Elizabeth Bennett-Parker Running For Re-Election In VA House

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who represents part of Alexandria in the 45th House of Delegates district, announced her re-election bid Wednesday.

Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria) will run for the new 5th House of Delegates district seat. All Virginia House of Delegates, Senate and congressional districts had been redrawn as part of a mandated redistricting process after the 2020 U.S. Census. These new districts will take effect with the 2023 House of Delegates and Senate elections, while redrawn congressional districts take effect with the 2022 midterm elections.

The new 5th House of Delegates district includes part of the City of Alexandria. The new 3rd district and 4th district will cover other parts of the city. Currently, Alexandria is in the 45th and 46th districts, represented by Bennett-Parker and Del. Charniele Herring, respectively.

If re-elected, Bennett-Parker would begin a second term in the House of Delegates in early 2024. Bennett-Parker was elected to the House of Delegates in 2021 after defeating the previous incumbent, Mark Levine, in the primary election.

"I am proud of the work we have done to support public education, combat climate change, and protect abortion rights in Virginia; and I will continue to champion commonsense gun safety legislation, policies that support workers, like paid family and medical leave, and never stop working for a better Commonwealth," Bennett-Parker said in a statement about her campaign priorities. "I look forward to winning and to electing Democrats across our Commonwealth to take back the majority in the House; and together, I know we can keep moving Virginia forward."

Bennett-Parker served one term on Alexandria City Council as vice mayor before becoming a state delegate. She has been chair of the Virginia Railway Express board, a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Alexandria’s Community Criminal Justice Board and Commission on Employment, Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture board, Agenda:Alexandria board, and the United Way Regional Council board. Bennett-Parker formerly co-lead the nonprofit Together We Bake, which provides job training and personal development for underserved women. She now serves as a substitute teacher for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Bennett-Parker is endorsed by local Democratic leaders, including Mayor Justin Wilson and other members of City Council, 8th congressional district Rep. Don Beyer, State Sen. Adam Ebbin and more.

If a primary election is called, it would be held on June 20, 2023. The general election will be on Nov. 7, 2023.