Gretchen Bulova confirmed she will seek the 11th District seat as soon as her husband formally steps down. A Democrat, she currently chairs the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county History Commission, and has served as director of Historic Alexandria since 2019.
“I am excited for this amazing opportunity for David … I am equally excited to run for the 11th District delegate seat,” she said.
David Bulova, a 19-year member of the House of Delegates, was announced Thursday as Spanberger’s pick for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. His official resignation date is still being set, meaning the timeline for a special election remains unclear. House Speaker Don Scott will schedule the election, and local party committees will set their own nomination processes.
The race is already taking shape. Former Fairfax City councilmember So Lim and America’s Voice Executive Director Vanessa Cardenas are also seeking the Democratic nomination in the district, which includes Fairfax City and parts of Oakton and Fair Oaks. (RELATED: Virginia GOP Chair Steps Down as Party Faces Blowback of Major Election Losses)
Lim, a three-term councilmember who has run a small business in the area for more than 35 years, highlighted her record of working across different constituencies per FFX News.
“In Richmond, we need leaders who listen, who collaborate, and who respect different perspectives while delivering real results for our families, seniors, small businesses, and diverse neighborhoods,” she said in her announcement.
Cardenas has not formally launched her campaign, but reports circulated earlier Thursday that she planned to enter the race. She updated her Facebook cover photo late in the morning with campaign branding.
Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read said she will not run and instead endorsed Gretchen Bulova. (RELATED: As Democrats Take Over The Legislature, Here’s What They’ve Got Planned)
“Gretchen has a deep knowledge of this district and the constituents here,” Read told FFXnow. “She shows up consistently, listens carefully and does the work.”
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of David Bulova’s 10th term, which begins Jan. 14. He won reelection last month with 73% of the vote.