On Jan. 9, State Delegate Kaye Kory’s term ended. Kory took office in 2009 to represent Virginia’s 38th district in the House of Delegates. Kory announced that she would not seek reelection on April 2, 2023.
She did not seek reelection as a result of district overlaps created by the previous year’s redistricting process. She was replaced in the 38th district by Sam Rasoul, a Democrat, on January 10, who ran unopposed.
“It has been a great honor to serve our caring and highly-engaged community. I am truly humbled by your support throughout my terms of service,” she said in her departing statement.
The former 38th district contained Fairfax County, as well as Falls Church City. The recent redistricting has moved most of the former 38th district into the 14th district, while Kory’s home was located within the new 13th district. As a representative, she must live in the area she represents. Should Kory have sought reelection, she would have had to defeat the running Democrat, Marcus Simon in the 13th district Democratic primary.
The previous 13th district contained Gainesville, Manassas Park, and part of Manassas itself. As a result of the 2020-2022 redistricting process, it was moved to contain Falls Church, as well as part of Merrifield.
As of Nov. 3, 2020, Virginia’s redistricting process was driven by a 16-member bipartisan commission, the result of voters’ decision to amend the Virginia constitution.
During her tenure as district delegate, Kory sponsored bills banning charging female inmates for menstrual products, prohibiting the sale of cosmetic products tested on animals, raising teacher salaries, requiring epinephrine, a drug treating anaphylaxis, asthma, and cardiac arrest, to be available in school clinics, and helped ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia.
“I have been consistently dedicated to serving you with honesty, accountability, and transparency while encouraging robust community engagement,” Kory said in her departing statement. “My overarching goals have remained the same throughout my tenure: to bring your voice to Richmond and to improve the lives of all Virginians.”
