Democratic Nominee Chosen For House 35 Special Election

VIENNA, VA — A caucus was held to choose a Democratic nominee for the special election to fill the Virginia House of Delegates 35 seat, which was vacated by Del. Mark Keam. Former teacher and nonprofit leader Holly Seibold was chosen by caucus voters as the Democratic nominee.

“We are pleased to announce that Holly Seibold will be the Democratic nominee for the January 10, 2023 Special Election for the existing 35th House District," said Bryan Graham, chair of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. "Holly works day-in and day-out to make our community a better place for everyone."

Seibold started her career as a teacher before founding an educational firm. She also founded the nonprofit BRAWS, which provides menstrual supplies and undergarments to women and girls.

Seibold responded to the nomination in a statement saying, "I cannot thank the Democrats of District 35 enough for this tremendous honor. I promise to make you proud in Richmond and fight for the Virginia values of equality, justice, and freedom."

The caucus was held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three locations: Kilmer Center, Oakton Elementary School and Patrick Henry Library. Early voting had also been available at the Fairfax County Democratic Committee last Tuesday and Thursday. The caucus was open to 35th House District voters.

The other candidate was Karl Frisch, the Providence District representative on the Fairfax County School Board.

"Two excellent candidates sought the Democratic nomination for serving the remainder of the Honorable Mark Keam‘s term in the House of Delegates. Thousands of Democratic voters from the existing 35th House District participated in our nomination caucus," said Graham. "Both campaigns should be commended for their ability to organize and mobilize voters in a compressed timeframe."

Frisch expressed support for Seibold after the caucus vote.

"Losing is always difficult — especially when so many people invest their time, talent, and hard-earned money in your cause," Frisch shared in a Facebook statement. "That said, losing is a little easier to digest when it’s to someone as capable as Holly Seibold. She will be a great Delegate. We have three months until the Special Election to fill Mark Keam’s seat and I will do whatever I can to help her succeed."

The special election will be held on Jan. 10, 2023. The district, which includes the Town of Vienna, Dunn Loring, and parts of Tysons, Oakton and Fair Lakes, is strongly blue. Democrats have held the 35th House District seat since 2003.

Keam, the first Asian-born immigrant and first Korean American elected to state office in Virginia, resigned to become an assistant deputy secretary for the National Travel and Tourism Office, the Associated Press reported. Keam was first elected to the seat in 2009.

The special election winner will fill the seat until the November 2023 election when all Virginia General Assembly seats are up for election. Redrawn legislative maps will take effect with the 2023 election. While the 35th House District will move to the Shenandoah Valley region, there will be several other districts created from areas of the current 35th House District. The 11th House District will include parts of Oakton, Fair Lakes and Fairfax City, while the 12th House District will cover the Town of Vienna, Tysons and parts of Dunn Loring/Merrifield and Mantua.

Details on how to vote in the 35th House District special election will be available at a later time. Residents of the 35th House District are eligible to vote in the special election.