Summary

About

From Campaign Website

Marcus came to Washington in 1970 as an infant, the oldest child of Sam & Susan Simon. Sam was a freshly minted young lawyer who arrived in the Nation’s Capital on a mission to change the world for the better. He went to work with consumer advocate Ralph Nader and his new Public Interest Research Group. Growing up the son of one of the original Nader’s Raiders, Marcus was impressed early in life with the value of public service, and the importance of leaving the world a better place than he found it.

His mother Susan worked as a teacher, a learning disability specialist, and an elementary school counsellor in the Fairfax County Public Schools. The family, which quickly grew to include sister Rachael, lived in homes in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church in the 1970s and 80s. Before graduating from McLean High School in 1988, Marcus attended Longfellow Intermediate and both Kent Gardens and Haycock elementary.

Marcus spent his summers at Kent Gardens Recreation Club, where he was on both the Swim and Dive teams. He played McLean Youth Soccer, Basketball, T-ball and Track. He received his Varsity letter in swimming at McLean High School, where he also wrote many articles for the School paper.

Early Involvement in State & County Government

After returning from four years of College in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in Middle East Studies and Journalism from NYU, Marcus went to work for Delegate James M. Scott as his first full time legislative aide. He rented a house in Pimmit Precinct which also served as the unofficial 53rd District local office. Marcus worked on Jim’s 1993 re-election campaign and accompanied him to Richmond for the 1993 and 1994 legislative sessions. In 1995 Marcus went to work for then Providence District Supervisor, and candidate for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Katherine K. Hanley. He moved with Kate to the Government Center after her successful special election campaign, and remained on her staff for the next five years. In the fall of that year he began attending Law School at American University’s Washington College of Law at night.

Military Service

Marcus left the Chairman’s office after graduating law school in 1999 and receiving his Commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Although he’d volunteered to spend his first year as JAG serving in Korea, his assignment was changed during the final days of his training in Charlottesville, and he was assigned to the Military District of Washington and Ft. Myer, in Arlington. As an Army Captain, Marcus served as a prosecutor where he handled officer misconduct cases and all criminal cases on Ft. Myer, Ft. McNair, and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also served as a part time Special Assistance United States Attorney prosecuting civilians who committed crimes on federal military installations in the Washington area.

Marcus also provided legal support to the Emergency Operations Command Center on Ft. McNair during the days following the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.

Private Practice

Upon completion of his military commitment, Marcus entered private practice in 2003 working as a Real Estate attorney in downtown McLean. In 2008 Marcus co-founded the Law Firm of Leggett, Simon, Freemyers & Lyon and Ekko Title, a real estate settlement, title and escrow company. Ekko Title now employees over 40 people at its eight locations throughout Northern Virginia from Fredericksburg in the South to Reston and McLean in the North.

Community Involvement

In 2004 he was appointed by Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerry Connolly to the Fairfax County Advisory Social Services Board which he later chaired, and the Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority where he continues to serve as Vice Chair. He currently serves on the Following Boards, Authorities and Commissions.

• Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• NVAR Standard Forms Committee (from 2005)
• Fairfax County Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission
• McLean Planning Committee
• Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority – Vice Chair
• Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission – Dranesville District Representative
• Fairfax County Bar Association
• Virginia State Bar
• Fairfax County Democratic Committee
• Dranesville District Democratic Committee
• Kent Gardens PTA
• Kent Gardens Recreation Club Board of Directors
• Coach – McLean Youth Soccer

Personal Information

Birth Year: 1970
Place of Birth: Austin, TX
Gender: Male
Race(s):
Religion: Jewish
Spouse:Rachel Anne Goldstein
Children:Emily and Zachary
Membership & Affiliation:
Temple Rodef Shalom
Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce
Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission
Kent Gardens Recreation Club

Education

West Virginia University, WV
New York University, NY (B.A., Near Eastern Studies, 1992)
American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC (J.D., 1999)

Political Career

Committees

• Science and Technology

• Militia, Police and Public Safety

• Courts of Justice

Subcommittees

• Courts of Justice – Subcommittee #3

Other Appointments

• House Courts of Justice
• House Militia Police and Public Safety
• House Science & Technology
• World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission, Virginia

Election Results

See Ballotpedia

Virginia House of Delegates, District 53 General Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Marcus Simon Incumbent	75.15%	19,235
	Independent	Mike Casey	24.85%	6,362
Total Votes				25,597

Campaign Finance

See VPAP

Policy Positions

From Ballotpedia

• Environment

Excerpt: “One of the things that makes Northern Virginia so unique is that even as we’ve become more urban, we continue to value and try to preserve our green spaces. …As your representative I will fully support measures promoting clean air and clean water to protect our quality of life. …A recent government study calculated that for every $1 spent by a polluter to control emissions, Americans receive $30 in benefits ranging from lower health care costs to attracting workers who want to reside where they are employed.”

• Economic Development

Excerpt: “The obsession of the Republican majority in Richmond with promoting radical right wing social legislation is hurting Virginia’s women, families, and now our reputation as a great place to locate a business.”

• Education

Excerpt: “Study after study have shown that access to early childhood education improves outcomes from children. Investments in early childhood education now will result in lower spending on juvenile justice, social welfare, and prisons later.”

• Transportation

Excerpt: “Traffic and Gridlock cost Falls Church and Fairfax residents thousands of dollars every year in wasted gas, lost time, day-care late fees, and countless other ways. …As a member of the General Assembly I will work tirelessly to ensure that more of the revenue generated in Falls Church and Fairfax returns to Falls Church and Fairfax as funds for transportation. Too much money is diverted on Roads to Nowhere in rural parts of the state where there is no traffic, while we endure gridlock on Leesburg Pike, Lee Highway and Interstate 66 every evening from 3 in the afternoon until 8 at night.”

• Gun Violence Prevention

Excerpt: “As your representative in the House of Delegates I will be a strong advocate for common sense measures like universal background checks for all gun purchases, even those of so-called private sellers at gun shows. I support limiting the size of magazines, empowering localities to make their libraries and teen centers gun-free zones, and reintroducing one handgun a month legislation.”

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