Fairfax Democrats are wasting no time in their bid to retain David Bulova’s seat in the House of Delegates.

Local party officials have scheduled a firehouse primary for next Tuesday (Dec. 16) — only five days after news of Bulova’s departure as the 11th House District’s delegate became public.

“We look forward to an informative campaign that will give voters in the district a chance to vote for whom they wish to see representing them in the General Assembly,” Susan Weltz, chair of the 11th House District Democratic Committee, said, “and then we must all unite in support of the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever it may be.”

Bulova officially resigned this morning (Friday) ahead of his appointment to Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet, with House Speaker Don Scott scheduling the special election for Jan. 13 — the day before the start of the 2026 legislative session.

Delegate King and Delegate Bulova have submitted their letters of resignation.

Today, I am announcing a special election for January 13, 2026, to fill the 23rd and 11th District seats in the Virginia House of Delegates. pic.twitter.com/U8cTmQJqqW

— Speaker Don Scott (@SpeakerDonScott) December 12, 2025

Procedures for the firehouse primary will be determined during a special meeting of the 11th House District Committee tonight. The virtual meeting will be held over Zoom and start at 7 p.m., with a Q&A session featuring the candidates following a press briefing.

Additional details will then be shared in a Call to Caucus and advertised to voters, according to the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, which is also seeking volunteers to assist with the primary.

As of Friday morning, three Democrats have entered the race for the seat, which represents Fairfax City and parts of Oakton and Fair Oaks.

Gretchen Bulova, who currently chairs both the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county’s History Commission, will seek to succeed her husband in the chamber. She has already been endorsed by Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read.

Former Fairfax City councilmember So Lim, a long-time small business owner and former president of the Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area, as well as Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of America’s Voice, have also announced runs for the seat.

No Republican candidates appear to have announced runs for the seat so far. No details on their primary — if one will be held, or if a singular candidate will be endorsed instead — have been publicly disclosed.

The 11th District seat is rated as “Strong Democratic” by the Virginia Public Access Project. In November, Bulova secured 72% of the vote in his bid for re-election.