Virginia voter guide: 2 seats in General Assembly up for grabs in special election
An appointment to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration has caused a domino effect of special elections to fill two vacancies in Virginia’s General Assembly.
Special elections will be held in Alexandria, as well as parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties, on Tuesday.
Nominees from both parties are running to fill open seats in Virginia Senate District 39 and Virginia House District 5, which are considered to be Democratic strongholds, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Both vacancies came about following Spanberger’s nomination of State Sen. Adam Ebbin to lead the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Ebbin represents Alexandria, along with small portions of Arlington and Fairfax Counties, in the state senate.
A sitting legislator, Democrat Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, is leaving her seat in House District 5 with hopes of succeeding Ebbin. She is facing off against Republican nominee Julie Robben Lineberry.
Bennett-Parker’s resignation triggered a special election to fill her seat representing parts of Alexandria in House District 5.
Democratic nominee Kirk McPike and Republican nominee Mason Butler are running to fill that vacancy in the House of Delegates.
Spanberger’s appointments have caused a series of local special elections that are rapidly reshaping the face of the Northern Virginia delegation in the state’s legislature.
Earlier special elections named new delegates to serve House Districts 11, 17 and 23, which span across the region.
Dates at a glance
- Early in-person voting: Jan. 31 through Feb. 7 (Passed)
- Deadline to register or update voter registration: Feb. 3 (Passed)
- Deadline to request mail-in or absentee ballot: Jan. 30 (Passed)
- Election Day: Feb. 10
Voting on Special Election Day
The larger senate district spans across Alexandria as well as south Arlington and a small portion of Fairfax County. House District 5 only includes parts of Alexandria.
To check whether your district is participating in the special election, visit the Virginia Department of Election’s website.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting on Feb. 10.
Voters who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities, have the option of voting curbside.
Voters need to bring along a valid ID. If you leave it behind, you can sign an ID confirmation statement or vote with a provisional ballot.
Provisional voters have until noon on Feb. 13 to bring a copy of your ID to the local electoral board or sign a confirmation statement.
A list of acceptable forms of ID is available online.
Vote by mail
Ballots have to be postmarked by Feb. 10 and received by Feb. 13.
Outside of mailing those absentee ballots, voters can also bring them to a drop-off location. Check in with your city or county elections office for information about drop boxes and their locations.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot has already passed. Voters had until Friday, Jan. 30, to file those requests.
Early voting has wrapped up as well. Voters were able to head to the polls to cast their ballots ahead of election day from Jan. 31 through Feb. 7.
Who’s on the ballot
Senate District 39
Democratic Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker is running against Julie Robben Lineberry for the open senate seat.
Bennett-Parker has served in the House of Delegates since 2022 and has campaigned on issues including economic opportunities, reproductive rights and improving education.
Lineberry worked in the real estate for 45 years in Northern Virginia before retiring, according to her website. She’s also served a decade on the Alexandria Electoral Board.
She has pledged to focus on affordability and describes herself as an “independent check on one-party rule in Richmond.”
House District 5
The nominees on the ballot in House District 5 are Democrat Kirk McPike and Republican nominee Mason Butler.
McPike has served on the Alexandria City Council since 2022. More than 15 years ago, he ran a state senate campaign for Ebbin, who is exiting to serve alongside Spanberger.
According to his campaign website, McPike’s priorities as a delegate would be focused on creating housing, fighting climate change and supporting federal workers.
Mason is a business executive with a background in technology and management, according to his campaign website. He has described himself as a moderate voice and listed priorities such as affordability and education.