Mark Keam

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Mark Keam
Image of Mark Keam
Prior offices
Virginia House of Delegates District 35
Successor: Holly Seibold
Predecessor: Steve Shannon

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Irvine

Law

University of Hastings, College of Law, 1995

Personal
Profession
Senior advisor
Contact

Mark Keam (Democratic Party) was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 35. He assumed office in 2010. He left office on September 6, 2022.

Keam (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 35. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.

Keam resigned on September 6, 2022, to take a job in the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.[1]

Biography

Keam earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California at Irvine and his J.D. from the University of Hastings, College of Law in 1995.[2]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2020-2021

Keam was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Keam was assigned to the following committees:

2016 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2016 legislative session, Keam served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2016
Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Commerce and Labor
Education
Finance

2015 legislative session

In the 2015 legislative session, Keam served on the following committees:

2014 legislative session

In the 2014 legislative session, Keam served on the following committees:

2012-2013

In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Keam served on the following committees:

2010-2011

In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Keam served on the following committees:

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

2021

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2021

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35

Incumbent Mark Keam defeated Kevin McGrath in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35 on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mark Keam
Mark Keam (D)
 
68.7
 
24,226
Kevin McGrath (R)
 
31.1
 
10,975
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
49

Total votes: 35,250
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Mark Keam advanced from the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 35.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Kevin McGrath advanced from the Republican primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 35.

Campaign finance

2019

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019

General election

General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35

Incumbent Mark Keam won election in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35 on November 5, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mark Keam
Mark Keam (D)
 
92.8
 
17,198
 Other/Write-in votes
 
7.2
 
1,344

Total votes: 18,542
Candidate Connection = 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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2017

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 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.[3] Incumbent Mark Keam (D) ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 35 general election.[4]

Virginia House of Delegates, District 35 General Election, 2017
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Mark Keam Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 22,596
Total Votes 22,596
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

Democratic primary election

Incumbent Mark Keam ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 35 Democratic primary.[5]

Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
Virginia House of Delegates, District 35 Democratic Primary, 2017
Candidate
Green check mark transparent.png Mark Keam Incumbent

Republican primary election

No Republican candidate filed to run for this seat. [6]

Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.
Virginia House of Delegates, District 35 Republican Primary, 2017
Candidate

2015

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2015

Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.[7] Incumbent Mark Keam was unopposed in the Democratic primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[8][9]

2013

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2013

Keam won re-election in the 2013 election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35. Keam ran unopposed in the June 11th Democratic primary. He defeated Leiann Leppin Luse (R) in the general election on November 5, 2013.[10]

Virginia House of Delegates, District 35 General Election, 2013
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMark Keam Incumbent 64.7% 14,632
     Republican Leiann Leppin Luse 35.2% 7,961
     Other Write-in 0.2% 38
Total Votes 22,631

Race snapshot

See also: 2013 Elections Preview: Some seats may switch parties in the Virginia House of Delegates

After running unopposed in 2011 but only winning his seat by a margin of less than 400 votes in 2009, Mark Keam (D) faced a Republican challenger in 2013. Luse, a project manager and analyst, hoped to unseat this two-term Democratic incumbent, but the district awarded President Barack Obama (D) with 59 percent of the vote in 2012 and Governor Bob McDonnell (R) with 49 percent in 2009. Republicans would have needed to have a very good election night to win this district from a Democratic candidate.[11][12]

2011

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2011

On November 8, 2011, Keam won re-election to District 35 of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was uncontested in the August 23 primary and ran unopposed in the November 8 general election.[13]

2009

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2009

In 2009, Keam was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He defeated James Hyland in the General Election.[14]

Virginia House of Delegates General Election, District 35 (2009)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Mark Kirk (D) 12,606
James Hyland (R) 12,252

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mark Keam did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Mark Keam did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.

2017

Ballotpedia candidate survey

Keam 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 Keam's responses follow below.

