Voters in Fairfax County, Virginia, will soon be hitting the polls in 2026 to elect a new delegate to fill the House District 17 seat left open by departing Del. Mark Sickles.
Residents were officially given notice of a call to caucus in a Wednesday announcement by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.
Candidate filing opens to the public Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a list of candidates in ballot order expected to be released shortly thereafter.
A firehouse primary is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters will be required to sign a pledge beforehand and provide state-issued identification.
In-person voting locations for the primary will be held at three locations:
- Franconia Governmental Center
6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria - Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Alexandria
6421 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria - Hotel Belvoir Springfield
6550 Loisdale Rd, Springfield
Both provisional and curbside voting will be available at all caucus locations, according to officials. Anyone seeking to cast their ballots online is required to preregister first. Preregistration runs until Dec. 27 at 5 p.m.
The special election date for Fairfax residents is set for Jan. 20, 2026.
The late December primary was triggered in Northern Virginia after Sickles announced he was resigning from his posting earlier this week in order to serve under Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet. Sickles will serve as the Commonwealth’s next secretary of finance.
Sickles served in the House of Delegates since 2004 and ranks as the second-highest Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
In announcing his resignation, the longtime Democrat said he was looking forward to working in Spanberger’s “historic” cabinet, adding that he is “very enthusiastic” about the change.
“I will miss the House of Delegates and its work, but the friendships I have made over the years will last a lifetime,” he said.
Sickles’ cabinet appointment follows the similar nominations of Dels. David Bulova and Candi Mundon, who served Virginia’s District 11 and 23, respectively. Special elections for Bulova and Mundon’s delegate postings will be held Jan. 13.