The Nov. 7 election includes the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Nine members are elected by voters in local districts to serve four-year terms. Twenty-one district candidates are in the race, with seven incumbents.
The Springfield District incumbent is the sole Republican serving on the Board of Supervisors.
Candidates were asked to provide a short bio and share a story of their interaction with a voter that led them to a commitment to take action, with a tight word limit. Candidate responses are printed in the order they appear on the ballot.
For information on how and where to vote, including voting early, see https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/
More than 30,900 Fairfax County voters have already voted, out of more than 714,000 active voters on the rolls. More than 680,000 voters have yet to vote.
Braddock District
James R. Walkinshaw (D)
James R. Walkinshaw (D), candidate for Board of Supervisors, Braddock District. was born and raised in Northern Virginia and devoted his career to ensuring that our community remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Before being elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2019, James served as the Chief of Staff to Congressman Gerry Connolly for more than a decade. He is 40 years old and lives in the Truro neighborhood of Annandale with his wife, Yvette, and their son, Mateo. He is dedicated to listening, being responsive, and solving problems.
Response: Not long after I was sworn into office in 2020, I attended a local neighborhood civic association meeting. At that meeting, a group of Girl Scouts with a passion for the environment presented me with a petition to install a glass recycling bin at nearby Wakefield Park. They had researched the locations of Fairfax County's glass recycling bins and concluded that there was a geographic gap and that the existing locations were not well serving their community.
I promised them that I would look into it and see what could be done. After the meeting, I met with our Public Works staff, reviewed the existing locations, and learned that the Girl Scouts were absolutely right. It took some time due to the pandemic, but the glass recycling bin at Wakefield Park has been a huge success — all thanks to the Girl Scouts. https://jameswalkinshaw.org/
Carey C. Campbell (Independent Green)
Carey C. Campbell, Independent Green, did not respond.
Franconia District
Paul F. Beran (R)
I’m Paul Beran, 69 years young, and a candidate for Supervisor, Franconia District. I’m a home-loving family man whose entire life has been dedicated to serving God, family, and community. My campaign strategy is “Beran Good News!" That is, I wish to be the “Bearer of Good News” for the people of Franconia that provides viable solutions to important issues without condemning those who may have caused, exacerbated, or perpetuated the problems and without raising taxes.
Professionally, I had a half-century career in marketing, supporting thousands of businesses, large and small, and understanding their concerns, desires, and needs. My campaign strategy is to work with others as I worked with entrepreneurs, identifying with them.
Response: Cost of living — Shortly after filing, I started receiving calls from constituents complaining they could no longer afford to live here despite already paying off their home. Property and vehicle taxes are too high; utilities and the overall cost of living have grown unmanageable. They asked me to do something and provide viable solutions to important issues without raising taxes.
Lower taxes — I've discovered “There’s a Marketing Solution to Virtually Every Problem.” Someone is willing to help financially, provided a benefit is built for them. You just need to be a little creative. That’s what I do. I will always explore all other revenue sources first. My idea of “affordable housing” is to keep the cost of living in our district low enough that people don't feel the need to move away.
A safer place to live — We’re down by 200 officers; police officers left their jobs during the current supervisor’s watch. My job as supervisor will be to get those numbers back where they need to be without raising taxes. One way is to convince HOA’s to lower or eliminate HOA fees for active duty law enforcement. This immediately raises their income and adds 24-hour security to our most densely populated communities. We need a prosecutor who prosecutes, not criminals who go to repeat their crimes. Prosecutors who do not do their job will pay me a political price. I’ll call them out every time. www.berangoodnews.com
Rodney L. Lusk (D)
Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk was sworn in as Fairfax County Franconia District Supervisor in January 2020 and is the first African American male elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, Vice Chairman of the Personnel and Reorganization Committee, member of the Audit Committee, member of the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team, and Secretary Treasurer for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Prior to being elected as Franconia District Supervisor, Rodney served 32 years as a Fairfax County employee, which included roles delivering human services along the Historic Richmond Highway Corridor, serving on the staff of two former Board of Supervisors, and as National Marketing Director for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Additionally, Rodney served as a member of the Fairfax County Planning Commission and the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Lusk’s priorities while in office include opening a workforce development center on Route One, reforming police policy, addressing the county’s affordable housing crisis, improving our pedestrian and bicycle safety network, and implementing a bus rapid transit project on Richmond Highway. In addition, his office coordinated with Fairfax County government agencies, local nonprofits, and Franconia District residents to organize food distributions across the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, over three million pounds of food and supplies were distributed to residents in need.
