Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, and Virginia voters are preparing to elect candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. Also on the Fairfax County ballot are state delegate races and a school bond referendum. Registered voters may vote at their regular polling place on Tuesday, from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. You also may vote absentee in-person at satellite polling places, including the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale, today and tomorrow from 3:30 – 7 p.m., or all day Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. You must present a photo ID to obtain a ballot and vote.

Dr. Ralph Northam, current Lt. Governor and candidate for Governor, has spent his entire adult life focused on serving his neighborhood, his community, his state, and his nation. As a physician, soldier, and legislator, Ralph Northam has proven to be a resourceful and effective leader, able to work across party lines to get things done for the Commonwealth and its citizens. Dr. Northam often says that, as a doctor or a soldier, people didn’t ask him his political affiliation; they just needed his help. His steady, thoughtful, and sometimes frank, approach to issues will serve us well in the coming term. He deserves my vote, and I hope yours, too.

Justin Fairfax, candidate for Lt. Governor, isn’t afraid to talk about growing up poor, and how his single mother worked multiple jobs to raise her four children, all of whom defied the odds and earned college degrees. After graduating from Columbia Law School, Justin became an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where he co-directed a task force to stop human trafficking, and worked to make the criminal justice system work for everyone, to ensure equal justice for all. Justin’s youth (he’s not yet 40), is a plus, as is his sense of fairness and equity. I look forward to casting my vote for this outstanding Mason District resident (yes, he’s local).

Mark Herring has been one of the most outstanding and courageous Attorneys General in the nation. Mark forged strong ties with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to better protect Virginia’s residents. He has been an effective leader in fighting the heroin and opioid crisis, safeguarding the environment, implementing new technologies to shield our children, defending women’s rights, and protecting consumers from fraudulent schemes. I’ve known Mark since his days on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and I continue to be impressed with his service on behalf of the Commonwealth. Let’s re-elect Mark Herring.

State delegates representing Mason District, or parts of it, on the ballot include Kaye Kory (38th District), Vivian Watts (39th), Alfonso Lopez (49th), and Marcus Simon (53rd). We need experienced representatives at the General Assembly in Richmond, and these public servants understand the unique needs of Northern Virginia.

At the bottom of your ballot is the $315 million Fairfax County school bond referendum. The bond includes funding to plan for renovations to Falls Church High School, which sorely needs updating and modernizing. Voting FOR the school bond is a good investment for our children, our schools, and our community, now and in the future.

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.