March Special Election Requested To Fill Braddock School Board Seat

FAIRFAX, VA — Braddock District residents won't have a designated representative to the Fairfax County School Board until March.

At its meeting on Thursday, the school board approved a resolution directing its legal counsel to file a a petition asking the circuit court to issue a writ of election to authorize a special election to fill the vacant Braddock District seat.

The seat became vacant on Dec. 16., when Rachna Sizemore Heizer was sworn in as the new Braddock District supervisor. She was elected to that post by defeating Republican Kenneth P. "Ken" Balbuena and Independent candidate Carey Chet Campbell in the Dec. 9 special election.

The school board is required to request a writ of election once a seat becomes vacant. The date of the election must be “not fewer than 45 days nor more than 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy,” according to the Code of Virginia. Under that formula, the election would have to take place prior to March 16, 2026, which is the 90th day. The board's petition asked that the election be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Small business owner Tom Dannan and Alexa Krezel, a strategic human resources and project management professional, have already announced their intentions to run in that special election.

Even though school board members appear as independents on the ballot, they can be endorsed by a political party. Dannan and Krezel said they would each be pursuing the Democratic Party's endorsement.

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee is holding a special meeting via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on Monday to approve a Call to Caucus for the Democratic endorsement for Braddock District School Board representative.

The Braddock supervisor's seat became vacant when James Walkinshaw (D) defeated Republican challenger Stewart Whitson in the Sept. 9 special election, filling the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), who died in May. The former supervisor's victory created the need for the Dec. 9 special election.

Even though the Braddock District won't have its own school board member until after the March 3 special election, Braddock residents, like the rest of the county, are represented by three at-large school board members: Kyle McDaniel, Ryan McElveen, and Ilyong Moon.

Also See ...

• Alexa Krezel To Seek Braddock School Board Seat If Vacancy Occurs
• Early Bird Candidate Enters Braddock School Board Race
• Winner Named In 11th House District Firehouse Primary
• Rachna Sizemore Heizer Wins All 29 Precincts In Braddock Supervisor's Race