Alexandria's historic museums director wins seat in Virginia House
Bulova succeeds husband, will be sworn in Wednesday as legislative session begins
Gretchen Bulova, who has led the Office of Historic Alexandria since 2019, won a special election Tuesday to represent District 11 in Virginia’s House of Delegates, defeating Republican Adam Wise by a margin of 69.7% to 29.8%, according to the Virginia Mercury.
Bulova becomes the third City of Alexandria employee serving in the General Assembly, joining Del. Elizabeth Guzmán, D-Prince William, who oversees the city’s Department of Adult Services, and Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, who serves as the city’s director of general services.
As director of Historic Alexandria, Bulova oversees the city’s eight municipal museums — including Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, the Alexandria Black History Museum, and the Freedom House Museum — along with a staff of 75. She first joined the city in 1991 as a part-time collections manager at Gadsby’s Tavern and rose through the ranks, serving as records administrator and archivist before being named deputy director in 2015.
During her tenure as director, Bulova has overseen the conservation of three historic ships unearthed at the Robinson Landing construction site and forged a partnership with the Northern Virginia Urban League to operate the Freedom House Museum. She has also spearheaded the city’s social justice initiative.
Bulova will succeed her husband, longtime Del. David Bulova, who resigned after Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger named him Virginia’s next secretary of natural and historic resources. He represented the district, which covers Fairfax City and parts of Fairfax County including Oakton and Fair Oaks, for 19 years.
The newly elected delegate will be sworn in Wednesday when the General Assembly convenes for its 60-day session.
Bulova also chairs the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county’s History Commission. She holds a master’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University.