Eric Morrison is an American politician serving as a member of the
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal number of constituencies, each of whom is ...
from the 27th district.
[Jacob Took]
"Newcomer Morrison elected to state house in District 27"
''Newark Post
The ''Newark Post'' is a local newspaper for the city of Newark, Delaware. It features local news, crime reports, and a section on events at local schools and at the University of Delaware.
The ''Newark Post'' was founded in 1910, by Everett C. J ...
'', November 3, 2020. He assumed office in November 2020.
[
A member of the ]progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
wing of the Democratic Party, Morrison defeated conservative Democrat
In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with conservative political views, or with views that are conservative compared to the positions taken by other members of the Democratic Party. Traditionally, co ...
Earl Jaques Jr. in the 2020 primary by a 61%-39% margin.
Early life and education
Morrison was born in Salisbury, Maryland
Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 United ...
and raised in Bridgeville, Delaware
Bridgeville is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,048, an increase of 42.6% from the previous decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.
...
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in history from the University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
in 1996.
Career
After graduating from college, Morrison worked as a teacher. He later became a human resources director.
Morrison won the Democratic primary for the 27th district of Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal number of constituencies, each of whom is ...
against incumbent Earl Jaques Jr., a Democrat who had voted against gay marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
and abstained
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a Voting, vote either does not go to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrast ...
on banning conversion therapy for minors in Delaware. 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.[Trudy Ring]
"Dragged for Drag, Gay Candidate Wins in Del., Along With Queer Woman"
''The Advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law.
The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to:
Magazines
* ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States
*''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...
'', September 17, 2020. Morrison was listed among a "slate of insurgents" aligned with the progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
wing of the Democratic Party challenging moderate incumbents in Delaware.
Personal life
Morrison is the first openly gay man elected to serve in Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
, after Senator Karen E. Peterson came out in 2013 while in office. He was one of three LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
candidates to be elected to the Delaware General Assembly in 2020, alongside Marie Pinkney and Sarah McBride
Sarah McBride (born August 9, 1990) is an American activist and politician who has been a Democratic member of the Delaware Senate since January 2021. She was previously the National Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign. After winning ...
.[Zoë Read]
"Delaware General Assembly gains largest LGBTQ representation in history"
WHYY-TV
WHYY-TV (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, United States, serving as the primary PBS member station for the Philadelphia area. It is owned by WHYY, Inc., alongside NPR member station WHYY-FM 90.9. WHYY-TV and ...
, November 4, 2020.
References
Year of birth missing (living people)
Gay politicians
LGBT state legislators in Delaware
Democratic Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives
Living people
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America
21st-century American politicians
University of Delaware alumni
{{Delaware-politician-stub