Want to celebrate America with your favorite Democratic candidates but not sure where to go? Look no further. Here’s a list of events going on this weekend. Come out, and support your country and your candidate.

Saturday, July 4

Fairfax City Parade, with Gov. Candidate Sen. Creigh Deeds & Lt. Gov. Candidate Jody Wagner
Line up at 9AM in the City of Fairfax, in the large lot near the Fairfax County Courthouse.
Enter the line-up area via Main Street & Judicial Drive. Turn left on Page Avenue and follow the road to the large parking lot.
RSVP: joseph@fairfaxcitydemocrats.org

Great Falls Parade, with Delegate Margi Vanderhye
Meet at 9:15AM at the Village Green off of 193. The parade ends at 10:30AM.
RSVP: john@vanderhye.com or 360-296-8481

Lorton Parade, with candidate for Delegate Greg Werkheiser
Line up at 10AM. The parade begins at 11AM. Meet behind the Lorton Firehouse, 7701 Armistead Road. Delegate Mark Sickles will also be in attendance.
RSVP: http://gregfordelegate.com/july4

Orange Hunt Parade with Delegate Dave Marsden
Line up at 12:30PM. The parade begins at 1PM.
Meet at Hunt Valley Elementary School, 7101 Sydenstricker Rd, Springfield.
RSVP: missy@marsdenfordelegate.com

Lee District Concert with Delegate Mark Sickles
The concert is from 3-5PM at Lee District Park, 6601 Telegraph Road.
Come meet Delegate Sickles from 2:15-3:15PM.

Clifton Parade with State Senator George Barker
Line up at 3:30PM. The parade begins at 4PM. Meet at the corner of Dell & Main Streets in Clifton.
RSVP: cliftonwomendems@aol.com

Vienna Independence Festival
11AM-4:30PM, 120 Cherry St SE, Vienna VA 22180
RSVP: bettinalawton@cox.net

Sunday, July 5

FCDC Red to Blue Family Friendly Picnic
Service project starts at 10AM, Picnic starts at 1PM. Meet at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, VA.
Food, lemonade, beer, wine, kids activities, wiffle ball and more!
Free if you participate in the service project.
Otherwise, $20 for Young Dems & Seniors, $30 for Adults, $50 for Families.
RSVP: http://fairfaxdemocrats.org/?p=1693

Not sure which is closest to you? Check out this map with all the events identified.

*** CANCELED ***

Due to the fact that only a single candidate filed by the deadline, this caucus will be canceled.  Congratulations to Scott Surovell the new Democratic Nominee in the 44th House of Delegates District.  Get more info at www.Surovell2009.com.

*** CANCELED ***

Fairfax County Democratic Committee Call to Caucus

For Selection of Candidate for 44th House of Delegates District

Whereas, it is the duty of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee to issue the Call to Caucus for the purpose of selecting a candidate for the General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 for 44th House of Delegates District.

Now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Democratic Committee hereby issues the Call to an unassembled Caucus (Firehouse Primary) to convene at 3:00 p.m. and conclude at 8:00 p.m., Friday, July 10, 2009 for the sole purpose of nominating a candidate for the office of Delegate to the 44th House of Delegates District to take place at the following site:

* Mt. Vernon District - Mt. Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane Alexandria VA
* In addition there will be absentee balloting available on Thursday, July 9, 2009 for any voter in the 44th House of Delegates District who cannot be at a caucus on Friday, July 10, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the same location.

And the following provisions shall govern the convention, to wit:

1. Prefiling: Those wishing their names to be placed on the ballot at the Caucus shall prefile their candidacy in person or by his/her designee by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 3, 2009, with the Chairman of the 44th Legislative District Committee, Ginny Peters, 4601 Wood Dr, Alexandria, 22309. Prefilings by any other means including mail, email or facsimile will not be accepted.

2. Filing Fee: There shall be a refundable filing fee of $1,000. The filing fee shall be in the form of cash or certified funds.

3. Notice Requirements: The Fairfax County Democratic Committee shall cause this Call to be published on the website for the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (www.fairfaxdemocrats.org) at least 7 days prior to the Caucus, but not more than 2 weeks before the Caucus. Notice of publication of the Call shall further be emailed to the membership of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.

