The special election to fill the 34th District State Delegate seat vacated by November’s election to the U.S. Congress of Barbara Comstock will be held next Tuesday, Jan. 6, with polls from McLean to Loudoun Country open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The 34trh District borders on the City of Falls Church. Pitted against each other in the special election are Republican Craig Parisot and Democrat Kathleen Murphy. Neither has held public office to date, though Parisot ran for mayor of Cheverly, Maryland in 2004 and came in last place with four votes (the winner got 50), and Murphy ran against Comstock last year in came within 433 votes of victory.
According to the Murphy campaign, it has out-raised Parisot by a two-to-one margin pulling in almost half a million dollars through the short weeks of the campaign. The $470,000 raised came from 1,127 givers, many through small contributions. On the other hand, Parisot raised $197,000 and bolstered that sum with loans and personal funds. Michelle Gajewski, Murphy for Delegate campaign manager, said “It’s inspiring to see so many Virginians standing behind our positive message of growing the economy, funding our schools and keeping our families safe.” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, said in an email Tuesday, “This election is a crucial opportunity for Northern Virginia. We have a chance to replace Barbara Comstock with a real advocate for equality and progress. On the campaign trail, you can feel the excitement. Kathleen has volunteers knocking on doors, making calls, and reaching out to every voter.”
Parisot, who moved to McLean three years ago, is endorsed by the political action arm of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.
