Here Are The Unofficial Numbers For The Virginia House Of Delegates Race In District 7

RESTON, VA — Former Fairfax County School Board Member Karen Keys-Gamarra defeated three Democratic Party opponents in Tuesday's primary.

Keys-Gamarra will be the party's candidate on the Nov. 7 ballot for the open District 7 seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. She will face Republican Luellen Hoffman, who filed to be a candidate last week.

In February, incumbent Del. Ken Plum, who has represented Reston in the house of delegates for more than 40 years, announced he would not be seeking reelection.

Five local Democrats almost immediately announced their intention to run for Plum's seat, including Mary Barthelson, a space engineer; Paul Berry, an educator with 20 years of experience; Shyamali Hauth, former legislative adviser for Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn; and Fairfax County School Board Member Karen Keys-Gamarra.

Plum later endorsed Keys-Gamarra as the candidate he'd like to see follow him as the Reston-area's representative in the house of delegates.

Attorney John Farrell also threw his hat in the ring, but he later withdrew in order to concentrate on his campaign for an at-large seat on the Reston Association Board of Directors. Farrell won that race and was later elected RA Board president.

In Tuesday's primary, Keys-Gamarra defeated her three opponents by garnering 37.07 percent of the ballots, according to unofficial results reported by the Virginia Public Access Project and the Associated Press.

Here are the unofficial results, which will be certified on Friday:

• Karen Keys-Gamarra: 3,075 (37.07 percent)
• Paul Berry: 2,353 (28.37 percent)
• Shyamali Hauth: 2,175 (26.22 percent)
• Mary Barthelson: 691 (8.33 percent)

Berry, who received the most campaign contributions in the District 7 race, came in second on Tuesday with 2,353 votes.

Before Tuesday's Democratic primary, Patch asked each candidate in the race to fill out a questionnaire about their priorities if elected in November.

In her response to the questionnaire, Keys-Gamarra said that she entered the house of delegates race because she was concerned about the direction of the state leadership, which she saw as being more focused on cultural wars than the interest of communities.

"We live in a time when important historical facts have been questioned, and attempts have been made to rewrite history and eliminate the mention of any topic that could be considered divisive," she said, in her response. "We cannot disregard the importance of our history or public education. Rather, we must embrace that history, learn from it, and use our discussions of the human experience to build a better future."

Keys-Gamarra also said the most pressing issue facing District 7 was fully funding a robust public education system.

"I will work to revise the statute governing public schools to include pre-k and to provide education in a safe and caring environment," she said. "This legislation will focus on providing a world-class education for all and the right to a free and appropriate public education that is governed by best practices rather than political discussions or culture wars. Finally, this Act will include increased state funding for college and career education to ensure that Virginia produces a first-class, competitive, and educated workforce that will support a thriving economy."

On Wednesday morning, Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chair Bryan Graham released a statement congratulating all the candidates who had won, including Salim. He added that FCDC's priority would be to focus on Democrats winning all 50 seats that are up for election in November.

“I personally thank every candidate who ran in the Democratic primary this year," he said. "Primaries allow us to choose the strongest candidates to lead us into the November elections.”

After the Associated Press declared Keys-Gamarra the winner on Tuesday night, Barthelson sent an email to Patch, congratulating her on the win.

"I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Karen Keys-Gamarra on her well deserved victory," she said. "Delegate Plum is leaving big shoes to fill, but I am confident she will continue to represent us well."

Related:

GOP Candidate Files To Oppose Keys-Gamarra In District 7 House Race

View unofficial election results for Fairfax County below. Be sure to refresh this page for the latest.