Long-Time Democrat Faces GOP Challenger For House Of Delegates Seat In Reston Race

RESTON, VA — Voters in Reston will be heading to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in the statewide general election.

Voters will decide who will be the next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and their representative to the House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly. Fairfax County voters will also have a $360 million public school bond ballot question.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 2. You can find your polling place and check your registration status at vote.elections.virginia.gov. Fairfax County also provides maps of precincts by supervisor district.

All voters wishing to cast a ballot in-person will be asked to provide one form of identification or sign a statement affirming your identity. A full list of acceptable forms of identification is available on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Early voting in Virginia ended on Saturday, but individuals who requested absentee ballots from the Virginia Department of Elections online portal may be drop off their ballots at a drop box at any voting site during voting hours, and a secure 24/7 drop box is located outside the Fairfax County Government Center.

While the witness signature requirement was exempted earlier in the pandemic, it is again legally required for the November 2021 election and future elections in Virginia. Voters must sign the return envelope and include a witness signature with the completed ballot.

Mail-in ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 in person or be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by noon on Nov. 5.

What's on the ballot

All ballots will contain races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. The Virginia House of Delegates race will depend on which district you live in. A full list of sample ballots is available on the Fairfax County Office of Elections website.

In Reston, incumbent Democrat Kenneth Plum is running for reelection in the 36th District House of Delegates race. He is being challenged by Republican Matthew Lang.

Plum, a former teacher and administrator with 30 years of experience with Fairfax County Public Schools, characterized the 36th District race as a contest between a progressive Democrat and a conservative Republican.

When asked why he was seeking reelection, Plum said: "[To] continue progress made in Virginia last two years to protect woman's right to choose, end discrimination in all forms, improve our public schools, protect our environment, and reform criminal justice system."

Lang, a security consultant with 28 years of experience between the military, law enforcement and private security, said he was running in order to bring balance back to Richmond.

"Historically, I had confidence in the checks and balances of Virginia government," he said. "However, what we've witnessed over the past 2.5 years in Virginia should make anyone upset. One party governments are not sustainable, and without negotiation and debate, you have authoritarianism, and that's what's happened in the last few sessions of the General Assembly."

Here are the ballots for Reston area House of Delegates districts.

Governor

• Glenn A.Youngkin-R
• Terry R.McAuliffe-D
• Princess L. Blanding-LP

Lieutenant Governor

• Winsome E. Sears-R
• Hala S. Ayala-D

Attorney General

• Jason S. Miyares-R
• Mark R. Herring-D

House of Delegates - 36th District (36th District only)

• Matthew J. Lang-R
• Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum-D

Public School Bonds

Shall Fairfax County, Virginia, contract a debt, borrow money, and issue capital improvement bonds in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $360,000,000 for the purposes of providing funds, in addition to funds from school bonds previously authorized, to finance, including reimbursement to the County for temporary financing for, the costs of school improvements, including acquiring, building, expanding, and renovating properties, including new sites, new buildings or additions, renovations and improvements to existing buildings, and furnishings and equipment, for the Fairfax County public school system?

More information: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.