One GOP Candidate Bows Out Of 8th District Race

HERNDON, VA — Max Fisher, the 2023 Republican nominee for House of Delegates in the District 8 race, will not be running as the GOP candidate in the 2025 election. However, he did not rule out the possibility of running as an independent.

"I have chosen not to engage in a primary and that's my choice at the end of the day. I will not be running as a Republican in 2025," said Fisher, in an email on Wednesday. "I have chosen party over politics, believing that a primary is not the best way. However, I'm also going to make sure I vote and support the candidate at the end of the day who has the best experience and will do the best job at representing us."

With Fisher dropping out, Indira Massey is the sole Republican candidate in the 8th District race. Massey is described on her campaign website as “both an entrepreneur and writer, her professional experiences include working in publishing and advertising.”

Fisher criticized the “long-standing belief” that primaries are not helping the GOP to grow its support in Northern Virginia, calling the current system a waste of resources.

"The current 3 percent voter turnout should not dictate our campaign's future in November," said Fisher. "Our local Fairfax County Republican Party is led by the McLean elite who cannot fully grasp the issues we face in Herndon and District 8."

Fisher was also critical of Massey for her lack of community engagement and understanding of the issues that mattered the most to the district’s residents.

"Massey's lack of job experience, her focus on elite galas and far-right political excursions, coupled with her absence from the community, makes her the wrong choice for us," Fisher said. "With her as the nominee, we are indirectly paving the way for Irene Shin to win in November."

In the 2023 election, incumbent Del. Irene Shin (D-Herndon) defeated Fisher, garnering 14,851 (67.65 percent) votes compared to his 7,023 (31.99 percent). The nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project describes the 8th District as “strongly Democratic.”

Fisher floated the possibility that he might enter the house of delegates’ race as an independent candidate.

"I believe the voters deserve someone who isn't afraid to stand up for the real problems we face in Virginia," he said. "Someone who is invested in our community, someone who is committed to making a difference, and not someone focused on a glamour life detached from the reality of our problems."

In a March 17 Facebook post, Shin announced that she’d filed all the necessary paperwork to run for reelection.

The 8th District includes the Town of Herndon and the portion of Fairfax County roughly west of Fairfax County Parkway to Sully Road and south of Herndon High School to Route 50. This includes the Oak Hill community.