4. Cancellation: In the event that only one candidate files, the Caucus may be canceled.

5. Conduct the Caucus: The doors to the unassembled Caucus will be opened at 3:00 p.m. The doors to the caucus will be closed at 8:00 p.m and no further persons will be permitted to enter unless they are in line. Those in line or in the parking lot at 8:00 p.m. will be permitted to complete the check-in process and will be permitted to participate.

The Legislative District Chair or his/her designee shall be the Temporary Chair of the Caucus and shall appoint a Temporary Secretary and such other Temporary Officers of the Caucus as is deemed appropriate. The adoption of the Rules shall be by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee and will be in compliance with the Virginia Democratic Party Plan.

6. Affirmative Action: It shall be the duty of each local precinct Democratic chair and the members of each local Democratic Committee to take all feasible steps to encourage broad participation in the delegate selection process. Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, ethnic identity or economic status in the delegate selection process is prohibited.

7. Call Distribution: It shall be the duty of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chair to distribute a copy of the Call to Caucus.

It shall further be the duty of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chair to cause this Call to Caucus to be publicized through the news media of everywhere as is feasible.

Click here to downloaded the Call to Caucus, Caucus Rules, and Candidate Application.

  Call to Caucus for 44th House District (70.5 KiB, 24 hits)

42nd Annual Mason District

Democratic Crab Feast

Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 7:00pm

At the home of Sonny Schick, 3219 Valley Lane, Falls Church, VA.

Please park at 6201 Leesburg Pike across Juniper Lane from the Sears at Seven Corners.

Shuttle service begins at 6:30pm

Pre-Sale Ticket Reservations (before September 7):
Adults $35, Senior Citizens 65+ $30,

Children 6-16 $15

Children 5 and under – Free

Reservations after September 7 and at the door: Add $5 to all ticket prices

(Checks only, please. No cash transactions accepted.)

For more information call Rachel Rifkind at 703-941-9574.

Click here to reserve your ticket now.

Join us for Lee’s Liberty Luau, the Lee District Democratic Committee 2009 Fundraiser.

When: Saturday, July 25th, 6-10PM
Cost: $35/person
Other Contribution Levels:

• $500: Queen/King
• $250: Big Kahuna
• $100: Surfer
• $35: Don Key’ho
• $25 Hula Girl/Pool Boy (Young Dem special, 35 and younger)
  $25 Golden Empress/Silver Surfer (Senior Dems, 65 and older)

Where: Hosted by Susie Warner
6229 Edison Drive
Alexandria, VA 22310

What: A Hawaiian feast, complete with music, wine tasting, island libations from Delegate David Bulova, a silent & live auction, elected officials, candidates and so much fun!

Hawaiian attire reccomended!

For more information: www.LeeDems.org or call co-chairs Steve Bunn (703 861 1343) or Hugh Robertson (703 924 1433)

Reserve your ticket here.

FCDC would like to thank Phillip A. Niedzielski-Eichner for his great service to the community on the School Board as the Providence District member.  As Phil moves on to a new chapter in his life FCDC is working to continue to support candidates for School Board who have strong Democratic principles.  As such we are making available an application and questionnaire for candidates who are interested in seeking FCDC’s endorsement for the special election for Providence District School Board Member.

Any individual seeking this non-partisan elected office (Fairfax County School Board) may request endorsement of his or her candidacy by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). Any individual seeking the endorsement of FCDC must complete the below Application and Questionnaire and submit both, along with a $150 Application Fee, to the FCDC office by 5:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009.

For more information call 703-573-6811 or email mike.burns@fairfaxdemocrats.org

  Application for Providence SB endorsement (42 KiB, 52 hits)

  Questionnaire for Providence SB endorsement (33 KiB, 64 hits)

Today I am writing to you with a heavy heart. In January 2008, the members of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee honored me by electing me Chairman for a two-year term. I have tried to match the trust you placed in me by fulfilling the promises my team made to improve the FCDC and we have worked to make it the best Democratic Committee in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

However, about ten days ago, Delegate Kris Amundson called to inform me that she would not be running for re-election this November. Aside from my college and law school hiatuses, I have spent 34 out of the almost 38 years of my life living in the 44th District. From this experience, I have seen how the Virginia House of Delegates has not served the people of Virginia justly and needs to change. After consulting with my wife and family, I have decided to resign as Chair of FCDC to take on this opportunity as candidate for Delegate. Vice-Chair Central Lola Quintela will serve as Interim Chair pursuant to our bylaws until the next FCDC Meeting on July 28, 2009.

