| Debra Rodman | |
| State Delegate: | Virginia |
| District: | 73rd |
| Term Start: | January 10, 2018 |
| Term End: | January 8, 2020 |
| Preceded: | John O'Bannon |
| Succeeded: | Rodney Willett |
| Birth Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Darryl Lowery |
| Children: | 2 |
| Residence: | Henrico, Virginia[2] |
| Alma Mater: | University of Miami University of Florida |
| Profession: | Anthropologist and professor |
| Committees: | Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources; Education; Health, Welfare and Institutions |
Debra H. Rodman (born 1972) is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates. She was first elected in 2017, and represented the 73rd district comprising parts of Henrico County. Rodman is a member of the Democratic Party.
Debra Rodman was raised in Coral Gables, Florida.[2] Rodman is an associate professor at Randolph-Macon College, teaching anthropology and women's studies.[2] She travels to Guatemala yearly, where she researches the effects of migration on that country. Rodman also serves as an expert witness for asylum seekers.[2] [3]
In 2017, Rodman ran for the Virginia House of Delegates for the 73rd district, then held by Republican incumbent John O'Bannon. Rodman defeated three other candidates in a caucus on April 29, 2017 to win the Democratic nomination.[4] In the general election, Rodman defeated O'Bannon by a 3% margin.[5] She raised $373,000 over the course of the campaign, outraised by O'Bannon by nearly $200,000.[6] In 2019, Rodman challenged incumbent Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant for the Senate of Virginia's 12th District seat.[7] [8] Rodman narrowly lost the election to Dunnavant on November 5, 2019.[9]
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Senate, 12th district | ||||||
| Nov 5, 2019[10] | General | Siobhan Dunnavant | Republican | 39,700 | 50.76 | |
| Debra Rodman | Democratic | 38,364 | 49.05 | |||
| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia House of Delegates, 73rd district | ||||||
| Nov 7, 2017[11] | General | Debra Rodman | Democratic | 14,697 | 51.48 | |
| John O'Bannon | Republican | 13,803 | 48.35 | |||
Rodman ran on and helped pass Medicaid Expansion, which gives health care access to over 400,000 Virginians.[12] She also refuses to take money from Dominion Power or Appalachian Energy.[13]
In the 2019 legislative session, Rodman was the chief sponsor for bills to expand LGBTQ equality, voting rights, and increase the tipped minimum wage.[14]
Rodman was on the Education Committee, Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, and Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.[15]