Some voters in Fairfax County will head to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday) with a state Senate seat on the ballot.
Though the majority of Virginia’s 39th Senate district is in Alexandria and Arlington, approximately 16,000 registered voters reside in the Fairfax County portion that starts at Seven Corners and continues southeast through Bailey’s Crossroads.
Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), who has represented the area since 2012, will resign on Feb. 18 to join the administration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Tuesday’s election will formally identify his successor.
Following a Democratic primary in mid-January, the election field has narrowed down to two candidates: one Democrat and one Republican.
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, the Democrat, has represented Alexandria City in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2022. Before her election to the General Assembly, she served as vice mayor of Alexandria from 2019 to 2021.
According to her campaign website, Bennett-Parker’s top priorities include restricting the presence of immigration enforcement agents in certain areas, establishing a state-run paid family leave program and “using state revenues to backfill harmful federal cuts and stabilize critical services,” among others.
“I am looking forward to working on our shared priorities: lowering costs for families, funding our schools, standing up for our rights against Trump and MAGA extremists, protecting our communities from gun violence, and preserving access to our health care choices,” she said last month.
Republicans selected Julie Robben Lineberry as their nominee for Ebbin’s seat after she emerged as the sole applicant for a planned canvassing event on Jan. 13.
A political newcomer, she has spent more than 40 years as a realtor across Northern Virginia. She also served a decade-long stint on the Alexandria Electoral Board.
Running on the slogan “Draw the Line with Lineberry,” her campaign is focused on three pillars: affordability, accountability and common sense, her website says.
“I’ve watched housing costs spiral out of control while Richmond politicians make promises and never deliver,” Lineberry said when announcing her campaign. “With Democrats now controlling every lever of power in state government, someone needs to draw the line.”
Polls will be open tomorrow from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Voters can see their precinct location online via the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Early voting continues in school board election
Voters in Fairfax County’s Braddock District can continue to cast early ballots in the race to succeed Rachna Sizemore Heizer as the school board’s Braddock District representative.
Tom Dannan, who is endorsed by Sizemore Heizer, is facing off against Saundra Davis, who sought an at-large seat on the school board in 2023.
Though school board elections are non-partisan, Dannan has been endorsed by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Davis’s candidacy seemingly has the backing of the Fairfax County GOP.
Early voting will continue through Feb. 28. It’s currently only available at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 323), but Burke Centre Library (5935 Freds Oak Road) will be added as a second site for the week of Feb. 21-28.
Election Day in that race is scheduled for March 3.