Rodney is a native Virginian, a Franconia District resident for 22 years, and a graduate of the University of Virginia. Rodney and his wife Jacquelyn are proud parents to their two daughters, Addison and Sheridan.
Response: One of the efforts that I’ve undertaken as Chairman of the Board’s Public Safety Committee has been to organize a series of public safety listening sessions where members of the community could come forward in a public forum and share directly with me any public safety concerns that they have.
One piece of testimony that I heard during the first session had a particular impact on me. A community member who represented an advocacy group comprised of first responders spouses shared with me her frustration with the lack of responses she had received to her previous outreach to the county.
In response, I met with her personally the following week, and as a result of our subsequent conversations, I led an effort to launch a new public safety transparency website (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/police-updates, which includes a community input matrix where members of the public and first responders can submit publicly viewable policy questions and recommendations.
In my next term, I plan to continue to move forward with generating responses to every item submitted to the matrix, as well as implementing many of those that will make our public safety infrastructure more effective and transparent.
Mark T. Welch (I)
Mark T. Welch (I) 62, is a candidate for Board of Supervisors, Franconia District. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from GMU.
I retired from the Senior Executive Service after more than 30 years with the Federal Government. My professional background was primarily in the budgeting and finance areas. At my last job, I was responsible for developing the agency’s budget, which was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and then defending the budget to both OMB and Congressional staff. I also worked at the Department of Transportation (DOT), receiving the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award for helping set up the Transportation Security Administration from scratch after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I started my government career with the Department of the Navy, where I analyzed and negotiated multimillion-dollar Harpoon missile production contracts.
Highlights of volunteerism in the community include serving as vice president and treasurer for ten years in civic associations and tax preparation with the AARP Tax-Aide program at the Financial Empowerment Center. He has been a county resident for 30 years with his wife and three FCPS children, all graduates of Virginia public universities.
Response: I recently met a local business proprietor who complained about panhandling in the county and how “something had to be done about it.” He insisted panhandlers were not truly in need but instead part of an organized “ring” to solicit money under false pretenses. Having also encountered panhandlers and being curious about his assertion, I began researching the issue.
Having also encountered panhandlers and being curious about his assertion, I began researching the issue. The county website indicated that some panhandlers come from outside the county to solicit money but also that many do not and are experiencing hardship.
Upon further research, I learned that Loudoun County has adopted an ordinance that prohibits curb-to-curb exchanges between pedestrians and motorists on public roadways, a violation of which results in a traffic ticket.
However, they rarely initially issue tickets to violators; instead, they issue warnings and refer people in need to county social services. The result is that the ordinance has significantly reduced panhandling by imposing a financial disincentive on those who panhandle to solicit money with no real need while enabling people experiencing financial or other difficulty to obtain appropriate social services.
I plan to introduce a similar ordinance and would inform any opposing elected officials of the experience and benefits seen in Loudoun County. marktwelch21@outlook.com
Mount Vernon District
Richard T. Hayden (R)
Richard T. Hayden (R) Candidate for Member of Board of Supervisors, Mount Vernon District. I have lived in Mount Vernon with my wife and family since 1986. I’m 65 years old, a real estate attorney, and a tireless volunteer. I currently serve on the board of the nonprofit
Columbus Club, Inc., part of my Knights of Columbus Council 5998.