Part of what allows me to do this is that I know that I am leaving FCDC in good hands. When I was elected in January 2008, I said that the team that stood for election was a team I would go to war with — I meant it. We proposed a budget and a business plan. Many said our fundraising goals were too optimistic; that the changes we hoped to implement were unrealistic. Some claimed that FCDC could not absorb the change we hoped to accomplish, and that we were setting ourselves up for failure. We proved them wrong, as we shattered our fundraising goals and set new records. We now have an Executive Director who can provide stability during leadership transitions. Furthermore, we have recruited 18 interns, enlarged our email list from 800 to 39,000, dropped mountains of literature, and most importantly, we have expanded our capacity to provide support to campaigns looking to elect Democrats in Fairfax County. Our hard work did not go unnoticed: FCDC was chosen as the Democratic Party of Virginia’s Class One Committee of the Year for 2008.

This year, we adopted a new budget and a business plan. As of today, we have raised nearly 50% of our budgeted revenues for the year and hired organizers as we prepare for the final push. The plan is written. The officers are ready to execute. All they need is your support so they can achieve FCDC’s goals.

I look forward to serving you all in my new role as a candidate as I work to earn the trust of the voters in my home in Mt. Vernon. Feel free to visit my website at www.surovell2009.com to stay informed or to help out.

It has been an honor to serve as your Chairman. I have met many new people from all over the County who I never would have met without this opportunity. Fairfax County is a wonderful, thriving, and diverse place. Although we are the biggest jurisdiction in the Commonwealth, we can only harness the potential power when we work together as a team. Thank you again for entrusting me with FCDC and I hope to see all of you in the future. Please stay in touch.

Scott Surovell
Previous FCDC Chair

Fellow Democrats,

How many times have you told yourself, coming home from work late in the evening on a Friday, “What a week!”? I guess today we can all say a collective, “What a week!”

Delegate Kris Amundson´s decision not to seek reelection triggered a series of events that directly affected the FCDC family. Scott stepped down from the Chairmanship to start a new and exciting endeavor and we will miss him. A lot. Fortunately, FCDC´s bench is deep. We have talented, committed, and passionate Democrats ready to take on the baton for the next leg of the journey. With everybody´s help we will turn the HoD blue this November and we will keep the Governor´s Mansion.

There will be a few more changes still to come as we elect a new Chair on July 28. But I am confident that the institution will emerge as strong and effective as ever, ready to push forward the agenda that the Blue Team promised to implement when it was elected in January of last year. Since Scott´s resignation last Wednesday, the Steering Committee has met to approve a call for caucus, we have purchased new computers for the office, as called for in the business plan, and we are close to hiring all the organizers for our Red to Blue campaign. We are not slowing down!

Thank you for your help, support and understanding during this transition. Now, let´s keep our eyes on the prize, roll up our sleeves and get some good Democrats elected. Let´s make Scott proud.

Sincerely,

Lola Quintela
Interim Chair, FCDC

It is with extreme sadness that I advise you that Connie Houston of Vienna passed away over the weekend. Connie’s death was sudden and completely unexpected, as she was enjoying good health and a very busy summer, and she and her husband Jim were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first grandchild.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 2, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Avenue W., in Vienna.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 3, 11:00 a.m. at McLean Baptist Church, 1367 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.

Private burial at Arlington Cemetery will be held on July 29.

Connie was employed as legislative assistant to State Senator Janet Howell of Reston and was a member of the Fairfax County Water Authority Board. She had also served as legislative assistant to Delegate Steve Shannon.

Connie was a former state president of the League of Women Voters. The family has requested that memorials in her honor be sent to the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, 4030 Hummer Road, Annandale, VA 22003-2403.

Connie is survived by her husband, Jim Houston, and a daughter, Ashlie (Mrs. Stephen) Strackbein, of Reston. Condolences can be sent to Jim at 10102 Nadine Drive, Vienna, VA 22181.

The Fairfax County Republican Committee recently issued a press release trumpeting their latest crop of candidates.  Here is FCDC’s analysis.