Who are your constituents?
Approximately 83,000 residents in Fairfax County in the neighborhoods of Tysons, Dunn Loring, Vienna, Oakton, Penderbrook, Fair Oaks and Fairfax.[15]
—Mark Keam
What is the primary job of a state legislator in your view?
To serve as a bridge between the state government and individual Virginians who pay for the government to exist and to serve their essential needs.[15]
—Mark Keam
How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?
Over the past 8 years that I have been in office, I have built strong working relationships with various government, civic, social and business institutions within my legislative district as well as with thousands of individual constituents. The groups I work closely with include civic and homeowners associations, service clubs such as Rotary, Optimist and Lions, veterans serving organizations such as American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Vietnam Veterans, school-related and PTA groups, cause-oriented ones such as Sierra Club, NARAL, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Art Society, Vienna Woman's Club, Historic Vienna, as well as faith-based houses of worship and chambers of commerce.[15]
—Mark Keam
As a publicly elected leader, who would you emulate? Who do you look up to? Why? What characteristics/values are most important for a legislator?
As an elected official, I work to promote candor, transparency and accountability in government, and availability and open-mindedness in my work. I believe we have to articulate and stand on principals that we believe in, but not be so ideologically rigid that we cannot work with those with whom we disagree.[15]
—Mark Keam
What is your general philosophy when it comes to economics, jobs, and growth? Do you have any more specific ideas related to these concepts?
I believe that a strong local economy is the backbone to providing high quality of life for residents of that community. With a robust economy that encourages investment and job creation, working-age population in the community will have more job opportunities which allow them to provide better for their families, find adequate housing and invest in their children's education and their own retirement. While the state government has limited ability to create jobs outside of the public sector, it can legislate and regulate in a way that provides more certainty for businesses to plan long-term, and my goal is to work on public policies that encourage growth in the economy so we do not have to continue to raise taxes or to cut essential programs in order to balance the budget.[15]
—Mark Keam
What should the legislature's relationship with the governor be, and how would you personally work towards actualizing that?
First, we need to remember that the executive and legislative branches have co-equal relationship, not a subservient one. That means the Governor can suggest policy ideas to the General Assembly, lobby or veto specific legislation, but the Governor should not be overly involved in the legislative process. Similarly, the General Assembly should monitor and oversee the operations of executive branch agencies and their programs, but we should not micromanage them in a way that inhibits subject matter experts from accomplishing their goals. I have worked in both branches of government and am sensitive to the unique needs and duties of each side.[15]
—Mark Keam
What news sources do you follow? What factors do you consider when selecting a news source? How do you think the public views the media?
I receive news from "established" forms of media, such as traditional local and national print newspaper companies, broadcast and cable TV and radio stations, and government or nonprofit research institutions. I also read stories and opinions from subjective or biased news sources, such as cable or internet-based companies that advocate for a particular viewpoint, because I want to know how different people think of issues that I may have to vote on, so that I can consider all sides of the issue before reaching a conclusion.[15]
—Mark Keam
Which areas of spending will you prioritize for funding and support?
I believe the state government should fully fund those areas where the state government is responsible for the provision of services, such as public education, public safety, infrastructure (roads, highways, bridges, mass transit, etc), environmental protection and conservation, and essential healthcare for those who cannot afford it.[15]
—Mark Keam
What are your views on how Virginia draws lines for congressional and state legislative districts? If you could make changes to the system, what would they be?
Virginia performs redistricting as if it is like any other policy issue, by allowing the majority party in each chamber of the state legislature to draw lines that consider political or partisan advantages. I support any process that reduces political or partisan consideration in redistricting and the most logical way to achieve this would be to have an independent commission handle redistricting instead of the state legislature.[15]
—Mark Keam
What are your opinions on Virginia’s current taxation policies, for individuals or corporations? Is there anything that you would change?
I believe Virginia's current tax policies are outdated and need overhauling in many aspects. As a member of the Special Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences, my fellow Finance and Appropriations Committee members and I have been reviewing all the tax credits, deductions, exemptions and other preferences to determine whether they are meeting the original purposes of these laws or not, and if not, we are working to repeal or reduce the size of these preferences to capture more revenues. I also favor revising our personal income tax brackets so that they are more in line in today's work environment.[15]
—Mark Keam

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Mark Keam campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2021Virginia House of Delegates District 35Won general$140,298 $137,450
2019Virginia House of Delegates District 35Won general$127,561 N/A**
2017Virginia House of Delegates District 35Won general$85,324 N/A**
Grand total$353,182 $137,450
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Endorsements

2017

In 2017, Keam’s endorsements included the following:

  • NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia[16]

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Virginia

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.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.




2022

In 2022, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 12 to March 12.

Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the manufacturing sector.


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.


Mark Keam at a rally for women's rights in February 2012.

As of this writing, Keam and his wife, Alex, had two children.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. The Buffalo News, "Mark Keam, longtime Democratic Virginia delegate, resigns," September 6, 2022
  2. Mark Keam Delegate, "About Mark," accessed September 8, 2022
  3. Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
  4. Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 November General Unofficial Results," accessed November 7, 2017
  5. Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Democratic Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
  6. Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 June Republican Primary," accessed July 6, 2017
  7. Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
  8. Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 Primary election results," accessed September 1, 2015
  9. Virginia Board of Elections, "2015 General election candidates," accessed September 1, 2015
  10. Virginia Board of Elections, “Official Results - 2013 General Election," accessed December 2, 2013
  11. University of Virginia Center for Politics, Sabato's Crystal Ball, "Republicans Certain to Retain Control of Virginia House of Delegates," August 8, 2013
  12. VPAP, "House of Delegates District 35," accessed October 3, 2013
  13. Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
  14. Follow the Money, "Virginia House of Delegates 2009 General Election Results," accessed May 15, 2014
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  16. NARAL, "2017 Endorsed House Candidates," accessed August 31, 2017

Political offices
Preceded by
Steve Shannon (D)
Virginia House of Delegates District 35
2010-2022
Succeeded by
Holly Seibold (D)


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