Delegate Bob Hull

But this year, he is the only incumbent Democrat in Northern Virginia with an opponent in the June 9 primary. And he has a formidable foe in Fairfax County School Board member L. Kaye Kory, who had more cash on hand as of March 30 and whose name is at least as familiar to voters as his.

The winner will have an advantage in the November general election against Republican Danny Smith in Fairfax County's heavily Democratic 38th House District, which borders the city of Falls Church and Arlington County and stretches south to the Capital Beltway.

Kory, 62, the School Board's Mason District representative since 1999, has criticized Hull as being too friendly with the development industry and unresponsive to the concerns of his constituents. Hull, 54, who works as a real estate agent in addition to his part-time job as a delegate, said he has a long record of promoting legislation that reflects the values of his constituents.

Kory is known on the School Board as an outspoken advocate for poor and at-risk children. In March, she was one of two board members who supported delayed start times for high school students to allow them to sleep longer, despite parents' objections.

She has criticized Hull for introducing bills supported by the home-building industry, including one last year that would have put a cap on the amount of proffer money a locality can extract from a developer.

"It's true that we need more Democrats in the state legislature, but we need good, reliable ones," she said.

Hull is the ranking Democrat on the House's Counties, Cities and Towns Committee and serves on the Virginia Housing Commission. He has received the endorsement of groups supporting abortion rights, gay rights and gun control, which he says reflects his priorities.

He supported legislation that would have required gun show patrons to undergo a background check before purchasing a weapon. In the early 1990s, he sponsored a bill that increased the penalty for carjacking. He said he has also rejected efforts to curb access to abortion.

He said he is seeking reelection in hopes that Democrats can win a majority in the General Assembly and address Northern Virginia's transportation problems.

"Over the years, I have worked with former governor [Mark R.] Warner and Governor [Timothy M.] Kaine to bring millions of dollars of transportation improvements to the area," he said. "I'd like to go back and finally solve our transportation problems."