Voters in several Northern Virginia districts are nominating candidates Tuesday who could be elected to serve on the state’s House of Delegates.

Whoever wins Tuesday’s contests will compete in a special election on Jan. 13, 2026, for vacated seats in the Virginia General Assembly, where Democrats currently hold a 63-37 majority.

The series of shake-ups comes as several Democratic lawmakers step down from the House of Delegates to join Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration.

Two of the resigning lawmakers represent Northern Virginia: Del. David Bulova, of Fairfax City and Fairfax County; and Del. Candi Mundon King, of Prince William and Stafford counties.

Last week, Spanberger named Bulova as her pick for Virginia’s next secretary of natural and historic resources.

And the future governor tapped King to serve as the secretary of the commonwealth.

Each party has until Dec. 17 to submit a nominee to the Virginia Board of Elections for next month’s special election, according to a writ of special elections filed by Virginia House Speaker Don Scott.

District 11: Fairfax City and part of Fairfax County

Democrats

Five candidates are running for the Democratic nomination in a firehouse primary, including the exiting delegate’s wife, Gretchen Bulova, as well as Vanessa Cardenas, So Lim, Douglas Shuster and Denver Supinger.

Any voter registered in Virginia House of Delegates District 11 can participate — but they have to sign a declaration of support for the Democratic Party, according to the democratic committees in Fairfax County and Fairfax City. In a firehouse primary, the political parties organize the contest, not the state.

District 11 includes all of Fairfax City and portions of Fairfax County. If you’re not sure whether your home sits within the district’s boundaries, check out this website.

The caucus locations are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at these locations:

• Fairfax Presbyterian Church at 10723 Main Street
• Jim Scott Community Center at 3001 Vaden Drive
• Fairfax County Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway

Gretchen Bulova is the chair of the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county’s history commission.

Cardenas is also a Fairfax City resident who works as the executive director of America’s Voice, which works to garner support for policy changes that create paths toward full citizenship for immigrants.

At a candidate forum on Sunday, Lim introduced herself as a progressive Democrat. She served three terms on the Fairfax City Council.

Shuster is the president of the Miller Heights Neighborhood Association and works at an advisory firm.

Supinger, former chief of staff to Del. Karrie Delaney, is the founder of a consulting firm that specializes in social impact strategy, political advocacy, and policymaking, according to its website.

It’s the second time Fairfax voters have participated in a firehouse primary this year, after earlier nominating candidates who competed to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly in June. Democrat James Walkinshaw ultimately won that special election in September.

Republicans

The Fairfax County Republican Committee confirmed with WTOP that Adam Wise will be the nominee, and there will be no caucus held.

Wise had previously run for the District 11 seat in November but lost to David Bulova, the incumbent.

District 23: Parts of Prince William and Stafford

Democrats

A Democratic caucus will also be going on in Virginia House of Delegates District 23 on Tuesday, according to the Democratic committees in Prince William and Stafford counties.

The caucus is scheduled to run from noon to 7 p.m. at these locations:

• Dumfries Community Center at 17757 Main Street, Dumfries
• Porter Branch Library at 2001 Parkway Boulevard, Stafford

Two candidates qualified to be on the ballot: Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin and Muhammed “Sef” Casim.

WTOP will report on the full ballot once the Republican nominee is finalized.

What’s happening in January

Voters in District 23 and District 11 will head to the polls on Jan. 13, 2026, for a special election to replace Dels. Bulova and King.

Early voting will be open from Jan. 3 to Jan. 10.

Outside of Northern Virginia, a separate special election is being held on Jan. 6, 2026, to replace representatives headed to Spanberger’s administration. Voters in the Richmond area will elect a new state senator in House District 15 and a new delegate in District 77.

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RICHMOND, Va. — Almost from the moment that Glenn Youngkin became Virginia’s governor four years ago, the political world has wondered what’s next for a Republican who seemed to keep one foot in the MAGA movement and the other in the party’s traditional country club establishment.

He’s still not ready to say.

Does he want to be president? “I’m focused on Virginia,” he said.

Does he want to lead the Department of Homeland Security? “I don’t play that game.”

What about another role in President Donald Trump’s administration? “I have been incredibly focused every day on what we need to do to transform Virginia.”

During an interview with The Associated Press, Youngkin insisted that he’s not looking ahead to after he’s replaced by Democrat Abigail Spanberger next month. But there’s little doubt that he’s been preparing for a post-Trump future that has not yet arrived, leaving someone long considered to be a potential Republican star without a clear next move.

