FAIRFAX, VA —One of the key areas in the under affordability is access to housing, according to Vanessa Cárdenas, one of the five candidates seeking to be the Democratic Party's candidate in the Jan. 13, 2026 special election.
"Currently, workers like teachers, nurses, and service workers who form the backbone of our community are being priced out," she said. "It is increasingly difficult for our young people to afford to live in the neighborhoods where they grew up."
Cárdenas is facing Douglas Shuster, So Lim, Gretchen Bulova, and Denver Supinger in Tuesday's firehouse primary, hoping to be their party's candidate on the Jan. 13 ballot in the 11th District delegate race.
How To Vote: 11th District Democrats Host Primary In House Of Delegates Race
The 11th District seat became vacant when David Bulova stepped down to become Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger's nominee as the next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.
Patch reached out to all five candidates running in Tuesday's primary, asking them to answer a few questions to help voters learn more about them. The following are Cárdenas' responses to Patch's candidate questionnaire. Scroll down to view the other candidates' responses.
What is your occupation and the number of years you've worked in the field?
Executive Director of a Non-Profit. I have worked over 15 years in the non profit field.
What is the single issue that defines your candidacy? (200 Word Limit)
If I had to boil my platform down to one issue, it would be affordability. I am committed to ensuring every hard-working Virginian has a shot at a good, safe, and dignified life. Of course, this encompasses issues like ensuring more affordable housing, a living wage, paid family leave, and protecting Medicaid and Medicare, among others. Addressing affordability also requires a strong focus on workers' rights. We need to increase the minimum wage so people who work in the district can afford the basic necessities of life and are able to live here. It also means that all workers need the right to organize and collectively bargain so that they have an actual voice in their wages and working conditions. Virginia's status as a Right-to-Work state is bad for workers and working families, and fixing this must be part of any plan for sustainable affordability.