5 Candidates Seek Democratic Endorsement In 11th District: Updated

Updated: An earlier version of this story only listed fourDemocrats running for the 11th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — On Friday, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott (D) announced a special election on Jan. 13, 2026 to fill the 11th House of Delegates seat. The Virginia Public Access Project labels the district as strong Democratic.

Five candidates have already announced their intentions to run in the Jan. 13 special election: former Fairfax City Council Member So Lim; Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice; Denver Supinger, president of the Virginia Young Democrats; Douglas M. Shuster, an emerging markets infrastructure expert; and Gretchen Bulova, wife of former delegate David L. Bulova. All three candidates will be seeking the endorsement of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.

During a Zoom call on Friday night, a committee comprised of Susan Weltz, who chairs the 11th District Democratic Committee, and Penny Rood of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee will determine the method of nomination for the Democratic candidates

"The 11th District Committee is preparing to hold an unassembled caucus, also known as a 'firehouse primary,' on Tuesday Dec. 16," said Weltz. "We look forward to an informative campaign that will give voters in the district a chance to vote for whom they wish to see representing them in the General Assembly, and then we must all unite in support of the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever it may be."

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The 11th District seat became vacant when David Bulova stepped down to become Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger's nominee as the next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.

“From the wonders of the Shenandoah Valley to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia’s natural resources, public lands, and historic sites define our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said, in a release on Thursday. “Today, I’m proud to announce the appointment of Delegate Bulova to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. In this role, he will bring decades of experience to our efforts to strengthen our Commonwealth’s conservation, resilience, and preservation efforts. I look forward to working with Delegate Bulova to protect Virginia’s beauty, promote responsible stewardship of its land, and preserve its history and environment for generations to come.”

David Bulova said in a statement that he was honored by the nomination, adding thtat preserving and restoring Virginia's environment has been a life-long passion. Prior to being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005, he served as an elected member of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conversation District from 2004-2006.

“I am deeply honored to be nominated by Governor-elect Spanberger to serve as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources," he said. "Preserving and restoring Virginia’s environment is a life-long passion for me. Our Governor-elect shares that passion, as evidenced by her work on the House Agriculture Committee, and understands what it takes to safeguard our natural resources for future generations. She also understands that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand-in-hand,” said Bulova. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with our Governor-elect, the General Assembly, and the many partners that work hard every day to fulfill the promise outlined in Virginia’s constitution ‘to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth."