clean up coal ash ponds in Virginia.
Maps Scott Surovell
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.
References
External links
- Scott Surovell Official Bio
- Official Website
Source of the article : Wikipedia