Fairfax County voters turned out in a trickle for Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday (Aug. 4) to choose who will move on to the congressional midterm elections in November.
In the lone Democratic primary, Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) earned the nomination in the 8th Congressional District, the Associated Press called at 7:34 p.m. The congressman, vying for his seventh term, defeated four challengers — former Alexandria City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, fired State Department worker Michael Duffin, veteran and former CIA officer Adam Dunigan and military family advocate Lorena Bruner.
Beyer will face Republican Tony Sabio in the Nov. 3 general election.
“With so much at stake for our community and our country at this moment, I am grateful to Northern Virginians for again making me their Democratic nominee to fight for Virginia’s 8th District,” Beyer said in a statement. “I will continue to do all I can to justify that sacred trust. I want to thank my primary opponents for their willingness to run and serve.”
With 78 of 83 precincts reporting, Beyer has won about 70% of votes in Fairfax County. The district, which the Virginia Public Access Project deems strongly Democratic, also includes Arlington County and the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria.
There were no Democratic primaries in Fairfax County’s 10th and 11th Congressional Districts.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa won the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race, the AP called at 7:29 p.m. That sets up a faceoff with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in the Nov. 3 general election.
“We campaigned hard across Virginia and thanks to you, we now move on to defeat Senator Mark Warner,” Mizusawa said via a social media post. “I also congratulate my fellow Republican candidates – we were never opponents – and let’s unite Virginians for a big win in November.”
Warner also released a statement on the primary results, saying, “I’m proud to be on the ballot alongside this exceptional Democratic ticket, and I know that if we knock doors, make calls, and organize, we can hold this Senate seat, protect our path to a Democratic Senate majority, help Democrats win back the House, and begin to turn the page on the politics of chaos, corruption and division in Washington.”
In the 10th Congressional District, AP called the race for former Pentagon official and Air Force veteran Dave Beckwith. He will face Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-10) in the general election. The Virginia Public Access Project labels the 10th district has leaning Democratic.
In Fairfax County, Mizusawa earned about 47% of votes with all 265 precincts reporting, while Beckwith earned about 66% of votes with all eight precincts reporting.
Election officials have counted more than 20,000 Democratic ballots in Fairfax County, representing 8% turnout of more than 247,000 registered voters with all 83 precincts in the 8th Congressional District reporting. The more than 17,000 Republican ballots represent about 2% turnout of the county’s more than 817,000 registered voters.
Results are unofficial until they are certified by state and local electoral boards in the weeks following the election.
