Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment

Former gay Virginia state representative Mark Levin (D-Alexandria) lost his bid to replace gay U.S. Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) in the Jan. 13 “fire brigade” Democratic primary.

Levine came in second place in the hastily convened primary, receiving 807 votes (17.4%). The winner of the four-candidate race was Elizabeth Bennett Parker, a Democrat supported by Ebbin and Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, who received 3,281 votes, or 70.6 percent.

Ebbin, whose 39th Senate District includes Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties, announced on January 7 that he would resign, effective February 18, to join the Spanberger administration as senior adviser to the Virginia Department of Cannabis Control.

World Wildlife Fund Director Charles Sumpter came in third with 321 voters, or 6.9 percent, according to the results of the Jan. 13 primary, called by Democratic leaders in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax. Former Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson came in fourth with 238 votes (5.1 percent).

Bennett Parker, who advocates for the LGBTQ community consider a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community, will now compete as the Democratic candidate in the Feb. 10 special election in which District 39 registered voters of all parties and independents will choose Evin’s successor in the state Senate.

Alexandria publication ALX Now reports that local real estate agent Julie Robben Lineberry has been selected by the Alexandria Republican City Committee as the Republican candidate to participate in the Jan. 10 special election. According to ALX Now, Lineberry was the only application running at the now-canceled special caucus-type event, originally held to elect Republican candidates.

It was not immediately clear whether independent candidates or candidates from other parties planned to run in the special election.

Bennett Parker is considered the frontrunner to win the Feb. 10 special election in the Democratic-heavy 39th District, where Democrat Ebbin has served in the Senate since 2012.