Senate District 038

Virginia’s new 38th State Senate district encompasses parts of Fairfax County. With almost 157,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jennifer Boysko is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Matthew Lang in the general election for Virginia’s new 38th State Senate district. Senator Boysko has served in the State Senate since 2019, as well as the House of Delegates from 2016 to 2019. Lang ran in the 2021 District 36 House of Delegates race, losing to Delegate Ken Plum.

Incumbent Senator Jennifer Boysko and her husband Glenn have raised their two daughters in historic downtown Herndon, where they have lived since 1996. Senator Boysko has volunteered with numerous organizations in her community including serving on the board of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, now known as Repro Rising. She was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2016 and won a special election to the state Senate in 2019.

Boysko is committed to social justice. She supported legislation to establish hate crime protections for individuals targeted for violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and has voiced opposition to conversion therapy. In 2020, Senator Boysko passed a bill that requires the State Registrar to issue a new certificate of birth to show a change of sex upon request of the person. The following year Boysko also passed the Equal Rights Amendment to protect against discrimination.

She has been a champion for immigrant families, carrying legislation to provide in-state tuition to residents regardless of immigration status and establish driving privilege cards so families can safely get to school, work, and worship.

When it comes to healthcare, Senator Boysko has also prioritized protecting and expanding access to abortion and supporting families through establishing paid family and medical leave. She also sponsored SJ255, an amendment that protects the right to an abortion. Among her efforts to ensure all people of the Commonwealth have access to healthcare, Boysko helped to expand Medicaid coverage and sponsored legislation that would require doula care to be covered by insurance.

Boysko also champions environmental protection. Understanding that everyone should have access to clean and safe air and water, Boysko sponsored legislation that required all localities to make sure that their energy codes were energy efficient and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, she passed legislation to include electric vehicles as a part of Virginia’s Energy Plan in order to address the poor air quality and excessive heat are issues in the Commonwealth.

Her opponent, Republican Matthew Lang, is a retired Navy veteran with a degree in Criminal Justice and Security Management. Lang wants to increase the police budget, despite ongoing reports of police brutality. He also runs his campaign on his promise to back veterans and armed forces by expanding career opportunities for them and their spouses as they transition back to civilian life.

Senator Boysko’s stance on healthcare, equality for all, and support for environmental protection make her the progressive choice for this race.

Virginia’s new House of Delegates 6th District encompasses parts of Fairfax County. With almost 68,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Rip Sullivan faces a challenge from Republican candidate Kristin Hoffman in the general election for Virginia’s new 6th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Sullivan has served in the House of Delegates since 2014.

Incumbent Delegate Richard “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. has represented the 48th District since 2015. Sullivan grew up attending public schools in Northern Virginia, then received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and law degree from the University of Virginia. He is currently a partner in the law firm Bean, Kinney & Korman. In the House of Delegates, he is chair of the House Democratic Caucus, working alongside the House speaker and minority leader. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren.

Sullivan is dedicated to boosting economic opportunities for working Virginia families. In 2020, he voted to raise the minimum wage and for a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which extends basic labor protections to domestic workers and ensures they earn at least a minimum wage. He supports protecting tenant rights in the Commonwealth. He voted for the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back “G3” Program which makes community college more affordable to qualifying low-and middle-income students who study in certain fields.


Sullivan recognizes how wind, solar, and other forms of clean energy are important to not only addressing climate change but creating jobs. Sullivan patroned the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which commits Virginia to 100% renewable energy by 2050. He sponsored legislation to upgrade Virginia’s transportation system to introduce electric vehicles by creating a series of bills to establish an electric vehicle grant program, rebates for purchasing electric vehicles, and building infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

Sullivan has also advocated for LGBTQ+ people in Virginia. He was critical to strengthening laws around hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2019, he was the author of Jacob’s Law, which increased surrogacy rights for all couples and individuals in Virginia, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. In 2020, he supported the passage of the Virginia Values Act, which increased protections from discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals. He also voted to repeal Virginia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Sullivan also supported criminal justice reforms to make Virginia communities safe and more equitable. In 2021, he voted to abolish the death penalty, as well as legalize marijuana. He also advocates for keeping our communities safe by passing common sense measures to prevent gun violence, including introducing a one-handgun-a-month purchase limit and universal background checks. He also supports extreme risk protection orders, which allows law enforcement to remove firearms from those who are a serious risk to themselves or others.

Delegate Sullivan is being challenged by Republican Kristin Hoffman. Hoffman obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania as well as an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of Business. She would support more funding without accountability for law enforcement officers. She also wants to lower taxes, which would defund critical programs that members of our community depend on.

Due to his advocacy for Virginia working families, the environment, gun violence prevention and equality, Delegate Sullivan is the most progressive choice for Virginia’s 6th District.

