elections | FFXnow

Herndon Town Council candidate hopes to help community realize full potential

Published August 27, 2026 at 3:45PM

Yasmin Shafiq in front of Herndon's caboose (courtesy Yasmin for Herndon)

Community service has been central to Yasmin Shafiq’s life for as long as she can remember, from her high school stint as a teen representative on the Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors to her current commitments as a county government worker and an election officer.

A resident of the Herndon area now since 2004, she hopes to apply her varied past experiences to a new role as a candidate for the Herndon Town Council, whose six seats will all be on the ballot for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.

Countywide

Rep. Don Beyer wins Democratic primary as Mizusawa, Beckwith earn nods in GOP races

By Emily Leayman

Published August 4, 2026 at 8:55PM | Updated August 4, 2026 at 9:25PM

Rep. Don Beyer (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

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.

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N. Va. Chamber’s PAC undecided about endorsing 2027 Fairfax supervisor candidates

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 31, 2026 at 3:45PM

Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (staff photo by Jared Serre)

The political action committee associated with the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce is likely not to consider until next year whether to endorse candidates in Fairfax County’s 2027 Board of Supervisors’ elections.

“Trustees would likely not make that decision until the spring,” Clayton Medford, senior vice president of government relations for the Northern Virginia Chamber, said in response to an FFXnow inquiry.

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Justice Department will send election monitors to Fairfax for August primaries

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 13, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated July 14, 2026 at 11:20AM

A sign at the Franconia District Governmental Center announcing that early voting for the Aug. 4, 2026 primary elections will start on July 25 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The U.S. Department of Justice will be keeping a close eye on Fairfax County’s upcoming Aug. 4 Congressional primaries.

The county is one of two jurisdictions in Virginia, along with Prince William County, where the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division plans to send election monitors, VPM News and the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported today (Monday).

News

Military veteran forced out by Trump policies seeks Herndon Town Council seat

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 9, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated July 13, 2026 at 2:30PM

Sabrina Bruce (courtesy Sabrina Bruce for Herndon Town Council)

More than a decade of military service came to an unwelcome end last year for Sabrina Bruce, but rather than retreating from government work, she hopes to continue serving, shifting her focus to the local community that embraced her as soon as she arrived.

Bruce officially obtained enough signatures last month to qualify for the ballot in the upcoming Herndon Town Council elections. If she wins one of six open seats on Nov. 3, she would become the first openly transgender person elected to any office in Fairfax County.

News

Primary challengers try to map out route to victory against incumbent Rep. Beyer

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 7, 2026 at 3:45PM

Candidate Adam Dunigan speaks, flanked by Rep. Don Beyer and Mo Seifeldein (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Facing an uphill battle to unseat Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, four challengers used a recent campaign event to carve out their own political lanes:

Their distinctions provided some fireworks at the July 1 debate, hosted by the Arlington County Democratic Committee. But as even one candidate publicly acknowledged, voters in the 8th District are likely to stick with Beyer this election season.

Countywide

N. Va. gains authority to increase sales tax, but leaders wary of pursuing referendums

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 6, 2026 at 11:45AM

Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Northern Virginia leaders are treading cautiously with newly granted power to increase the sales tax in local jurisdictions.

Under the biennial state budget adopted in Richmond late last month, Northern Virginia localities now have the power to hold voter referendums to increase sales taxes by up to 1%, with the extra funding going to transportation, education or a combination.

Countywide

Bond referendums to fund parks, human services projects likely headed to Fairfax voters

By Scott McCaffrey

Published June 29, 2026 at 9:15AM

Voting at Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on June 23 to petition the Circuit Court to place two bond referendums on this year’s general election ballot.

County leaders will seek voter support on Nov. 3 for a $180 million parks bond and $75 million human services bond to support a number of capital improvements.

Countywide

Early voting begins in Fairfax for 2026 Congressional primary elections

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 18, 2026 at 8:30AM

Fairfax County election staff prepare for early voting for the Aug. 4, 2026 primary (via Fairfax County Office of Elections/Bluesky)

Early voting has officially started in Fairfax County for Congressional primary elections that will likely be relatively low on drama after a chaotic spring saw voters narrowly approve new districts that were subsequently nullified by the Virginia Supreme Court.

The county is opening three in-person early voting sites today (Thursday), starting with the Fairfax County Government Center at 8 a.m. and followed at 1 p.m. by the Mount Vernon and North County governmental centers.

News

Nurse campaigning for Herndon Town Council wants to give all residents a voice

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 9:15AM

Douglas Mejia (courtesy Doug Mejia for Herndon Town Council)

Though headlined by the Congressional midterms, this year’s election cycle will also feature critical local races in the Town of Herndon.

Douglas Isaac Mejia, a Herndon native and registered nurse, appears to be the first candidate to officially launch a bid for the Herndon Town Council, which will have all six seats on the ballot in November.