Incumbents Petersen, Bulova Fight on New Territory This Election Year

Virginia redistricting has changed the makeup of Fairfax City's House of Delegates and State Senate districts. Though nothing is different within the city limits, Fairfax voters will now have to contend with a new set of neighbors when the time comes to elect their favored candidates.

Lawmakers altered the boundaries politicians live by to account for a million more Virginia residents. This redistricting process happens every 10 years with the release of the latest census figures.

Delegate David Bulova's fight to retain his House seat will unfold on a new battleground this election year. Fairfax resident Brian Schoeneman hopes to pull incumbent Bulova's seat out from under him.

House of Delegates 37th District lost areas east and southeast of Fairfax City, including Mantua, Fairfax Memorial Park, and part of Kings Park West. It expanded west of the city limits, snaking along the bottom of Interstate 66, absorbing the Fairfax County Government Center, parts of Fair Oaks, Stringfellow Road and heading into Centreville.

Fairfax City's 34th district lost Wolf Trap, parts of Tysons Corner, and the area just north of Oakton. The state senate district was cut farther from Burke and Annandale, but gained a long streak west of Oakton that stretches just above Interstate 66 into Chantilly and Centreville.

Current state senator and Fairfax City resident Chap Petersen knows he has to change with the district boundaries to keep his seat.

"Obviously it's a disappointment to lose so many good consituents around the Tysons Corner and Wolf Trap areas, especially after investing two summers of door-knocking up there," he said. "Basically, I've picked up a new community in the Greenbriar/Rocky Run/Centreville area. I need to go in there and introduce myself to these new voters, and I fully plan to do it."

His challenger, Oakton resident Gerarda Culipher seems up to the task.

"I am pleased with redistricting and delighted to be meeting voters in the Chantilly and Fairfax Station neighborhoods we’ve picked up," she said. "They, like our neighbors in Wolf Trap, struggle with commutes that eat into precious free time."

This is Culipher's first-ever state political race. So far she's raised about $16,500, a far cry from Petersen's $440,000.

As most of the extra million Virginians were counted to the west of Fairfax County, Loudoun and Prince William counties gained a Senate seat and three House seats.

Other big redistricting changes occurred just down the street.

McLean was carved up among three Virginia House of Delegates districts and two Virginia State Senate districts. The vast majority of McLean of has been sutured to an almost totally redrawn senate 31st district which sews together Arlington with McLean, Great Falls and part of Loudoun County.

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