First, if the Republicans are going to challenge our candidates, they ought to first get their facts straight.

• There are 17 House of Delegate districts with precincts in Fairfax County, not 16.
• This list leaves out the 49th (also, they don’t have a candidate in the 37th).
• One of their three remaining Delegates, Tom Rust, actually represents the 86th District, not the 83rd.  They 83rd District is represented by Delegate Joe Bouchard in Virginia Beach.  We’d be happy if Tom Rust would like to run in Virginia Beach.

It was widely known that the Fairfax GOP (Tom Davis) specifically discouraged candidates from running in 2007 to suppress Democratic turnout across the County to minimize Republican exposure in their Senate races.  For the GOP to suggest that running a big slate of candidates after specifically encouraging people not to run to save their own incumbents in 2007 is a stretch.  For a real comparison, in 2005, the Republicans ran candidates in every seat except two - Adam Ebbin’s and Jim Scott’s.  Lots of challengers filing in a gubernatorial cycle is nothing new.

Read the rest

I always find primaries to be difficult.  I was an undecided voter going to bed last night.  When I got up this morning, I took my kids to the bus stop and went down to the polling place and, like many people, cast a very difficult vote.

However, the competition for these seats symbolizes The Democratic Party’s growth, energy, and popularity.  The Democratic Party is the party of the future and people are fighting to be our leaders.  While primaries force us to make difficult choices between our friends they improve our candidates, increase our visibility, and determine the direction of our Democratic Party.

Well, tonight Democrats have definitely spoken.  In Fairfax County, 62,000 Democrats spoke representing 1 in 5 votes cast in the Commonwealth. Turnout was up by 58% in Fairfax County over the 2006 Miller-Webb primary at 9.2% versus 6.4% statewide.

Sen. Creigh Deeds and Jody Wagner decisively won victories in their races both statewide and in Fairfax County.  Both won every Magisterial District in Fairfax County and have emerged from this process as improved candidates with a united Democratic Party steeled for battle against the most reactionary conservative ideological Republican statewide ticket in Virginia history.

Winner - Democratic Candidate for Governor
SEN. R. CREIGH DEEDS

Winner - Democratic Candidate for Lt. Governor
JODY WAGNER

Brian Moran served as an incredible House Caucus Chair recruiting candidates and raising money to enable us to battle back from post-redistricting losses.  Terry McAuliffe freed the DNC from debt, helped the DNC acquire a headquarters, and laid the seeds for our voter file and Howard Dean’s grassroots strategy that President Obama nurtured to victory.  Mike Signer has aided many campaigns in Virginia and raised our awareness regarding progressive values during this campaign.  All had first class campaign teams, organizers and volunteers and we look forward to their involvement.  We owe them a debt of gratitude for their sacrifice, their service, and all they have done for the Democratic Party.  We need their experience, ability, and passion to keep our party strong.  We look forward to their continued involvement both statewide and in Fairfax County.

We also had two delegate primaries in Fairfax County.

Winner - 35th District
MARK KEAM

Mark Keam has earned the right to represent the Democratic Party in the 35th House of Delegates District with a decisive victory in the 35th.  Mark raised the bar with the effort and organization he brought to the primary after having organized President Obama’s efforts in Fairfax County as a volunteer through last July.  We look forward to his battle against his Republican opponent.

Winner - 35th District
KAYE KORY

Mason District School Board Member Kaye Kory won a squeaker by 66 votes over Delegate Bob Hull in Annandale & Falls Church.  We appreciate Delegate Hull’s service as a Delegate over the last sixteen years and look forward to Kaye carrying our banner into battle.

After the night’s results became apparent, many of us gathered at the Firehouse Grill in the City of Fairfax where Senator Petersen was hosting a Northern Virginia Party for Creigh Deeds.  I saw five Magisterial District Chairs.  Many Fairfax County supporters of Brian Moran joined the Party.  I am confident that the Democratic Party has emerged from this process united.

Anyone who says our party is fatigued or not energized is not paying attention. Our turnout is up.  Our gubernatorial candidates raised over $15,000,000 for this primary, people are fighting to carry our banner, and Democrats are engaged.  Please join our effort as we all work towards winning three statewide races for the first time since 1989 and recapture the House of Delegates!