Three Options for Fairfax Voters
By: Tiffany Boggs, Mason Votes Contributor
With the 2026 midterm elections less than 40 days away, voters in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District face a choice between three candidates to represent them for the next two years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nicknamed “the people’s house,” the U.S. House of Representatives is the lower house of Congress that works with the Senate to pass legislation. As outlined in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, each state elects their own representatives “every second year” and the number of members each state can send to Washington is apportioned based on population.
Voters in the 11th Congressional District face a choice this November between incumbent Democrat James Walkinshaw, Republican Arthur G. Purves, and Green Party candidate Dianne Blais.
James Walkinshaw’s Leadership Vision
James Walkinshaw is the incumbent in the race and previously served for over a decade as chief of staff to the late Congressman Gerry Connolly. After Connolly’s passing in 2025, Walkinshaw won a special election to fill the seat occupied by Connolly for 16 years.
- Preventing domestic violence & protecting survivors: “James is working to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by improving services for victims, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and protecting the rights of non-citizen survivors to seek immigration relief.”
- Reducing gun violence: “In Congress, he supports legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, close the Charleston loophole, require background checks on all gun sales, and opposes federal concealed carry mandates that override state protections.”
- Investing in education: “In Congress, James fights to protect the Department of Education, fully fund IDEA and Title I, and increase support for military-connected students through the federal Impact Aid program.”
- Expanding access to affording housing: “James believes that health care is a human right—not a privilege reserved for the wealthy or well-connected. As Congressman Connolly’s Chief of Staff, he helped to pass the Affordable Care Act, extending coverage to millions of Americas. During Trump’s first term, he helped Connolly beat back Trump’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Last year, he fought to prevent Republicans from doubling the healthcare premiums for middle class families.”
- Defending reproductive freedom: “James believes that access to comprehensive reproductive health care—including contraception, IVF, abortion, prenatal care, and cancer screenings—is a fundamental right. As Chairman of the Board’s Legislative Committee, he led the successful effort to include protection of reproductive freedom in Fairfax County’s legislative platform and supported County efforts to expand access in the wake of the Dobbs decision.”
To learn more about Walkinshaw’s campaign, visit: jameswalkinshaw.org
Arthur G. Purves’ Leadership Vision
Arthur Purves is a retired computer programmer and has been president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance for 29 years. He previously served as treasurer for the Fairfax Committee of 100, was a member of the Fairfax County Meals Tax Task Force and Hunter Mill Citizen Budget Committee, and served on three Fairfax County Public Schools advisory committees.
- Vet immigrants before they enter: “Do not let in the drug- and sex-traffickers and gang members from whom other immigrants are trying to flee.”
- Poverty and mental illness cause gun violence: “That complex gun laws reduce crime is debatable. What’s not debatable is that these laws turn law-abiding citizens into inadvertent felons. To end gun violence, fix schools and clean up food. Public schools perpetuate poverty and as already noted ultra-processed food causes mental illness.”
- Abortion: “Keep abortion legal for those rare cases but encourage marriage. Ninety percent of abortions are performed on healthy mothers with healthy babies. Calling abortion the “Fundamental Right to Reproductive Freedom” is Orwellian. Abortion cancels reproduction. Call legal abortion what it is: Permission to take a life.”
- Public schools perpetuate poverty: “Students that have not mastered reading and arithmetic by third grade rarely catch up and graduate unable to compete in the information age. The high school minority student achievement gap first appears in third grade. For a century public schools have embraced “progressive education”, which was anti-phonics and anti-drill, so students depending on classroom instruction do not master the basics. Those who do are tutored at home.”
- The alternative to big government is self-sufficient families: “Tax hikes make families less self-sufficient. Bring back good jobs. Have schools that actually teach reading and arithmetic. Stop chronic disease: Eat real food. End the war on fossil fuels to reduce gas and food prices.”
To learn more about Purves’ campaign, visit: votepurves.org
Dianne Blais ’ Leadership Vision
Dianne Blais earned a degree in economics from Mary Washington and served as a vice president in the private sector. In addition to raising four children and hosting over 100 foster children, Blais has been active in numerous organizations including the League of Women Voters and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
- “Wars and the preparation for wars have huge costs and have major environmental impacts besides eating up the money that should be spent here.”
- “A GreenUS means that our taxes will be money be used for us citizens. We can improve our country so much by spending money here rather than trying to bend countries to our will. We can improve daily life by lowering stress about money fears and health. We can stop inflation and decrease the huge wealth discrepancy.”
- “Although the Green Party isn’t a peace organization per se, its platform emphasizes peace. The Green Party’s Platform combines my domestic and international platform.”
- “I want: A moratorium of data centers, free public transit, open borders, improved incarceration, and a basic return to pre-2025 status quo. I’d like rank choice voting and proportional representation, and more people joining the Green Party.”
- “Ralph Nader and Jill Stein are models she tries to emulate.”
To learn more about Blais’ campaign, visit: dianneforcongress.org
_____________________________________________________________
Early voting in Virginia began Friday, September 18th and voters can apply for mail-in ballots, through Friday, October 23rd.
Click here to explore our Quick Guide to Voting as a Mason Student >
Register/verify and find your assigned polling location using Virgnia’s official Citizen’s Portal: vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation
Your voice matters! Make a plan to vote and help shape your future.
_____________________________________________________________
James Walkinshaw Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congressman_Walkinshaw_Official_Portrait.jpg, cropped. Public domain.
Arthur Perves Photo Credit: Arthur Purves for Congress Facebook, cropped.
Dianne Blais Photo Credit: Dianne for Congress Facebook, cropped.