As she mulls over her own political future, Arlington’s senior state senator is seeking to help Democrats pick up seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Despite the Democratic redistricting map being overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court, Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) believes her party has a chance in November to flip several of the five Virginia congressional seats currently held by Republicans.
“It will take a village to turn the four seats we had planned on redistricting blue, but the stakes are high and we can do it — yes, we can,” Favola said in an email to supporters this week.
Specifically, Favola referred to providing financial support.
“With your support, I will be making a generous donation from my campaign fund to support the Beyond Arlington effort, a program organized by the Arlington Democratic Committee to send canvassers and volunteers into districts that we need to flip,” she wrote.
“I usually make a donation to Beyond Arlington from my campaign fund,” she told ARLnow in a follow-up interview. “I expect to do so again this year — perhaps in a more generous fashion.”
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Favola currently has about $334,000 in her campaign account.
To help fund the effort, Favola’s campaign will be hosting a birthday-themed fundraiser on June 14, in advance of her actual birthday on June 21.
Favola was elected to the Virginia Senate in 2011 after serving 14 years on the County Board. While she has faced challenges in both Democratic primaries and general elections, she typically has steamrollered her opponents, winning healthy majorities.
All 40 Virginia Senate seats will be on the ballot in November 2027. Favola said she hasn’t reached a formal decision on her plans.
“I serve on the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and chair the important Education and Health Committee. And by all accounts am a very effective lawmaker, so we’ll see,” she told ARLnow.
“There is considerable interest in having me run again,” she added.
Favola last year faced a uterine cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy sessions.
The 40th Senate District includes the bulk of Arlington except for the National Landing area, which is in the 39th District represented by Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker.
Bennett-Parker, whose district is centered in the city of Alexandria, earlier this year won a special election to succeed Sen. Adam Ebbin, who accepted a position in the Spanberger administration. Both districts are Democratic strongholds.
