This article originally appeared here, at ffxnow.com

With James Walkinshaw winning election to Congress yesterday (Tuesday), the Braddock District supervisor’s chair may sit vacant for a little while.

Walkinshaw officially handed in his resignation to the clerk to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at 9 a.m. today after voters in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District elected him to succeed his political mentor, the late Rep. Gerry Connolly.

“Serving on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has been a distinct honor, and representing you in the Braddock District has been an absolute privilege,” Walkinshaw said in a lengthy statement.

Thanking his colleagues on the board, family and constituents, Walkinshaw reflected on a five-year tenure as supervisor that tackled everything from affordable housing initiatives and the COVID-19 pandemic to funding for a renovation of the Audrey Moore Rec Center and efforts to preserve Lake Accotink.

“Though I’m sad to leave the Board of Supervisors and my role as the Braddock District Supervisor, I’m excited to continue representing most of you in Congress,” he concluded.

It’s unclear when Walkinshaw will be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, though he sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson stating that he would be at Capitol Hill this morning, prepared to take the oath of office.

The clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives must first receive a certificate of election from the Virginia Department of Elections declaring Walkinshaw the winner. A specific date is then set by Congress.

Walkinshaw noted that this Congressional session has included two previous special elections for Florida Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, both of whom were sworn in the day after their elections.

“That action appropriately ensured that their constituents were not left without representation any longer than necessary,” Walkinshaw wrote.

It’s also unclear when Braddock District residents will get new representation on the county board.

Walkinshaw’s resignation today started the timer on a 45-day period in which Virginia law allows board members to appoint a placeholder to fill a vacancy. That placeholder would serve until a full-time successor is elected.

However, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow that he doesn’t intend to appoint an interim Braddock District supervisor.

“There is a process you would go through [to make an appointment], and if it can be avoided because we can get the election scheduled in a timely fashion, to me, that makes this less complicated,” McKay said. “I would prefer to do it that way.”

According to McKay, the board’s structure ensures that all constituents are represented not only by their district supervisor, but also by the at-large chairman.

“That automatically means everyone who lives in Fairfax County has two supervisors, so there will never be a time where Braddock goes unrepresented from our board dais,” he said.

In his statement, Walkinshaw expressed confidence that Braddock District residents will “continue to be ably represented by Chairman McKay.” With County Executive Bryan Hill providing oversight, his office staff also remains available and can be contacted at braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov or (703) 425-9300.

McKay’s decision not to appoint an interim supervisor is in keeping with past precedent.

The board’s most recent vacancy came in February 2009 when Sharon Bulova departed the same seat to become the chairman. No placeholder was appointed, and John Cook, Walkinshaw’s predecessor, was elected to represent the Braddock District the following month.

It is expected that the Board of Supervisors will follow a similar trajectory to fill Walkinshaw’s seat, though it isn’t entirely up to the remaining board members.

First, the Board of Supervisors will have to petition the Fairfax County Circuit Court to set a special election. The board would need to schedule a special meeting, which requires three days’ prior notice before it can be held.

After receiving the petition, the circuit court is obligated to set a general election date “promptly,” according to Virginia law. But because of Virginia already has state elections scheduled for Nov. 4, December is the earliest a special election could be held, McKay says.

Once a date is set, it will then be up to local party officials to determine a process for nominating their party’s candidate, like in June’s primaries for the 11th Congressional District.

“I think it’s important to fill this seat as quickly as we reasonably can within the confines of the Virginia Code,” McKay said, “so we will not waste any time petitioning for a date and hope that the courts will act with great dispatch and schedule a date quickly.”

Though he’s saddened to lose Walkinshaw’s presence on the Board of Supervisors, McKay says he’s confident that his fellow Democrat will ably fill his new role in Congress.

“I hate to lose him on the board, but I’ve got to have somebody on Capitol Hill that I can count on to deliver for people in Fairfax County and who understands Fairfax County well enough to know how to deliver,” McKay said. “James has those attributes.”