Virginia’s new 7th House of Delegates district encompasses parts of Fairfax County. With over 67,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Democrat Karen Keys-Gamarra faces Republican Luellan Maskeny in the general election for Virginia’s new 7th District in the House of Delegates.

Karen Keys-Gamarra is an accomplished attorney, child advocate, and twice-elected At-Large member of the Fairfax County School Board. With a background in family law, she has dedicated her career to representing children's best interests. As a Guardian Ad Litem, she has worked on cases of abuse, neglect, adoption, and family law. Karen is committed to education and understands its importance in providing opportunities for children's success. She has a strong sense of community and family, having raised three sons and cared for her parents in a three-generation household.

Keys-Gamarra is a strong supporter of common-sense gun safety measures to protect residents' health and safety. She believes in interpreting the 2nd amendment responsibly and supports laws to minimize harm caused by irresponsible gun ownership. Keys-Gamarra believes in the right of every resident to feel safe and prioritizes the need for a safe and healthy community. She supports measures such as banning assault weapons, prohibiting high-capacity magazines, enacting consumer safety laws, and preventing straw purchases of guns to make Virginia safer for all residents.

Keys-Gamarra is committed to criminal justice reform that addresses disparities for both juveniles and adults. She believes in considering mental health concerns, differing abilities, and neurodiversity to avoid over-criminalization of specific communities. She also supports diversion programs for human trafficking victims to receive necessary services instead of facing criminal charges. Her goal is to improve procedures in the judicial system to protect public confidence and ensure fairness and equity in the implementation of Virginia's laws.

Keys-Gamarra firmly believes that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right. As a Delegate and an attorney advocating for vulnerable populations, she will be a leader in expanding healthcare access and improving public health. She is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade, expanding access to abortion, and supporting Planned Parenthood. Additionally, Keys-Gamarra aims to address infant mortality and maternal health disparities through legislative efforts, secure funding health education for women and infants, and ensure access to prenatal care for people of all income levels.

Keys-Gamarrra is running against Republican candidate Lullean Hoffman Maskeny, a Northern Virginia native, with a professional background in sales and recruiting. She graduated from George Mason University and holds a master's degree in communications from George Washington University. Her legislative priorities include defending transphobic policies to ban trans people from school sports, banning books, and opposing the historically accurate teaching in school.

Keys-Gamarra’s plan for affordable healthcare, climate action, criminal justice reform, and gun violence prevention make her the most progressive choice for this year’s election.

Virginia’s new 8th District in the House of Delegates encompasses parts of Fairfax County. With almost 55,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.

This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Irene Shin faces a challenge from Republican candidate Max Fisher in the general election for Virginia’s new 8th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Shin has served in the House of Delegates since 2022.

Incumbent Delegate Irene Shin is running to represent the 8th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Shin is the daughter of Korean immigrants and originally from Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California Riverside and currently serves as executive director for the Virginia Civic Engagement Table. She has worked on several political campaigns and nonprofits. Shin also worked as a finance director for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2015 successful bid for U.S. Senate.

Access to affordable healthcare is a top priority for Del.Shin. As a teen, she witnessed her father travel back to Korea for a life-changing surgery for cancer, as it was more affordable to get treatment in his home country. She supports lowering the cost of prescription drugs and ending the practice of “surprise billing” to protect patients from unexpected charges after undergoing medical treatment. She also wants to make access to mental healthcare available to all Virginians and will push for early mental health screening at public schools.

If elected, Del. Shin will fight for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. She will advocate for legislation to prevent bullying or discrimination along the lines of sexual orientation or gender identity. She supports the constitutional amendment that removes the ban on gay marriage in the Commonwealth. Del. Shin believes in protecting abortion access and making birth control affordable. She also wants to pass paid family and medical leave so women can remain valuable members of the workforce.

Del. Shin wants to work to reform the criminal justice system to reduce its harmful impact on communities of color. She plans to address mass incarceration by ending mandatory minimums for nonviolent crimes. She supports banning qualified immunity for police officers, a practice that shields them from accountability for violating people’s civil rights. She advocates for banning the sale of assault weapons and supports recent legislation that requires mandatory background checks on all gun sales and purchases.

Del. Shin believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot to all voters. She supports removing deliberate barriers that restrict voting access, making vote by mail easier and automatic voter registration. In 2020, she successfully led a coalition of organizations to pressure the state government to extend its voter registration deadline after the online registration system failed. Del. Shin will also work to reform Virginia campaign finance laws using her four-step “Ethical Virginia Campaign Reform Package,” to limit the influence of rich donors in our elections.

Delegate Shin is running against Republican candidate Max Fisher, who runs as a “representation of the average citizen” and builds his campaign on “principled conservatism.” Fisher studied Politics and Communications at Marymount University. His platform points include, protecting voter’s rights, campaign finance reform, and protections for veterans and people with disabilities.

Due to her support of criminal justice reform, affordable healthcare, expanding access to voting , and equality, Delegate Shin is the most progressive choice in this election.