Fresh from her firehouse Democratic primary win for a State Senate seat, Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) has announced her resignation from the House of Delegates.
The resignation will go into effect Feb. 18, Bennett-Parker said in an email yesterday (Thursday). The delegate won the firehouse primary for the 39th District State Senate in the early morning hours on Wednesday. Now, another firehouse primary to fill her 5th District seat has been scheduled for next Tuesday, as of late Friday morning.
“[My resignation] will precipitate another special election that, due to current law, will need to happen very quickly,” Bennett-Parker said. “The Democratic firehouse primary will likely be early next week.”
As Bennett-Parker predicted, the primary will be held from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the following two locations:
- Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Library, 5005 Duke Street
- Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street
Voting will be open to voters registered in the 5th District, which encompasses parts of the city including Old Town, Potomac Yard and land along the Duke Street corridor.
On Feb. 10, Bennett-Parker will face Republican Julie Robben Lineberry in a special election for the Senate seat, which was recently vacated by Sen. Adam Ebbin. He announced his resignation Jan. 7.
If Bennett-Parker wins on Feb. 10, she is required by state law to resign by Feb. 18. A special election will need to be held within 30 days of her leaving her office in the house.
But, she said, waiting until that time would have “unfortunate consequences” and that “party nominations are due within five days of the issuing of the writ of election.”
“It would leave the 5th District without a vote in the House for the second half of the legislative session,” Bennett-Parker said. “Weighing more heavily on my mind, it would also mean there would be another general election in mid-March for HD-5, only a month after the general election for SD-39, in addition to a likely special election in late spring for the proposed constitutional amendment on redistricting.”
The day after this week’s primary, City Councilmember R. Kirk McPike and former School Board Member Eileen Cassidy Rivera announced campaigns to run for Bennett-Parker’s seat.
The Alexandria Democratic Committee has confirmed that planning is underway for another firehouse primary.
“We will provide information for potential candidates and voters here, via email for those subscribed to the ADC Calendar, and via Instagram, Facebook, and Threads @alexandriavadems,” according to ADC’s website.
