Seven incumbent delegates have confirmed to FFXnow that they are gearing up to run in 2023, the first election since redistricting.

With all 100 Virginia House of Delegate seats up for a vote next November, a number of incumbents representing parts of Fairfax County — all Democrats — have started making plans to run for reelection in the recently redrawn districts, including:

• Irene Shin in District 8
• Karrie Delaney in District 9
• David Bulova in District 11
• Vivan Watts in District 14
• Paul Krizek in District 16
• Kathy Tran in District 18
• Eileen Filler-Corn in District 18

In addition, Del. Marcus Simon announced his reelection campaign for District 13 last week in a Falls Church News-Press column. While both Shin and Delaney told FFXnow they plan to run, they said formal announcements will come early next year.

The redistricting process, which drew new electoral lines based on population changes over the past 10 years, has shaken up at least a few races.

Most notably, both Filler-Corn and Tran have committed to running in the redrawn District 18, which encompasses a large portion of Springfield to the county border in Occoquan. It’s made up of residents from four previous districts, including ones that the delegates each previously represented.

With both being Democrats, they’ll have to face each other in a June primary to earn the Democratic nomination for the November general election.

In October, Tran announced on social media that she will seek reelection “to fight for our rights and build a more just and equitable future for all of our kids.”

I’m excited to announce my campaign in the new 18th House district!

I’m proud to live in the heart of the district, raise my kids here & already represent so much of the community. I’m running to fight for our rights & build a more just & equitable future for all of our kids. pic.twitter.com/Id0rC3akCH

— Kathy Tran (@KathyKLTran) October 6, 2022

A spokesperson for Filler-Corn, the former House speaker, told FFXnow in an email that she plans on “running in the district where she lives, which is HD18.”

Earlier this year, Filler-Corn was ousted as the minority leader by her colleagues in a private vote. Tran has not said if she voted for or against Filler-Corn.

FFXnow asked them about running against one another in the primary, but neither has responded as of publication.

That isn’t the only district where incumbents may be pitted against one another in a primary in about six months from now.

While Simon has already announced his reelection bid in District 13, which includes Merrifield through Falls Church City and to the border with Arlington, longtime Del. Kaye Kory told FFXnow by email that she has not made a decision yet on running.

“​​Right now, I am focused on preparing legislation for the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session in Richmond,” she wrote. “Since the filing deadline is not until April 2023, I will have plenty of time to act following adjournment.”

In District 6, which covers Great Falls and McLean, Delegates Kathleen Murphy and Richard “Rip” Sullivan would potentially face each other as well. So far, neither has announced their candidacy or respond to FFXnow’s inquiries as of publication.

Del. Ken Plum (D), whose 40-year tenure representing Reston and other portions of the county makes him the longest-serving member of the House, told FFXnow by phone that he’s still considering whether to run again in District 7.

“I’m getting through these legislative sessions and will make a decision, probably, in February,” Plum said. “I haven’t really decided yet.”

He told Reston Now last year that he had “no such plans currently” to retire. Read More

Only a week after finalizing vote tallies from its last election, Fairfax County is gearing up to welcome back voters from several precincts for its next election.

Early voting will begin Wednesday (Nov. 23) to select a successor to Mark Keam, who resigned as delegate of Virginia’s 35th House District in September. A special election will be held Jan. 10, the day before the General Assembly convenes for its 2023 session.

The district encompasses Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring, most of Tysons, and Fair Oaks. Since Keam’s term doesn’t end until January 2024, this election will use the boundaries that existed prior to last year’s redistricting, which split the area into districts 11 and 12.

Eligible voters in 20 precincts will decide between BRAWS President Holly Seibold — who won the Democratic nomination in a caucus last month — and Oakton resident Monique Baroudi, who became the Republican nominee after another candidate withdrew before a scheduled canvass.

Starting Wednesday, early voting will be available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Office of Elections in the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway). The county will also begin mailing ballots to voters who’ve requested that permanently.

The deadline to apply for a mail absentee ballot in this election is Dec. 30. Requests can be submitted through the state’s online portal or in person at the county elections office.

“To return your cast ballot, you may hand deliver it to the Office of Elections or put it in the 24/7, secure drop box outside the Fairfax County Government Center,” the county’s news release said. “If returned by mail, ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Jan. 10 and received by the Office of Elections by noon on Friday, Jan. 13.”

In-person early voting will also be available at the Providence Community Center on two Saturdays (Dec. 31 and Jan. 7) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The government center site will be closed on county holidays, including this Thursday and Friday (Nov. 24-25) for Thanksgiving. That means early voting will only be available for one day this week.

Other holiday closures include after noon on Dec. 23 and all day on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

Early voting will conclude at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Mark Keam’s 13-year tenure in the Virginia General Assembly has come to a close.

After accepting a position in the Office of National Travel and Tourism in the Biden administration, Keam announced on Tuesday (Sept. 6) that he has submitted his resignation as delegate for the 35th House District, which includes Tysons, Vienna, Dunn Loring, Oakton and Fair Oaks.

