Two candidates are facing off in a special election Tuesday to fill an open seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates for District 17, which includes parts of Fairfax County.
The special election was set in motion by Democratic Del. Mark Sickles’ decision to leave his seat behind for a gig in Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet.
Her appointments have triggered several special elections throughout Virginia as lawmakers resign to join her administration.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. Live results below will begin updating after polls close at 7 p.m.
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Just two names will be on the ballot in District 17 on Tuesday: Democrat Garrett McGuire and Republican Chris Cardiff.
Just before Christmas, Spanberger tapped Sickles to serve as Virginia’s secretary of finance. He had served in the House of Delegates since 2004.
Each party had less than one week to designate a nominee for the special election Jan. 20.
Democrats nominated McGuire in a firehouse primary, which is a contest held by a political party instead of a state board of elections.
McGuire worked as a legislative assistant in the Virginia House of Delegates. He’s volunteered with several nonprofits, serving as chair on the Board of United Community and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
He has campaigned on priorities such as making things more affordable, funding public education and supporting the federal workforce, according to his website.
Cardiff, who was named the Republican nominee, previously worked as the chief operating officer at a data analytics company with a focus on political campaigns.
His website lists top issues of his campaign as school choice, housing affordability and government efficiency.
Virginia has recently held special elections to fill vacancies triggered by Spanberger’s appointments.
In fact, Tuesday marks the second special election in Fairfax County this month.
Last week, voters elected Democrat Gretchen Bulova to fill an open seat vacated by her husband, District 11 Del. David Bulova. That same day, Democrat Margaret Franklin won a special election to represent voters in District 23, which includes parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.
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