Check back with WTOP for live results of Virginia’s special election.
Voters in part of Fairfax County went to the polls on Tuesday to fill an open seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates for District 17.
Democrat Garrett McGuire was announced as the winner within minutes of polls closing — beating Republican Christopher Cardiff for the open seat with over 78.6% of the vote as of 8:25 p.m.
With the result, McGuire replaces Democratic Del. Mark Sickles, who is leaving his seat to become the secretary of finance in Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet.
It’s one of a series of contests triggered by the sporadic appointments to Spanberger’s cabinet.
Following Sickles’ appointment, each party had about a week to nominate a candidate for the special election.
McGuire won the Democratic nomination during a firehouse primary last month. According to his LinkedIn, he has worked as a legislative assistant in the Virginia House of Delegates and served with several local nonprofits.
McGuire has been endorsed by Sickles, who had served in the Virginia General Assembly for more than 20 years.
Cardiff, who was selected as the Republicans’ nominee, previously worked as the chief operating officer at a data analytics company with a focus on political campaigns.
Outside of Sickles’ departure, a handful of sitting lawmakers are resigning from the Virginia General Assembly to join Spanberger’s administration.
The contest on Tuesday is the second special election in Fairfax County this month.
Earlier in January, District 11 voters elected Democrat Gretchen Bulova to fill an open seat vacated by her husband, 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.
Voting on Election Day
Polls were open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting on Jan. 20.
Curbside voting was available to people who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities.
Voters needed to bring a valid ID to the polls. If you happen to forget, you can sign an ID confirmation statement or vote with a provisional ballot.
To get a provisional ballot counted, you have until noon on Jan. 23 to bring a copy of your ID to the local electoral board or sign a confirmation statement.
A list of acceptable forms of ID is available online.
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