Erika Yalowitz Third Democrat Running For VA Senate In 37th District

FAIRFAX, VA — Erika Yalowitz, a community organizer, announced on Feb. 7 that she was running to be the Democratic Party's candidate on the November ballot for the Virginia Senate seat representing the 37th District.

Yalowitz is the the third Democrat to enter the 37th District race. She will face Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) and Saddam Salim in the June 20 Democratic Party Primary.

A resident of Tysons, Yalowitz has worked as a court officer in the Arlington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for nearly nine years, according to her LinkedIn page. She has also served as the vice president of the Providence District Council, the corresponding secretary of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens' Association, and the board of directors of the Rotonda Condominium Unit Owners Association.

When asked what issues were the most important to her, Yalowitz started with the need to establish a reliable Democratic vote in the Senate.

"On occasion, Sen. Petersen has aligned with the Republican members of the Senate and that undermines the competitive advantages of having a majority in the Senate for Democrats. That is a very important issue for me."

Yalowitz's campaign is also about ensuring safety and that children are safe from the dangers of guns and drugs.

"I work with issues related to fentanyl and fentanyl in young children," she said. "I believe that this is a very serious crisis and it's snowballing right in front of our eyes. If we don't take assertive action, this can get out of hand. This is a relatively new issue that arrived in our area last summer and we already have had several fatalities in the area and in the region."

Keeping public education public is another of Yalowitz's priorities.

"The governor's initiatives are terrifying in that he intends to defund public education in favor of private initiatives," she said. "I believe public education does not turn anyone away. We cannot turn our backs away from supporting public education and our teachers and our students."

The 2023 election will be the first time that the General Assembly's redrawn Senate districts go into effect. Petersen is now running in the 37th District, which includes his hometown of Fairfax City, as well as all or parts of Vienna, Dunn Loring, Merrifield, Oakton, Fair Oaks, Tysons, and Falls Church.

Yalowitz sees the new makeup of the district as a chance to unseat Petersen.

"His positions have been traditionally more conservative than what the people in the district would like," she said. "This is why I think I would be very different, in addition to the commitment to diversity, the commitment to pro choice, the commitment to responsible and sensitive gun laws and other issues that touch our families and our communities."

This will be the first Virginia General Assembly race that Petersen, who currently represents the 34th District in the Senate, has had a primary opponent let alone two.

"I welcome any participants in the upcoming Democratic primary and look forward to a campaign on the issues," Petersen told Patch on Tuesday. "I'm especially proud of my team's record over the past two years in re-opening schools, protecting small business, and bringing our kids 'back to normal.' We will not let anyone take us backwards."

Unseating Petersen is Salim's main focus, as well. He's also not so concerned about another candidate entering the race.

"I recognize that there are now three candidates in this race, but there have been primary races before where an incumbent faced two challengers and one of them came very close or succeeded in removing that incumbent," Salim said, in an email to Patch. "That's the focus for me — Chap Petersen does not reflect the values of the new VA-37 and I want to give the best choice I can to those constituents, so they get someone who will vote for an assault weapons ban, stand up for reproductive rights and work to expand affordable housing across the district. With redistricting, Chap is only keeping 43 percent of his old district, so the majority of voters are new to him. This is a chance to fight for Virginia's future and we still have a path to choose someone better for VA-37."

Yalowitz was one of five candidates to run in the 2019 Democratic Party Primary for the open Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Dalia Palchik won the primary and went on to defeat Republican Party-endorsed candidate Eric Jones in the November election.

Despite finishing third in that race, Yalowitz sees the 2019 campaign as a positive experience.

"I received several calls from people who knew me from my first race, and they were very enthusiastic about me throwing my hat in the ring," she said. "I ran in about 60 percent of the new district, winning four precincts. I have made many connections throughout the years in that area."

Yalowitz also considers the 2019 campaign and her community activism as an advantage over Salim.

"I have run a race in the past," she said. "I have been on the ballot. I have informed myself and worked with the community on real issues and solved problems. I have a record of solving problems. I think that he will have a bright future in politics after more work with the community to actually demonstrate that he has that capacity to serve as well."

Voter Information

The new 37th District includes all of Fairfax City, as well as all or parts of Vienna, Dunn Losing, Merrifield, Oakton, Fair Oaks, Tysons, and Falls Church.

Voters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to choose candidates running for the Virginia House of Delegates, the Virginia Senate, the Commonwealth's Attorney, Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax County Sheriff, Chairman of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, District Members of the Board of Supervisors, At-Large Members of the Fairfax County School Board, District Members of the School board, and Directors (vote for 3) of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Early voting for the June 20 Democratic Party primary begins on May 6. Voters must register by May 29 to be eligible to vote in the June 20 primary. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for the Democratic primary is June 9.

Also see ...

Petersen Touts Advocacy For Children, Elderly, Small Business

Gun Control, Reproductive Rights Top Priorities For Senate Candidate