Fairfax Voters to Elect Delegate to 37th District Tuesday

On Tuesday, when Fairfax voters take to the polls, they will elect their Delegate for the 37th District, which covers Fairfax City and the surrounding Fairfax areas, including the Fair Oaks area and parts of Centreville.

The two choices include Democratic incumbent David Bulova, and first-time Republican candidate Patrice Winter, a former Fairfax City councilwoman.

Voters may recognize the Bulova name—David is the son of the Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Sharon Bulova.

Learn more about these two candidates and their experience below.


David Bulova:

Bulova was first elected as Delegate of the 37th District in 2005. David and his wife Gretchen live in the Middleridge community and have three children: Alex, 16, and Josette, 14, and Grayson, 5. 

He is a member of the board of Brain Injury Services, Inc. and currently serves on the State Water Commission, the Joint Commission on Health Care, and the Virginia Housing Commission. 

Bulova counts transportation as one of his biggest priorities in office. During his time as Delegate thus far, he said he worked hard "in a bi-partisan manner to help pass the first major increase in transportation revenue in 27 years, and pass successful legislation to reduce red-tape for constructing local roads." 

Education is another of Bulova's stated priorities. While in office, as a member of the House Education Committee, Bulova said he has, and will continue to, "work to ensure that more resources go to our classrooms and to give our local schools the flexibility they need to innovate."

Bulova also said he is passionate about fighting to preserve Virginia’s environment. He recently pushed for successful bill to clean up the leak-plagued Pickett Road Tank Farm and to improve long-term water supply planning.

Bulova also served as a chief-co patron of successful legislation to better coordinate services available to Virginia’s veterans.
 
Fighting crime and fraud is another of Bulova's concerns. He has successfully advocated for stronger laws to empower victims of human trafficking, increase penalties for texting and driving, and protect information from identity theft.


Patrice Winter

Winter has lived in the City of Fairfax for 25 years, and recently served three terms on the City Council, from 2002-2008. She is a mom and a prior local business owner.

Winter currently serves on the faculty at George Mason University, teaching and conducting research in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Winter said she is currently working on an initiative to bring a metered walking path to the campus.

Prior to joining the GMU faculty, Winter ran her own Fairfax-based physical therapy practice for 17 years.

"As a result, I’ve experienced many of the challenges that our local businesses face in these tough economic times," Winter wrote in her bio on her campaign website. "Like many of you, I’ve had to meet payroll and navigate complex—and often unnecessary—national, state, and local regulations."

Winter identifies three of her biggest areas of focus transportation, education, and healthcare.

Winter represented the City of Fairfax on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Transportation Planning Board from 2004 to 2008 and said she helped bring “HOT” lanes to I-495, which have helped relieve congestion on the Beltway.

She served on the COG Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee from 2002 to 2008, where she "helped address some of the most pressing environmental issues our community faces," she said.

During her time on the Fairfax City Council, Winter served as a representative to several citizen advisory committees, including the Economic Development Authority (2002-2008) and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (2002-2008).

Winter has also served as a national spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association since 1998, being frequently quoted in the national media.

Winter is the mother of two children who attended Fairfax County Public Schools. Her son is currently in college, and her daughter is serving in Azerbaijan as a member of the Peace Corps.

"Many have said we need more healthcare professionals, small business owners, and educators in Richmond, to help provide expertise on these key issues," Winter says in a video to voters on her website. "I am all three."


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