Meet Your Candidates night will feature Fairfax County state Senate and House of Delegate candidates up for election on November 7, 2023. This event will occur on Tuesday October 24 between 4pm and 8pm on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University at Dewberry South and Lobby in Johnson Center.

• Each candidate will participate in a town hall giving a short speech followed by a 20 minute Q&A with the audience. Most of the candidates will have tables in the Dewberry Lobby where you can talk with their volunteers and pick up their literature. The town halls are intended to be a conversation with the candidates to educate voters on their policy positions and relevant experience.
• Democratic and Republican Party leaders will close the night with town halls at 7:00 and 7:30 with a short speech about the candidates and how the audience can volunteer, intern, and donate money to support their party organizations and candidates, after which they will take questions from the audience.
• Additional table hosts in the Dewberry Lobby will focus on voting, university programs and student groups, and party affiliated organizations.

Democracy onAir, a nonpartisan 501c3 nonprofit managed by GMU alumni, is coordinating Meet Your Candidates night. Democracy onAir will be coordinating a similar event at GMU on October 22, 2024 for the 2024 congressional and presidential races.
The Fairfax County Republican Committee and the Fairfax County Democratic Committee have assisted with organizing the candidates for this event..

For more information about the town halls, contact our student coordinator Sophie Wagner at sophie.wagner@onair.cc.
For more information about the tables in the Dewberry Lobby and Democracy onAir, contact Scott Joy at scott.joy@onair.cc.

Current Position:  Virginia House of Delegates, District 37 from 2006
Other Positions: Project Manager, WSP
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: House District 11

David Bulova was first elected Delegate for the 37th District in 2005. The 37th District included the city of Fairfax and parts of Fairfax County. Delegate Bulova is running for re-election in the new District 11 which includes the city of Fairfax and parts of Fairfax County.

Delegate Bulova serves as ranking member of the General Laws Committee and of the Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Subcommittee in the Appropriations Committee. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Education Committee, Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Appropriations Committee.

Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: House District 11

One of the reasons I decided to run was because I kept hearing and seeing young -middle aged people struggling paycheck to paycheck, having to work two or more jobs for basic necessities, or depending on retired family members who are on social security. This pattern needs to change for everyone’s wellbeing!

Current Position:  Teacher
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: Senate District 36

I’m a teacher, a wife, and I am proud to be the Republican candidate for Virginia Senate, District 36.

My father served over 20 years in the United States Air Force, so growing up we moved around quite a bit. I learned the value of finding a place you could call home, and I found that, here in northern Virginia, with my husband, Mike.

My solutions are simple, common sense, and bipartisan. We need to educate and not indoctrinate our students. We need to prioritize public safety and adequate funding and resources for our first responders. We also need to rein in spending and reduce burdensome regulations that are driving families and businesses away from Virginia.

Source: Campaign site

Current Position:  Teacher
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Senate District 36

Growing up in a working class immigrant family, a former teacher, and mother to six children, Stella has always fought to ensure future generations have opportunities to achieve success. On the School Board, she has fought to increase teacher pay and successfully stood up to Youngkin’s partisan agenda to strip away local control of our schools.

A long-time Centreville resident and a small business owner, Stella and her husband are raising their six children in this wonderful community.

Source: Campaign site

Current Position: Behavioral therapist at a major hospital in Northern Virginia.
Former Positions: FBI and Adjunct professor at UVA
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: Senate District 33

I am seeking election to the 33rd State Senate District to help Virginia be the best it can be by ensuring the health, safety, and education of all Virginians is the top priority. Every Virginian has a right to expect that their leaders are working to promote their freedoms through adhering to the constitution, protecting their liberties, and placing their well-being above all other endeavors. This expectation includes the promotion of prosperity through responsible spending and taxation. Every Virginian has the right to feel safe in their community by ensuring Virginia has the best trained and equipped First Responders in the nation. Virginians also have the right to expect the best education of their children, knowing that our future lies with our children. To be competitive not only in this nation, but worldwide, we must work to make our public education system unparalleled. I have spent my entire career in the service of this great nation, and I seek to continue this service as a Virginia State Senator. After a career in the military, police, FBI, and now as a behavioral therapist combating our addiction epidemic, I hope that you will join me in this journey of making Virginia the best possible place for prosperity in this great nation.

