Eric Morrison | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| Assumed office November 4, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Earl Jaques Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Salisbury, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party |
| Education | University of Delaware (BA) |
Eric Morrison is an American politician serving as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 27th district.[1] He assumed office in November 2020.[1]
A member of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, Morrison defeated conservative Democrat Earl Jaques Jr. in the 2020 primary by a 61%-39% margin.
Early life and education
Morrison was born in Salisbury, Maryland and raised in Bridgeville, Delaware.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in history from the University of Delaware in 1996.[3]
Career
After graduating from college, Morrison worked as a teacher. He later became a human resources director.[3]
Morrison won the Democratic primary for the 27th district of Delaware House of Representatives against incumbent Earl Jaques Jr., a Democrat who had voted against gay marriage and abstained on banning conversion therapy for minors in Delaware.[4] During the primary process, Jaques had attacked Morrison for performing in drag at a campaign fundraiser and said that Morrison being gay was "so far off-base for our district, it’s unbelievable." Jaques was forced to apologize to Morrison after his comments were criticized by Democratic leadership.[5] Morrison was listed among a "slate of insurgents" aligned with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party challenging moderate incumbents in Delaware.[6]
Personal life
Morrison is the first openly gay man elected to serve in Delaware General Assembly, after Senator Karen E. Peterson came out in 2013 while in office.[5] He was one of three LGBT candidates to be elected to the Delaware General Assembly in 2020, alongside Marie Pinkney and Sarah McBride.[7]
References
- 1 2 Jacob Took, "Newcomer Morrison elected to state house in District 27". Newark Post, November 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Eric Morrison (Delaware)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- 1 2 "Representative Eric Morrison (D) - Delaware General Assembly". legis.delaware.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ↑ Lou Chibbaro Jr., "Gay man wins primary for Delaware State House seat". Washington Blade, September 16, 2020.
- 1 2 Trudy Ring, "Dragged for Drag, Gay Candidate Wins in Del., Along With Queer Woman". The Advocate, September 17, 2020.
- ↑ Grim, Ryan; Higgins, Eoin (September 15, 2020). "A Slate of Insurgents Is Taking on the "Delaware Way"". The Intercept. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- ↑ Zoë Read, "Delaware General Assembly gains largest LGBTQ representation in history". WHYY-TV, November 4, 2020.