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Stella Pekarsky

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Stella Pekarsky
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 36th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2024
Preceded byScott Surovell (redistricted)
Personal details
Born (1979-04-23) April 23, 1979 (age 46)
Political partyDemocratic
SpousePavel Pekarsky
EducationGeorge Mason University (BA, MEd)

Stella G. Pekarsky (born April 23, 1979) is an American politician. A Democrat, she has represented the 36th district in the Virginia Senate since 2024. She previously was a member of the Fairfax County School Board.

Early life and education

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Pekarsky was born on April 23, 1979.[1] She graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics and a Masters of Education.[2]

Career

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Pekarsky served as a member of the Fairfax County Public Schools board.[3]

Virginia State Senate

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2023 election

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Pekarsky announced her candidacy in 2023 against Democrat George Barker, who had previously represented the 39th district, which, because of redistricting, now covered the newly made 36th district. On June 21, Pekarsky pulled an upset victory defeating the sitting State Senator in a 52%-47% victory.[4][5]

In the general election, she faced Julie Perry, a high school teacher at Centreville High School. On November 7, Pekarsky defeated Perry in a 60%-38% victory.[6]

2026 congressional campaign

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Main articles: 2025 Virginia's 11th congressional district special election and 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 11

On May 7, 2025, Pekarsky announced that she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 11th congressional district, seeking to succeed the retiring incumbent, Gerry Connolly. Connolly later died on May 21, 2025.[7] Pekarsky subsequently announced her candidacy for the special election to fill the seat, finishing third in the June 28 firehouse primary, receiving 13.4% of the vote.[8]

Electoral history

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Election to the Fairfax County School Board - Sully District, 2019
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Stella Pekarsky 20,355 58.45
Republican Thomas Wilson 14,383 41.30
Democratic Primary for the 36th Senate District, 2023
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Stella Pekarsky 8,083 52.47
Democratic George Barker 7,322 47.53
Election to the Virginia State Senate 36th District, 2023
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Stella Pekarsky 36,802 60.85
Republican Julie Perry 23,458 38.78
2025 Virginia 11th Congressional District Democratic primary results[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James Walkinshaw 22,403 59.64%
Democratic Irene Shin 5,368 14.29%
Democratic Stella Pekarsky 5,043 13.43%
Democratic Amy Roma 2,697 7.18%
Democratic Dan Lee 710 1.89%
Democratic Leopoldo Martínez Nucete 498 1.33%
Democratic Amy Papanu 396 1.05%
Democratic Priya Punnoose 232 0.62%
Democratic Candice Bennett 190 0.51%
Democratic Ross William Branstetter IV 25 0.07%
Total votes 37,562 100.00%

Personal life

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Pekarsky is a practicing Greek Orthodox and married to Pavel Pekarsky.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Senate of Virginia". apps.senate.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  2. ^ "Stella's Story | Stella Pekarsky for Virginia Senate". stellapekarsky.com. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  3. ^ Armus, Teo; Vozzella, Laura; Schneider, Gregory S. (April 28, 2025). "Virginia Rep. Connolly says he will not seek reelection after cancer returns". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  4. ^ "Fairfax County Democrats oust two established senators, as incumbents prevail in local races | FFXnow". FFXnow | Fairfax County, Va. breaking news and local happenings. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  5. ^ Vozzella, Laura; Schneider, Gregory S.; Armus, Teo (2023-06-14). "State Senate veterans face stiff primary challenges in Virginia". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  6. ^ "vpap.org". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  7. ^ Serre, Jared (May 7, 2025). "State Sen. Stella Pekarsky joins race to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly". FFXnow. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  8. ^ Serre, Jared (June 28, 2025). "BREAKING: James Walkinshaw wins Democratic nod in Congressional special election". FFXnow. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  9. ^ "CD-11 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS". Google Docs. 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee. June 28, 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
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