Source: Campaign website

Current Position: Public defender
Former Positions:  Magistrate Judge, Delegate for 2nd District 2017 to 2020.
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Senate District 33

“I have never been able to ignore a call from my community to serve”

As one of the first African-American women to graduate from Virginia Military Institute, a former foster mom, magistrate judge, public defender, and Delegate, I’ve dedicated my life to the service of others. And that lifelong experience has driven my determination to get results for Virginians — ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment, expanding Medicaid to roughly 500,000 Virginians, raising the minimum wage, expanding broadband, cleaning up toxic coal ash and providing opportunities for veterans to start businesses — I am incredibly proud to have helped lead the charge for bold progress here in Virginia with Governor Northam, Speaker Filler-Corn, the House and Senate Caucuses, and outstanding activists in my district and across Virginia.

But we are at a critical juncture for our Commonwealth, where so much of our progress has the potential to be reversed. That’s why I’m again stepping up to serve my community and move Virginia forward as a candidate for state Senate in Virginia’s 33rd District. My commitment to Virginia has never wavered, and I will work hard to build a better Virginia for everyone.

Source: Campaign site

Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: House District 15

My only intention is to offer the members of the community a choice on November 7.  I am asking for your vote and nothing more.

Our schools are discriminating against Asian students with impunity, test scores are dropping, and disciplinary issues are on the rise.  Democrats like Laura Cohen were on the school board when our schools began to decline.  Take the nonsense out of the classroom and teach children the fundamentals of an education and let them think critically for themselves.

Current Position: Computer System Engineer/AnalystFormer Position
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: Senate District 35

Mark Vafiades has been a longtime activist and advocate for citizens and families. He has worked in the private sector, the Federal and State government, owned a small business and is a retired reserve Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy, who worked in patrol for 20 years.

Current Position: District 37 Senator from 2010
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Senate District 35

Dave is a progressive Democrat who supports reproductive healthcare access, gun safety, protecting our environment, a fully funded education system and child care, paid family and medical leave, juvenile justice reform, lowering the costs of prescription drugs, transportation infrastructure, and campaign finance reform.

Elected as a Democrat to the Virginia Senate in 2010 in a special election (flipping Ken Cuccinelli’s seat), Senator Marsden has earned a reputation as a hard working legislator who gets things done for Fairfax County and the Commonwealth. Before serving in the Virginia Senate, he served 4 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. Never afraid to put progress above partisanship, Senator Marsden has worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation to relieve traffic congestion, improve education, and create jobs and he brings over 40 years of experience and expertise in the juvenile justice field to the legislature.

Current Position: Local elected office in Loudoun County for 10 years
Former Positions:  Newsletter publisher and business owner
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: Senate District 37

Kenneth Reid served ten years as a councilmember and supervisor in Loudoun County, VA, outside Washington, DC-one of the fastest-growing communities in the US. A Republican, he won election in a blue-leaning community, Leesburg, never losing an election in four tries. Reid also has assisted numerous other candidates to win office using many of the strategies and organization efforts in this book.

By profession, he is a publisher who has written about the biomedical industries since the Reagan administration, served as a grassroots PR consultant in the transportation realm and currently works as a technical writer in the Hampton Roads area.

His master’s degree is in journalism from the University of Missouri and undergrad degree in political science from Rutgers. As such, he has superior marketing, media and political skills to help other candidates win and navigate working in local elected office.

Current Position: Consultant advising federal clients
Former Positions: Financial Consultant
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: Senate District 37

Saddam believes in public service, because he has seen the real effects of affordable housing, healthcare, education and community support on his life. The City of Falls Church and Fairfax County helped his family survive and supported him through his education and career.

Today, he wants to give back and serve that community.  Help us elect a new kind of leader, who focuses on Virginia’s future and the issues that matter!

Source: Campaign site