The son of a hardware salesman and a nurse at Crawford Long Hospital, David Adelman was raised in Atlanta where he and his wife Caroline are raising their three children. He is an attorney who holds degrees from the University of Georgia, Georgia State University and the Emory Law School.

In the General Assembly, David has been an effective leader who listens to the needs and concerns of Georgians and gets results that make a difference for our familes. David was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2002 on the strength of a grass roots campaign. In his first term in the Senate David authored and passed important legislation protecting children, fighting domestic violence, streamlining Georgia’s corporate code and providing for DNA testing in criminal cases. He co-sponsored many other measures relating to education, transportation and the environment.

In 2004, David was re-elected with more than 78% of the vote.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorsed David for re-election, calling him "one of the brightest lights" in the Senate. David was re-elected with a higher share of the vote than any other state senator running in Georgia. Following his re-election, his colleagues in the Senate elected him Minority Whip, making him the second highest ranking Democrat in the Georgia Senate in only his second term.

During the 2005 Session, David authored and passed legislation cracking down on cyberpredators, improving safety on public transit and creating a "Share the Road" license tag with proceeds to fund bicycle safety programs. David is one of the General Assembly's strongest supporters of open government. In the 2006 Session he authored and passed legislation that provides public access to campus police department records. The Georgia First Amendment Foundation has said this legislation is the first change in Georgia law since 1999 that increases the public's right to know.