Reston House Of Delegates Race Suddenly Crowded As Barthelson Runs

RESTON, VA — Mary Barthelson, a space engineer from Reston, announced on Wednesday that she is running for the Virginia House of Delegates seat in District 7.

“I am running for delegate to bring my advocacy and engineering expertise to Richmond," Barthelson said, in a release.

Bartherlson will challenge Paul Berry, Shyamali Hauth, and John Farrell, who also announced their candidacies on Wednesday, in the June 20 Democratic Party Primary. They are all pursuing the District 7 seat that became open once incumbent Del. Ken Plum announced his intention to retire at the end of his current term.

This is not the first time Barthelson has run for the House of Delegates. She lost to Plum in the 2019 Democratic primary, receiving 1,801 votes (22.6 percent) compared to the incumbent's 6,180 votes (77.4 percent).

A systems engineer in the space industry, Barthelson is known for advocating for Fairfax County's unhoused community and low-income families.

“As a dedicated community volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the escalating effects of housing insecurity, she said, in a release. "Utilizing the valuable experience I have gained, I aim to bring my efforts to Richmond to obtain the necessary resources for our community. My objective is to guarantee that every family has a safe and stable place to call home, as well as easy access to mental health services.”

Following her passion for systems engineering, Barthelson received bachelor's and master's degrees from George Mason University, according to a release. She currently works as a principal systems engineer at SAIC, where she designs the architecture of space systems.

As the state and local policy director of Reston Strong, Barthelson helped to raise awareness the growing number of homeless encampments in Reston in recent years, according to her campaign release. She worked to foster collaboration among Reston Strong, Cornerstones, and the Fairfax NAACP to build a combined response in their housing advocacy.

More information about Barthelson is available on her campaign Facebook page.

Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to choose candidates running for the Virginia House of Delegates, the Virginia Senate, the Commonwealth's Attorney, Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax County Sheriff, Chairman of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, District Members of the Board of Supervisors, At-Large Members of the Fairfax County School Board, District Members of the School board, and Directors (vote for 3) of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Early voting for the June 20 Democratic Party primary begins on May 6. Voters must register by May 29 to be eligible to vote in the June 20 primary. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for the Democratic primary is June 9.

Related:

• Crowded House Of Delegates Race In Reston Adds Another Candidate
• 2nd House Of Delegates Candidate Enters Race To Represent Reston
• Paul Berry Enters Race For Open House Of Delegates Seat In Reston
• Reston Democrat Ken Plum Will Not Seek Re-Election In November