That’s one special election down, three more to go for Fairfax County voters.
In a low-turnout, low-suspense contest, Democratic nominee Gretchen Bulova handily defeated Republican candidate Adam Wise to become the next delegate for Virginia’s 11th House District, taking over a seat most recently filled by her husband, David Bulova.
During the special election today (Tuesday), which was preceded by 11 days of early voting, Gretchen Bulova received 4,480 votes, or nearly 70% of the ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. By contrast, Wise received 1,920 votes, or just under 30%.
While additional votes may be counted from provisional and mail ballots until noon on Friday (Jan. 16), the current total indicates that a mere 14% of the 43,313 voters registered in the 11th District participated in the special election, which was triggered by David Bulova’s resignation last month.
There’s no exact comparison for special elections, but one for the Braddock District supervisor seat on Dec. 9 had an 18% turnout for a race with over 90,000 registered voters.
After representing the district that includes Fairfax City, Oakton and the Fair Oaks area since 2005, David Bulova stepped down to accept an appointment as secretary of natural and historic resources for incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration. He will officially assume the role once the new governor is sworn in on Saturday (Jan. 17).
Currently working as director of Historic Alexandria, Gretchen Bulova also serves as chair of Fairfax County’s history and 250th commissions. She has been active in the local Democratic Party and as a volunteer for the Middleridge Civic Association, parent teacher organizations and other community groups for decades.
When announcing her campaign on Dec. 12, Bulova indicated that she would be a delegate “who will fight to keep our democracy and democratic values.”
“I know first-hand how important the decisions made in Richmond are to our quality of life,” she said in a statement. “… As the mother of three wonderful children who attended Fairfax County Public Schools, I know the importance of investing in our public education. The elimination of programs and funding at the federal level hurt so many of our friends and neighbors and threatens the progress we have made together. I am ready to be a strong voice for the 11th District starting on day one.”
Gretchen Bulova’s campaign didn’t immediately return a request for comment on her victory today, but state Sen. Lamont Bagby, who chairs the Democratic Party of Virginia, congratulated her and fellow delegate-elect Margaret Angela Franklin, who won a special election for the 23rd House District in Prince William County.
“Delegate-elect Bulova’s decades of service to Fairfax County and her dedication to preserving our shared history have earned the trust of voters, and she will bring that same thoughtfulness and leadership to the House of Delegates,” Bagby said.
Both delegates will likely be sworn in as the General Assembly convenes for its 2026 legislative session tomorrow (Wednesday). With the two special election wins, Democrats will maintain the comfortable 60-30 majority that they secured in the House of Delegates with last November’s general election.
