Incumbent Del. David Bulova Is Seeking 37th District Seat In The VA House Of Delegates

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Democrat David Bulova is running to hang onto the 37th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Bulova previously served as director of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

During the Nov. 2 general election, voters living in the 37th District will have a chance to decide whether to vote for the incumbent Bulova or Republican candidate Kenny W. Meteiver. Early voting is already underway.

Patch asked each of the candidates running in the Nov. 2 general election to fill out the following profile:

Name

David Bulova

Position sought

Delegate for the 37th District

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Married to Gretchen with three children, Alex (24), Josette (22), and Grayson (13). Alex and Josette are graduates from Fairfax County Public Schools and Grayson is an 8th grader at Robinson Secondary.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife Gretchen is the Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, which is part of the City of Alexandria government.

Education

BA, Government, College of William and Mary; Master of Public Administration, Virginia Tech.

Occupation

Senior Environmental Planner, Wood Environment & Infrastructure (2002-Present). Total of 30 years in the environmental and water resources planning profession.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Member, House of Delegates, 37th District (2006-Present); Director, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (2003-2005).

Why are you seeking elective office?

Virginia is a wonderful place. It is where I grew up and it is where I am raising my own family. I deeply care about the people in my community and believe it is important to make decisions that take the long-view so that future generations will enjoy an even better quality of life. This includes investing in economic development, education, transportation, and our environment. I enjoy working with others to solve problems and seek common ground. But even when that it not possible, everyone should have an opportunity to to be heard during the decision-making process. Finally, I want to create an economy that rewards hard work and unleashes everyone's creative potential.

The single most pressing issue facing our district and Virginia is recovering from COVID-19, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I have prioritized keeping workers, families, and students safe during the pandemic, including assistance paying utility bills and grants to help small businesses. As we emerge from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to make our economy more resilient by expanding high-speed internet, ensuring our schools have the resources they need to support our students, and investing in workforce training and higher education.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Education is the best investment we can make. As a member of the House Appropriations and Education committees, I have fought to keep class sizes low, helped to negotiate a budget that resulted in $250 million to repair aging school infrastructure, and increased access to early childhood education. A healthy environment is fundamental to our quality of life and a robust economy. I have led efforts to keep our drinking water safe and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Traffic congestion continues to threaten our economy and quality of life. I strongly supported bipartisan transportation legislation that is pumping billions into regional priorities. I am proud to have voted for expansion of Medicaid, which has extended health benefits to hundreds of thousands of our fellow Virginians. However, there is much work to be done, especially in the areas of mental health and developmental disabilities. Finally, I will continue to advocate for meaningful campaign finance reform, make the regulatory process more transparent, and protect personal information from identity theft.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have loved representing my community in the House since first being elected in 2005 and have successfully passed over 120 pieces of legislation. In 2020, I was the chief patron of the Early Childhood Care and Education Act, which expanded access to early childhood education and implemented a system to improve the quality of publicly-funded programs. In the House, I am proud to serve as the chair of the General Laws Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, where I am a budget conferee. I also serve on the Chesapeake Bay Commission, State Water Commission, Virginia Housing Commission, and Major Employment and Investment Commission. Most importantly, however, is actively listening to my constituents through my annual town hall event, informal coffee hours, and annual constituent survey.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The most important thing is your family. Make the time to do fun things together.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am passionate about community service and currently serve on the Board of Trustees of Brain Injury Services and the Board of the City of Fairfax Band. I am also an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Centreville-Chantilly. Together, Gretchen and I are active in scouts and served as co-chairs of the Middleridge community National Night Out for seven years. In our spare time, the Bulova family are avid hikers and I enjoy serving as the co-chair of the General Assembly's Outdoor Recreation Caucus.