The blitz of special elections facing Fairfax County voters to start 2026 is ramping up this week, with the ballot for the Braddock District School Board seat now solidified and voting opening or in progress in three state-level contests.
Braddock Democrats endorse preferred candidate
Democratic voters in the Braddock District have chosen Tom Dannan, a local business owner and Terra Centre resident, as their preferred candidate to succeed Rachna Sizemore Heizer, who vacated the district’s Fairfax County School Board seat in December to serve as its new supervisor.
At an endorsement caucus on Saturday (Jan. 10), Dannan bested Annandale resident Alexa Krezel — who also sought the party’s backing in the officially nonpartisan contest — with 2,200 votes, or 75% of the 2,928 ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC).
“I’m deeply grateful to everyone who stepped up to help make that happen,” Dannan said in a message to supporters after winning the caucus. “I want to thank my opponent, Alexa Krezel. Together, we ran a thoughtful, positive race focused on our shared commitment to public education and our kids. That kind of engagement is why our Braddock community is so wonderful.”
Voters were allowed to participate in the caucus either in person at three locations or online with an emailed ballot that opened last Thursday (Jan. 8).
Prior to the start of voting, the Braddock District Democratic Committee hosted a candidate forum where Dannan and Krezel shared their thoughts on how to manage Fairfax County Public Schools’ budget, the ongoing school boundary review and other issues facing the local public school system.
Committee co-chairs Margaurite Wiese and Rich Weiss praised both candidates as “terrific” options with “years of experience serving the students, parents, staff, and community of the Braddock District and Fairfax County.”
“We are proud to have given the folks in our community the opportunity to get to know them better,” Wiese and Weiss said in a joint statement. “We know that Tom Dannan will exemplify our Democratic values and meet the challenges facing our schools head-on with the thoughtfulness, compassion, and tenacity our students and teachers deserve.”
In accordance with the committee’s rules for the caucus, which required voters to pledge not to support any candidate other than the one endorsed by the local Democratic Party, Krezel officially withdrew her candidacy today (Monday) and will not appear on the special election ballot, according to the Fairfax County Office of Elections.
The respite from election dealings will be short-lived for Braddock District voters, who can start casting their ballot in person for the March 3 special election this Friday (Jan. 16).
Dannan will face off against Saundra Davis, who’s running as an independent candidate without a party endorsement but previously ran for office as a Republican. In addition to receiving the Fairfax County Republican Committee’s endorsement in 2023 for an at-large school board seat, Davis unsuccessfully challenged Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-15) for her House of Delegates seat last year.
The director of a memory care community, Davis says she would champion “transparency, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility” if elected.
“She is deeply concerned about the rising school budget and its impact on taxpayers and is committed to making sure every dollar is spent wisely and effectively to support student learning,” her campaign website says.
Early voting for the Braddock District school board seat will begin Friday at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 323) and continue through Feb. 28. The site’s operating hours will be:
- Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Saturday (Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 21 & Feb. 28): 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Burke Centre Library (5935 Freds Oak Road) will become available as a second site for the final week of early voting from Feb. 21-28. It will be open from 1-7 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 and 28.
Voters can also apply for an absentee mail ballot through Jan. 30.
Polls open for 11th House District special election
Voters in Virginia’s 11th House District will head to the polls tomorrow to elect a replacement for David Bulova, who resigned after 20 years in the Virginia General Assembly to accept an appointment as natural and historic resources secretary under incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
His wife, Gretchen Bulova, defeated four other contenders in a Dec. 16 primary to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for the seat, which represents Fairfax City, Oakton and the Fair Oaks area. She currently chairs both the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county’s History Commission, and has been employed as the director of Historic Alexandria since 2019.
Republican nominee Adam Wise previously challenged David Bulova for the 11th district seat in last year’s Nov. 4 general election. A firearms instructor and Krav Maga self-defense teacher, he has never held elected office.
Both Gretchen Bulova and Wise identified “affordability” as the most pressing issue facing their potential future constituents in surveys published last week by Patch, but they offered drastically different ideas for possible solutions.
While Wise said he would seek to bring down housing and energy costs “through the principles of limited government and free-markets,” Bulova said she would advocate for investing in early childhood care and education, increasing the Virginia Housing Trust Fund and the state’s minimum wage, and creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
For the special election, polls will be open at voters’ usual designated precincts from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Drop boxes will also be available for mail ballots, which must be postmarked on or before the day of the election and received by the Office of Elections by noon this Friday to be counted.
The winner will likely be sworn in swiftly so they can join the General Assembly as it convenes in Richmond on Wednesday (Jan. 14) for its 2026 legislative session.
Early voting underway in 17th House District race
Early voting began on Saturday at the Fairfax County and Franconia governmental centers for the 17th House District seat vacated last month by longtime delegate Mark Sickles in favor of an appointment as Virginia’s next secretary of finance.
With a special election set for Jan. 20, early voting will remain available at both locations through Saturday (Jan. 17):
Fairfax County Government Center
- Monday through Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Saturday (Jan. 10, Jan. 17): 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Franconia Governmental Center (6121 Franconia Road)
- Monday through Friday: 1-7 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
On the ballot are United Community Board of Directors chair Garrett McGuire, who narrowly edged out veteran teacher Joy McManus to win a Democratic primary on Dec. 28, and Republican nominee Christopher F. Cardiff, a homeschooling advocate who previously worked as chief operating officer for the GOP-leaning data analytics company i360.
Democrats hold primary for 39th Senate District
In a late addition to the slate of special elections facing Fairfax County voters, State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39) announced last Wednesday (Jan. 7) that he will resign to join Spanberger’s administration as a senior advisor at the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
Though Ebbin’s resignation won’t take effect until Feb. 18, Democrats are getting a jump start on selecting their nominee for a seat that spans three different localities with a firehouse primary tomorrow.
The 39th Senate District is concentrated in Alexandria City, but it also includes portions of Arlington and Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners in Fairfax County.
Coordinated by the Alexandria Democratic Committee, tomorrow’s primary will include the John Calvin Presbyterian Church (6531 Columbia Pike) in Annandale as the lone polling place in Fairfax County. The other voting sites are the Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library and the Charles Houston Recreation Center in Alexandria, and Aurora Hills Library in Arlington.
Only residents of the 39th Senate District can participate, but they can cast their vote at any of the four available polling places.
Four candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination:
- Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, former Alexandria vice mayor and current delegate representing House District 5
- Amy Jackson, community activist who taught in Fairfax County Public Schools for 16 years
- Mark Levine, former delegate who represented Alexandria and portions of Arlington and Fairfax in what was then called the 45th House District until he was ousted by Bennett-Parker in 2021
- Charles Sumpter, founder of the nonprofit Safe Space NOVA, which provides support and resources for LGBTQ youth
As of press time, Republicans say their candidate for Ebbin’s seat remains to be determined, though the deadline for candidates to file is set for 5 p.m. this Wednesday.
As ordered by Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, the special election will be held on Feb. 10, with early voting starting on Jan. 31.
