As you might have heard, Virginia Del. Mark Sickles was selected earlier this week by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to serve in her Cabinet as Secretary of Finance. As such, there will be a vacancy shortly in HD17 (Franconia/Springfield in southern Fairfax County; 70% Kamala Harris district), which Del. Sickles represents. For that reason, Virginia Speaker Don Scott set the special election date for this seat as 1/20/26, with Fairfax Democrats selecting their nominee THIS coming Sunday (12/28); see call to Caucus info here (and note that turnout for this could be very low, maybe not even 1,000 voters out of >80,000 people in the district effectively selecting their next delegate).
So with just a few days to campaign, and for voters to be informed about the election – including when/where to vote, as well as who the candidate are – things are moving very quickly. Plus, it’s the holidays, and presumably most people are barely (if at all) focused on this. So I figured it might be helpful to do a quick summary of who’s running (to my knowledge, Russell Brooks, Carla Bustillos, Garrett McGuire, Joy McManus) and who’s endorsed them. I’ll update this as I see new endorsements (or ones I’ve missed).
P.S. Also, I’m hoping that these candidates will all get back to Blue Virginia by tomorrow with answers to some questions that Fairfax City Dems Chair Laura Stokes sent them the other day…
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Russell Brooks: “a retired public servant who spent more than two decades serving the United States as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State…deeply rooted in the Fairfax County Democratic community. He is an active member and leader within local Democratic organizations, including serving as Chair of the Northern Virginia Democratic Black Caucus and as a Precinct Captain in the Franconia District.” Endorsements include former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Arlington Rotary Educational Foundation Chair Tony Weaver.
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Carla Bustillos: “a Fairfax County community leader, business owner, and local startup investor who has spent years working alongside families, workers, and entrepreneurs across Northern Virginia.” Endorsements include Clean Virginia (*they’re supporting two candidates, but not officially endorsing), Fairfax County Clerk of the Court Chris Falcon, Del. Alfonso Lopez, Del. Marty Martinez, Del. Michelle Maldonado, Del. Phil Hernandez, Del. Adele McClure Delegate-elect Elizabeth Guzman, Delegate-elect Jessica Anderson, Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez, CASA in Action, JUNTOs, etc.
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Garrett McGuire: “a longtime public policy professional, community leader, and advocate for underserved communities in Fairfax County.” Endorsements include Del. Mark Sickles, Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay, former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Fairfax Sheriff Stacey Kincaid, etc.
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Joy McManus: “a Virginia educator, public safety advocate, and gun violence prevention champion running as a proud Democrat for the Virginia House of Delegates in District 17.” Endorsements include VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, Franconia District (Fairfax County) Supervisor Rodney Lusk, Former Franconia District/Fairfax School Board member Tammy Kaufax, Clean Virginia (*they’re supporting two candidates, but not officially endorsing).
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For more information on this caucus, see here:
In-person voting will be taking place on Sunday, December 28th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Anyone in line before 5:00 PM will be able to cast a ballot.
In-person voting will be taking place at the following locations:
Franconia Governmental Center
6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria
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Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Alexandria
6421 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria
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Hotel Belvoir Springfield
6550 Loisdale Rd, Springfield
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