This past summer, Youngkin headlined annual party dinners in Iowa and South Carolina, early primary states that would be natural launchpads for a presidential campaign. The ex-Carlyle Group executive has a personal fortune that could fuel a candidacy, if he chose to pursue one.

“If Glenn Youngkin runs for president, I’m 100% in,” said Republican Delegate Israel O’Quinn, a longtime Virginia lawmaker. “I think he would make a fantastic president — if that’s what he wants to do.”

Others say he missed his opportunity.

“You can probably find some red sweater vests” — a sartorial signature of Youngkin — “on sale down at the thrift store for $1, and that’s on the record,” Democratic Virginia Sen. Scott Surovell said.

‘MAGA lite to full MAGA’

Youngkin quickly became a Republican to watch after defeating Democratic stalwart Terry McAuliffe in 2021. Trump was still lying low after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters, and some party leaders were eager to find another standard-bearer.

A politician who could energize the MAGA base and court swing voters in a purple state seemed like a promising possibility.

But by the time 2024 rolled around, Youngkin passed on jumping into the race. Trump steamrolled the competition on the way to the Republican nomination, then won a second term.

With Trump back in the White House, Youngkin has been a stalwart supporter. He embraced the administration’s cuts to the federal workforce and other programs, despite its unpopularity among many Virginians who rely on neighboring Washington for their livelihoods.

Richmond-based political strategist Bob Holsworth described Youngkin as someone who went from “MAGA lite to full MAGA” in four years.

“He’s made this calculation: That’s where the Republican Party is, and that’s where it’s going,” Holsworth said. He added, “But at the same time, whether he can actually connect to the MAGA base, I think, is an open question.”

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, was more confident about Youngkin’s ability to straddle party factions in the future.

“If Trump’s political stock falls, the MAGA movement will still be important,” he said. “Youngkin has shown an ability to appeal to both Trump supporters and Republicans who are the first to fall away from Trump.”

Youngkin faced political promise and peril

Virginia governors aren’t allowed to serve consecutive terms, giving them only four years to make their mark before it’s time to decide what’s next.

Youngkin tried to demonstrate political finesse as governor. He charmed donors with his private equity background and suburban-dad polish. In his office at a Virginia government building, Youngkin had Legos on the coffee table and a basketball prominently on display. Shovels from business groundbreakings lined the wall.

“Virginia is as strong as she’s ever been,” Youngkin said in the interview, nearly identically repeating what he had said to lawmakers this year. “Financially, she’s stronger than she’s ever been. Economically, there’s more opportunity than we’ve ever had, and we’re growing.”

But there were challenges along the way, including legislative stalemate with Democrats who expanded their control of the state legislature during Youngkin’s term. The governor vetoed roughly 400 bills passed by the legislature, and Democratic lawmakers doomed many of his initiatives, such as building a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals in Virginia.

Youngkin’s relationship with Trump ebbed and flowed, too. In 2022, Trump mocked the governor’s name on social media by saying it “sounds Chinese” and accused Youngkin of not appreciating MAGA support. They later appeared to reconcile, and this year the president described Youngkin as “a great governor, one of the great governors in our country.”

Youngkin returned the favor, saying Trump was “making America great again, and along with that, making Virginia great as well.”

But the embrace did not pay off politically. Youngkin’s chosen successor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, lost by 15 points to Spanberger last month. Republicans also lost 13 seats in the House of Delegates.

Democrats notched similar victories in New Jersey, demonstrating momentum they hope will carry them to a blue wave in the midterms.

Democrats have been gaining ground in Virginia

Youngkin pushed back on the idea that Trump’s agenda — and his support of it — contributed to the losses, arguing that the 43-day federal government shutdown “became a cacophony around everything” for voters.

He also rebuffed the idea that Trump’s absence on the campaign trail contributed to Virginia Republicans’ defeat. The president did not campaign in the state and didn’t endorse Earle-Sears by name.

“He described her as an excellent candidate,” Youngkin said of Trump’s endorsement. “He described her opponent as a bad candidate. He did two tele-town halls, which is one more than he did for me when I was running.”

Youngkin may not blame Trump for Virginia’s losses, but some of Trump’s most loyal allies have faulted the governor.

“Glenn Youngkin, you just ended your political career last night,” Steve Bannon’s WarRoom posted on X following the November election. “You destroyed the Republican Party in Virginia for a GENERATION.”

He said Youngkin shouldn’t have backed Earle-Sears, who once described Trump as a liability to the party.

Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats also credit Youngkin for their November victories, arguing he leaned too hard to the right while leading a purple state.

“I think he’s gonna look in the mirror and, and regret his embrace of all the MAGA nonsense,” said Surovell, the state Senate majority leader.