Local Republicans will determine their nominee for the 11th Congressional District special election on the same day as their Democratic counterparts.
A singular canvass event will be held on June 28 at Fairfax High School, gathering all voters in one location to select a nominee, Virginia’s 11th Congressional District Republican Committee announced last week.
Planned directly by the party, the canvass precedes the Sept. 9 special election set by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this month. The winner of that election will serve the remaining time in the two-year term of Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died last month.
Without an incumbent in the race, the upcoming special election could give Republicans their best shot in years to potentially retake a seat they lost 17 years ago.
After flipping the seat from Republican control in 2008, Connolly eked out a one-point win over Republican challenger Keith Fimian in 2010. Since then, however, Connolly — and by extension, Democrats — have maintained a strong grip on the district.
Dating back to 2018, Connolly bested his Republican opponents with more than two-thirds of the vote in each of the past four elections. In 2016, Connolly earned nearly 88% of the vote after no Republican appeared on the ballot.
But now, Republicans are looking at the race “very intently,” Fairfax GOP chair Katie Gorka said.
“People who would consider running will also look at it differently if they were running against an incumbent versus running in an open seat,” Gorka told FFXnow earlier this year.
As of today (Monday), four different candidates have entered the race in hopes of securing the nomination.
Mike Van Meter and Karina Lipsman may be notable names to some, being the only two declared candidates who have previously sought public office. A veteran of the FBI and former D.C. police officer, Van Meter was the party’s nominee for the seat in November, earning 32.9% of the vote against Connolly, while Lipsman lost to Rep. Don Beyer in the neighboring 8th District in 2022.
Also in the running are banking executive Nathan Headrick and hospital administrator Lucas Rand — both political newcomers. Potential candidates have until June 21 to formally enter the race.
The canvass event, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., requires voters to register before casting a ballot. While on-site registration will be available, registering online by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 is encouraged.
“Voters who don’t pre-register should be prepared to wait in line for the Credentials Committee to verify their eligibility and accord with Republican Party principles,” the 11th District committee said.
Photos via Fairfax GOP
