Alexandria Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker prevailed in her quest Tuesday night for the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 45th District, defeating incumbent Del. Mark Levine, who as of this writing was also down in his race for lieutenant governor.
“I’m honored to be the Democratic nominee for the 45th District,” Bennett-Parker said in a statement. “Thank you for your votes; I look forward to working with all of the Democratic nominees to win in November, and to representing all of HD-45 in Richmond.”
Bennett-Parker did not receive a call from Levine, who could not be reached for comment. As of 9 p.m., she led 7,186 votes to Levine’s 5,148 votes, with 21 of 26 precincts reporting.
“Special thanks to our incredible team of volunteers who made phone calls, knocked on doors, talked to your neighbors, and handed out campaign literature,” Bennett-Parker said. “This is a grassroots campaign, and I could not have done this without you.”
With 2,354 of 2,584 precincts reporting, Levine also received just 11.11% of the vote for lieutenant governor, falling way behind the leader in that race Del. Hala Ayala (D-51).
Bennett-Parker’s campaign manager Alice Visocchi said that her candidate’s lead was insurmountable.
“With 21 of 26 precincts reporting, we’re up 58.26% to Mark Levine’s 41.74%,” Visocchi said. “I think it’s done.”
A political newcomer going into her election as vice mayor three years ago, Bennett-Parker said she is running to improve the environment and help area families struggling with the pandemic. A Democrat, she is the first person to announce a run for the seat.
Bennett-Parker grew up in Alexandria and lives with her husband and grandmother in the city’s Rosemont neighborhood. She is also the co-director of the nonprofit Together We Bake. Bennett-Parker has not been an outspoken member of council, and is known for heavily researching topics before coming to decisions. A Fulbright Fellow, she has a Master’s degree in anthropology from the University of London and a history degree from Cornell University.
I've seen enough: Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D) defeats Del. Mark Levine (D) in #HD45. Levine loses both the race for LG and his own delegate seat in one day (sorry, this is my home district).
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 8, 2021
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this report