David Bulova took the first step to try to fill Del. J. Chapman "Chap" Petersen’s (D) shoes, winning the Democratic Primary in the 37th District. The district is the only one in the state to feature a primary for both Democrats and Republicans for the House of Delegates.
Bulova will now face John Mason, the Republican winner.
"We worked very hard," Bulova said during his victory party in Fairfax Tuesday night. "Janet (Oleszek) ran a well-organized campaign ... we can only come away from this primary united and stronger than ever."
Bulova said he's looking forward to "having the same kind of positive campaign" for the delegate seat in November.
"We've got a lot of energy, and we've got the vision and experience to make it happen."
A former City of Fairfax councilmember, Petersen occupied the seat for two terms, but left to run for lieutenant governor. The swing district narrowly favored U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) over President George W. Bush by a 51.8 to 48.2 percent margin.
Bulova took 1,969 votes (57 percent) while Oleszek received 1,511 votes (43 percent)
Bulova, 36, a Fairfax County resident, is one of the elected directors of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and was first elected in 2003. He is the son of Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock). During the campaign, David Bulova touted his knowledge and focus on transportation and the environment.
As of June 1, Bulova had out-raised Oleszek by a substantial margin, taking in $93,747 to Oleszek’s $50,074. Their Republican opponent John Mason has raised $43,145.
Scott McPherson is running as a Libertarian for the 37th District seat without a primary opponent. He has raised $2,133.