Aurora Hills Library will be the lone Arlington polling place for Democratic voters to choose a nominee for February’s special election tomorrow (Tuesday).
Polls in the firehouse primary to replace State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who announced last week that he is taking a position in the Spanberger administration, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the library, located at 735 18th Street S.
Democratic voters across the Senate district also will have the ability to vote at sites in Alexandria and Fairfax County on that day.
Alexandria locations, also open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., include the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library, 5005 Duke Street, and the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street.
A Fairfax location is pending, with the Alexandria Democratic Committee coordinating communications in advance of voting.
Voting will be rematch of 2021
The 39th Senate District is a Democratic stronghold, making the party’s endorsement vital for prospective successors to Ebbin.
Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5), former Del. Mark Levine, Charles Sumpter and Amy Jackson will be vying to be the party’s choice in the firehouse primary. The qualifying deadline for paperwork to be submitted to the Alexandria Democratic Committee was Sunday afternoon.
Bennett-Parker and Levine previously tangled politically in 2021, when Bennett-Parker — then serving as Alexandria’s vice mayor — ousted incumbent Levine from his delegate seat.
The district they are now contesting, the 39th Senate District, includes the Pentagon City, Crystal City and Aurora Highlands areas of Arlington, along with the eastern portion of the Arlington Ridge neighborhood.
It also includes a portion of Fairfax County but is concentrated in the city of Alexandria, which has about 75% of the district’s voters.
Leaders coalesce behind Bennett-Parker
Many in the local, and state, political establishment have lined up behind Bennett-Parker. Both Ebbin and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger gave her their endorsements on Jan. 8.
Bennett-Parker also has picked up the following endorsements:
- State leaders: Lucas, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, House Speaker Don Scott and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring
- Arlington legislators: Sen. Barbara Favola and Dels. Alfonso Lopez and Patrick Hope
- Arlington leaders: County Board members Matt de Ferranti, Takis Karantonis and Maureen Coffey and Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti
- Alexandria leaders: Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, former Mayor Justin Wilson, City Council members John Taylor Chapman and Kirk McPike and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter
- Fairfax County leaders: Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay Supervisors Andres Jimenez and Dalia Palchik
Voting details finalized by Democrats
Voters must be registered to vote and reside in the 39th Senate District to cast ballots in the Jan. 13 caucus, but are not required to vote in the jurisdiction in which they live.
Voters in the Democratic caucus will be required to document proof of address or provide a photo identification, and will be required to sign a statement that reads:
“I certify that I am a resident of and registered to vote in Virginia Senate District 39; I am a Democrat; I believe in the principles of the Democratic Party; and I do not intend to support, endorse or assist any candidate who is opposed to the Virginia Senate District 39 Democratic nominee in the ensuing election for Virginia Senate District 39.”
After polls close, ballot boxes from the various polling locations will be sealed and delivered to the Alexandria Democratic Committee headquarters for counting.
In the unlikely event of a tie vote, a coin flip will determine the winner. If a three-way tie occurs, candidates will draw lots.
Ebbin announced Jan. 7 he was resigning effective Feb. 18 to join the administration of incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger as a senior adviser to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
Ebbin, 62, was elected to the House of Delegates in 2003 and won election to the Senate in 2011.
Sen. L. Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the upper house of the legislature, on Jan. 9 issued the writ to hold the special election on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The candidate filing deadline was set for Jan. 14 at 5 p.m.
Looking ahead to Feb. 10 special election
Members of the Arlington Electoral Board are slated to meet on Tuesday evening (Jan. 13) to discuss logistics for the Feb. 10 special election.
In-person voting for the special election will run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, with the last day to register to vote in the election set for Feb. 3.
The winner of the Feb. 10 primary will be sworn in as soon as the election results are certified, and likely will be able to participate in the waning weeks of the legislative session.
The winner will defend the seat in the November 2027 general election.
The special election will be the first of its kind conducted in several years in Arlington. But in neighboring Fairfax County, recent months have brought a spate of them, including races to fill vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives, Board of Supervisors, School Board and various General Assembly seats.
Fairfax County election officials say they are holding their own against the onslaught of additional work brought by unscheduled elections.
“We’ve got a fantastic team,” said Eric Spicer, the county’s registrar and elections director, at the county’s Jan. 7 Electoral Board meeting.
At the same time, he acknowledged, “our entire staff has been tremendously busy — we’ve got our hands full.”
Election officials across Virginia are anticipating a statewide special election in the spring to deal with a potential constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting.
