There are several exciting state legislative races in Virginia, and here’s a brief preview of some of the House and Senate races in Northern Virginia.
In House District 36, there is a contested race between Hugh ‘Mac’ Cannon and Ken Plum. Plum has held this seat since 1982, and this district is heavily Democratic. Cannon ran in 2009 and was trounced. In terms of fundraising, Cannon has raised $1,700. It will be an uphill battle for Cannon.
The other contested House seat is David Bulova’s seat. Bulova represents Fairfax, and this is his first challenge since 2005, when he defeated former Fairfax Mayor John Mason. Brian Schoeneman (a fellow Bearing Drift contributor) is challenging Bulova, and this could be a winnable race, since this district has been trending more Republican. While Schoeneman’s fundraising totals have not been made public, Bulova has $7,000 on hand, and has only raised $6,700 this quarter. This is definitely going to be a competitive race.
The State Senate races in Northern Virginia are also going to be quite interesting. There are several to watch, and none will be more interesting than Senate Districts 37 and 39.
Senate District 37 is currently represented by Democrat Dave Marsden, who won the Special Election in 2010. Marsden will face either Steve Hunt or Jason Flanary in November. Both Hunt or Flanary could pose a serious challenge to Marsden. Hunt previously challenged Marsden in the special election and narrowly lost that race. Hunt is gearing up for a rematch, but he has a primary challenger to face first. Jason Flanary is a first time candidate, who has worked for Del. Tim Hugo (R-40) and Congressman J. Randy Forbes. Flanary also works as an Executive Director for CapNet. This district was redrawn to be more Democratic and will definitely be a challenge for either Hunt or Flanary.
Senate District 39 is currently represented by Democrat George Barker, who defeated Republican Jay O’Brien during the 2007 Senate race. There will be a three-way Republican primary between Miller Baker, Scott Martin, and Andre Muange. Miller Baker is a Constitutional lawyer, who has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and has $100,000 cash on hand. Scott Martin is a Dean at George Mason University and has raised $38,000. Martin has the support of the tea party. Andre Muange is running as well, and his website does not provide much information about the candidate. This race will be another uphill battle for the candidate who wins the primary, as the district has also been drawn to favor the incumbent.
There are more contested State Senate races in Northern Virginia, but the open seat contest in District 31, where Republican Caren Merrick will face the winner of the Democratic Primary Contest between Arlington County Board Member Barbara Favola and Jaime Areizaga-Soto. Favola has been a member of the Arlington County Board since 1997, and has received the endorsement of Congressman Jim Moran, Retiring State Sens. Mary-Margaret Whipple and Patsy Ticer, State Sen. Janet Howell, and Del. Dave Poisson. Areizaga-Soto is an Attorney and Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard. He recently announced his candidacy at the Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. This primary will be one to watch. Favola leads in fundraising, as she has raised $57,259 in contributions. Merrick has raised $47,085 in contributions. The general election battle will be one to watch.
Overall, there is a lot of excitement as we move closer to the primary and general elections. There is no doubt that 2011 looks to be an exciting year for elections.
