July 2011

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Fairfax County Democrats are well on our way to selecting nominees this year for the General Assembly (both delegates and senators) and local officials (supervisors, sheriff, and commonwealth’s attorney). For most seats, the primary method of nomination has been the choice. In most of these instances, only one candidate filed by the June 15 deadline to seek the Democratic nomination and that candidate automatically became the Democratic nominee for the November 8 general election.

Democrats in the Braddock district will have a primary election on August 23 to select our nominee for supervisor to run against Republican incumbent John Cook. Christopher Wade, a businessman, will face Janet Oleszek, a former member of the Fairfax County School Board.

Our other candidates for supervisor are all incumbents. Board Chairman is running for re- election along with Supervisors Penny Gross (Mason district), Gerry Hyland (Mount Vernon), Jeff McKay (Lee), (Hunter Mill), (Providence), and (Dranesville). Democrats have until August 23 to select candidates by a caucus to run for supervisor in Springfield and Sully districts. Interested candidates should contact the chairs for these districts. Incumbent Sheriff Stan Berry is running for re-election as is incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh.

The General Assembly races are also taking shape. All but one Democratic incumbent in the House of Delegates representing Fairfax County are seeking re-election. By law, General Assembly incumbents may choose their method of nomination and the House incumbents all selected a primary. When the incumbents became the only candidates to file for the primary, they became the Democratic nominees. They are: Delegates (District 35), Ken Plum (36), (37), (38), (39), Eileen Filler-Corn (41), (43), (44), David Englin (45), and Jim Scott (53). Delegate is running for the State Senate, and Stephanie Clifford and Alfonso Lopez are competing for the Democratic nomination to succeed him in District 49.

Two other Democrats filed for seats currently held by Republicans. Pamela Danner is our nominee for District 34 and will face Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock in the general election. Jack Dobbyn is our nominee for District 42 and will face Republican incumbent . We have until August 23 to select candidates by caucus in other House districts currently held by Republican incumbents. Interested candidates should contact me or any other FCDC officer.

In the Senate, where incumbents also could choose the method of nomination, all but one seeking re-election selected primaries. Since these incumbents were the only ones to file, they are our nominees. They are: Senators (District 32), Mark Herring (33), (34), (35), Toddy Puller (36), and Dave Marsden (37). Senator George Barker (District 39) selected a caucus method for nomination in his district and an effort is underway to schedule the caucus (details will be on our web site at FairfaxDemocrats.org).

Two primary elections will be held on August 23 to select the Democratic nominees for Senate Districts 30 and 31. These seats have been held by the retiring Senators