Vying to succeed him in a special election set for Jan. 10 — one day before the legislature convenes for its 2023 session — will be Providence District School Board Representative Karl Frisch and BRAWS Executive Director Holly Seibold. Candidates can file to run until 5 p.m. on Nov. 14.

In a brief interview with FFXnow, Keam reflected on legislative highlights from his six-and-a-half terms in office, the increased diversity of the General Assembly, and his advice for the district’s next delegate.

(Editor’s note: The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

What are the accomplishments you’re most proud of?

I’ve been very, very honored and fortunate to work on many, many issues…I’ve been able to pass, last time I counted, it was about 120 bills that I drafted myself, either under my name or something I drafted was incorporated into somebody else’s bill.

Among them, I think the one that stands out the most to me in terms of significance and [that] I feel very proud of is the Virginia Environmental Justice Act. It requires Virginia state government agencies, as they’re issuing permits and authorizations, to look at the environmental justice impact, not just in terms of how much it’s going to cost and the economics, but also who’s going to be harmed and who’s going to be benefitted from something where we’re allowing — let’s say, for example, a pipeline to go through a neighborhood or we’re building something that’s going to create smog and pollution. Because unfortunately, a lot of environmental impact, the worst part falls on people of color and minorities, poor people, uneducated people who don’t have a voice in our government.

…Another one I’m very proud of supporting and pushing through after years and years of trying is the Solar Freedom Act, which means that we allow now solar energy to be provided a lot more accessibly for families and homes and businesses and local governments, so that was something that I was very proud to do.

I think the other thing I was really, really proud to accomplish is I worked for years to get rid of the taxes on tampons and personal hygiene products, because I think that’s so discriminatory for women to have to pay taxes on tampons and menstrual pads. Guys never have to do that, so I always thought that was an unfair thing, and after working for years and years, I put the first bill in in 2016, and after working for five years, Governor Youngkin’s budget actually gets rid of that now. We were able to accomplish that, so I feel good about that. Read More

(Updated at 1:30 p.m. on 9/7/2022) Del. Mark Keam (D-35) has stepped down from his seat in the Virginia General Assembly after representing Tysons, Vienna, and Oakton for over a decade.

In an email message to supporters, Keam announced this morning (Tuesday) that he has submitted his resignation to Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert in order to work in President Joe Biden’s administration.

“While I have loved every moment of the past thirteen years as your state legislator, I have decided to continue my public service in another capacity,” Keam said in the message. “…Returning to federal service will require me to work full time, all year long, which is why I submitted my resignation to the Speaker of the House who will soon call a special election to fill the vacancy until my term expires in January 2024.”

Keam will join the Department of Commerce and the Office of National Travel and Tourism in the International Trade Administration, he told FFXnow. His career has included past legal work for the federal government.

Contenders for the now-vacant 35th District seat are already stepping up for a special election that Speaker of the House Del. Todd Gilbert announced will be held on Jan. 10, just one day before the General Assembly starts its 2023 session.

Karl Frisch, who represents Providence District on the Fairfax County School Board, announced his candidacy this morning, positioning himself as “a progressive fighter” who will oppose Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda.

“We need someone who will stand up to Governor Youngkin and the far-right — someone who will work every day to protect our world-class public schools, defend reproductive freedom, build an economy that works for everyone, prevent gun violence, heal our planet, and preserve our democracy,” Frisch said.

Holly Seibold, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters (BRAWS), confirmed to FFXnow that she will also compete for Keam’s seat in the upcoming special election.

(Correction: This article initially said Seibold was going to challenge Keam in a primary next year, but Seibold clarified that she had submitted her candidacy after learning that Keam was going to step down and she got his support to join the race for the open delegate seat.)

Originally elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Keam was the first Asian-born immigrant and first Korean American to serve in the General Assembly. He helped found the legislative chamber’s first Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus last year.

During his 13 years as a state lawmaker, Keam made environmental issues a top focus, authoring a bill that established a state grant program to fund electric school buses. Other notable pieces of legislation include a requirement that public schools provide free menstural supplies and the creation of a special identification card for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Most recently, Keam easily won reelection to a seventh term last November after facing a challenger for the first time since 2013.

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee thanked Keam for “more than a decade of public service.”

“While we wait to hear when the special election to replace Del. Keam will happen, FCDC is formalizing its plans to operate an open and fair process to choose our nominee,” FCDC Chair Bryan Graham said in a statement. “We will ensure that a Democrat remains representing the people of Dunn Loring, Tysons, Vienna, and Oakton in the current 35th House District.”

Under Virginia’s new redistricting maps, which were approved by the state Supreme Court in December, much of the 35th District — including Tysons, Vienna, Dunn Loring, and part of Oakton — will be subsumed into a new 12th House District that extends south into Mantua down to Little River Turnpike.

The new district will take effect with the 2023 general election.