With no local or state races on the ballot, Fairfax County voters turned out in a trickle today (Tuesday) for relatively low-key primary elections.
In the lone Fairfax County-only race, Rep. Gerry Connolly remains on track for a ninth term representing Virginia’s 11th Congressional District after handily securing the Democratic nomination over challenger Ahsan Nasar.
Connolly received 85.8% of the vote compared to 14.2% for Nasar with 178 of 183 Fairfax County and Fairfax City precincts reporting, as of 9:30 p.m., according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, Nasar resigned from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he worked as an attorney focused on cybersecurity, to challenge Connolly, who has been in Congress since 2009. Arguing that a change in leadership is needed, he proposed term limits and advocated for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza, among other issues, according to his campaign website.
Connolly will face Michael Van Meter, a U.S. Navy veteran and former law enforcement officer, in the Nov. 5 general election.
In other races, State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-32) appears poised to win the Democratic nomination for the 10th Congressional District, which includes Clifton. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who’s retiring after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, endorsed the Loudoun County state senator as her successor.
As of 9:30 p.m., Subramanyam had about 30.3% of the vote, giving him an edge over Del. Dan Helmer’s (D-10) 26.8%. However, Helmer led the way in Fairfax County — where he currently represents Centreville, Clifton and the Braddock area in the House of Delegates — with 67.9% of all votes.
A whopping 12 candidates were vying for the nomination, including former House of Delegates speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and State Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-38), who each have about 9% of the vote.
“This district is my home. I got married here. My kids were born here. The issues our community faces are personal to our family,” Subramanyam said in a statement. “I will continue to be a champion for families here and make sure everyone feels like they have a voice.”
Assuming the current margins hold, Subramanyam will face Republican primary winner Mike Clancy for Wexton’s seat. One of four candidates in the GOP race, Clancy has received 64.3% of the vote, or 16,959 ballots — more than double his closest competitor, Marine Corps veteran Aliscia Andrews, who had previously challenged Wexton in 2020.
A lawyer and executive for a technology company, Clancy announced his candidacy in October, claiming that the U.S. has “uncontrollable” crime and immigration issues.
Republicans also chose Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain, to go up against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who didn’t face a primary challenge in his bid for a third term in the Senate. Cao had a sizable lead over four other candidates with over 62% of the vote, including 66.5% of Fairfax County Republican voters.
A total of 63,875 ballots have been cast in the primary election, amounting to a 7.98% turnout of the county’s 800,624 registered voters, according to unofficial results from the Fairfax County Office of Elections last updated at 9:03 p.m.
The turnout percentage trails the 15.9% of voters who participated in the Democratic primary in June 2020, but fewer ballots — 57,738 — were cast in that election, which didn’t include a Republican primary.
In addition to the Congressional races, November’s general election will determine the next U.S. president. A repeat of the 2020 race is expected with President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump in line to get their respective party’s nominations, despite the latter’s recent criminal conviction.
