Rachna Sizemore Heizer has won the Democratic nomination in the race for Braddock District supervisor.
The fifth-year Fairfax County School Board member bested three other candidates in this weekend’s primary election, giving her the party’s nod in the race to succeed James Walkinshaw, who resigned last month, on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Sizemore Heizer earned 60% of the vote in the first round of ranked-choice voting, making subsequent rounds unnecessary. She garnered nearly triple the amount of votes cast for second-place finisher Ilryong Moon, who received 21.9% of the vote.
Fairfax Young Democrats co-president Sabrina Mattin (13.5%) and local librarian April Pavis-Shroeder (4.7%) finished in third and fourth place, respectively.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the primary was extended to today (Sunday) after technological issues with the chosen all-digital voting software caused severe delays.
A total of 3,409 voters ultimately participated in the primary, according to Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Chair Aaron Yohai, who thanked the voters and congratulated Sizemore Heizer on her win.
“This Democratic caucus offered four terrific candidates with years of experience serving the people of the Braddock District and Fairfax County. We are very excited to have given the folks in our community the opportunity to get to know them better,” Braddock District Democratic Committee Co-Chairs Marguerite Wiese and Rich Weiss said. “We know that Rachna Sizemore Heizer will exemplify our Democratic values and help lead Braddock forward in these challenging times.”
In a statement after her primary victory was announced, Sizemore Heizer told supporters she was “deeply honored and humbled” to be chosen as the Democratic nominee for the Braddock District seat.
“Your passion, your trust, and your support when we knocked on your doors, called, texted or met you out in the community — that is what made this possible,” she said. “I thank you.”
Sizemore Heizer, 55, is a Burke resident. She has served on the Fairfax County School Board since 2020, joining initially as an at-large member before getting elected as the board’s Braddock District representative in 2023.
She will face Republican nominee Ken Balbuena, a former county appointee and civic association president, in the Dec. 9 special election. The winner is expected to be sworn in as quickly as possible once the results are certified.
“I think it’s important to fill this seat as quickly as we reasonably can within the confines of the Virginia Code,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow last month.
The seat has remained in Democratic control since Walkinshaw was first elected in 2019, though it hasn’t been long since a Republican oversaw the district. John C. Cook, a Kings Park-based attorney, won election to the seat in 2011 and was re-elected four years later.
It wasn’t until Cook bowed out from seeking a third term that the district was reclaimed by the Democrats, with Walkinshaw winning the 2019 election with 60.2% of the vote.
Walkinshaw’s margin only grew in 2023, with the incumbent drawing 77% of the vote against an independent perennial candidate. No Republican candidate participated in the race.
Walkinshaw did not endorse a candidate in the primary race. Sizemore Heizer was, however, endorsed by five state legislators, two sitting members of the Board of Supervisors and the majority of the Fairfax County School Board.
“Her proven leadership and commitment to service makes her the clear choice to guide Braddock through the challenges ahead,” Democratic state Sen. Dave Marsden, whose Senate district includes Fairfax County’s Braddock District, said.
Cook, as well as Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity and other local Republican leaders, have endorsed Balbuena, who did not draw any primary challengers.
“He knows the importance of on-the-ground issues like neighborhood speeding, financing local pools, and crime prevention,” Cook said of Balbuena. “Ken is a family man who knows the needs of our families.”
Early voting in the special election is scheduled to begin Oct. 24 and will run until 5 p.m. on Dec. 6.
