Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin has secured the Democratic nomination for the 23rd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, following an unassembled caucus held Tuesday by Democratic committees in Prince William and Stafford counties.
According to results released by the Prince William County Democratic Committee and the Stafford Democratic Committee, Franklin received 225 votes out of 334 ballots cast, or 67%, defeating Muhammed “Sef” Casim, who received 109 votes.
The caucus was held on Dec. 16, 2025, with voting locations at the Dumfries Community Center in Prince William County and the Porter Branch Library in Stafford County. The contest was organized following the scheduling of a special election to fill the House District 23 vacancy.
“PWCDC and SDC are excited to get behind our nominee Margaret Angela Franklin and get to work,” the committees said in a joint statement. “We fully intend to ensure that Margaret is successful in January, and are excited to do our part to maintain our 64-seat Democratic majority in the House.”
Committee leaders also thanked volunteers who organized the caucus on a compressed timeline.
“I want to thank our 30-plus volunteers for their time and effort to make this caucus happen,” the statement said. “We had five days from the date the special election was set to run an open, fair, and accessible caucus, and I think we have accomplished that.”
Franklin has represented the Woodbridge District on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors since 2020. She has served in leadership roles, including vice chair of the board and chair of regional transportation bodies, and previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer.
Casim, a Dumfries resident and small business owner, ran on a platform emphasizing affordability, responsible development, and data center accountability. While he has not previously held elected office, he cited community involvement and local roots in Prince William and Stafford counties as central to his candidacy.
The special election is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026. The 23rd District includes portions of Prince William County and Stafford County.
The Prince William County Democratic Committee said it plans to mobilize ahead of the January election to retain Democratic control of the seat.