Response: I was knocking on doors on a Sunday afternoon, and a homeowner and voter, sitting in his front yard, asked me about the lane widening project on Route One, initially known as the Richmond Highway BRT, now named The One. He was upset, as were many in the community, at the closing of the Hybla Valley Veterinary Hospital after 75 years. He wanted to know the status and scope of the program and whether it was necessary. We both agreed that Route One needed some improvements, but at what cost and for whose benefit?
I researched the closure of the hospital and found that it was designated as a whole property acquisition to be used as a stormwater management area. The BRT will affect 209 parcels in total or in part, down from 225 originally. The projected ridership of 18,000 by 2040 is for residents not currently living along Route One. The project has a price tag of about $1 billion and will urbanize Route One.
The pandemic changed work patterns, creating opportunities to work from home, thus altering the need for mass transit. I will persuade my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to revisit and examine the BRT project and the new workforce transportation needs, protect businesses and residents as much as possible, and minimize disturbance areas and overall disruption. www.hayden4mv.com
Daniel Storck (D)
Daniel G. "Dan" Storck (D) is running for reelection as Member of Board of Supervisors, Mount Vernon District. I bring a voice of experience, thousands of community connections, and a proven track record for getting things done in Mount Vernon District. I am running again because I have the right values and decades of experience working with you, from the Huntington community to Lorton. I will continue fully investing in our children, education, and public safety, revitalizing Lorton and Richmond Highway, implementing a BRT system to relieve congestion and extend Metro, supporting and empowering our seniors to remain independent in their homes, requiring smart, green land use policies and development, and growing more jobs. As a decades-long business entrepreneur, leader of community non-profit organizations, twelve-year school board member, three-term chairman, and now two-term supervisor, I have more than three decades of living in and serving our community. I look forward to continuing to be a leader and a strong advocate for you, delivering on the needs of the Mount Vernon District.
Response: During my first days in office in 2016, it was brought to my attention that our community had no area domestic violence support or center. I immediately challenged county staff to do more to protect these predominantly women and children from their abusers.
Domestic violence support was soon added in 2017 at the Gerry Hyland (South County) Government Center, but it was advised that no centers could be available for many years. At about that time, I happened to have individual conversations with three strong community women, Mattie Palmore, Lisa Sales and Karen Stone, who, because of their own personal experiences, were deeply committed to righting this wrong and quickly addressing this need. They were fierce advocates, calling themselves the ‘three musketeers,’ working tirelessly with county staff and me, proposing a variety of creative solutions, funding options, and locations to get a local area facility opened quickly.
We all proudly opened Artemis House Region 1 in 2019, and they have since gone on to raise donations that have helped provide furniture, supplies, and support for the families residing there. Their energy and drive were crucial to supporting our residents during their time of greatest need. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month to bring attention to this family, community, and public health issue and available resources. https://danstorck.org/
Christopher T. Morgan (I)
Christopher T. Morgan (I), - Candidate for Member of Board of Supervisors, Mount Vernon District is 41, lives in Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, with his wife Sumrall and 5-year-old son. A former U.S. Army officer, he works in the tech sector. Morgan chaired the Mount Vernon Council's Environment and Recreation Committee for two years and serves as Stratford Landing Citizens' Association president. He has a B.S. in business and economics from Lehigh University.
Morgan is a former small business owner as well as a former Business Improvement District and Maintenance Assessment District board member, where he managed $2.5 million in community funds. He coaches T-ball with Fort Hunt Little League and participates in numerous wetland cleanups. He is a member of the Izaak Walton League's Arlington-Fairfax Chapter and the Basilica of St. Mary's in Old Town Alexandria.
Morgan plans to work toward increasing safety, reducing crime, especially along Route 1, and increasing school safety, including stopping the proposed homeless shelter next to West Potomac High School and within a 1.3-mile radius of nine other schools. The shelter facility [could house ex-offenders] and this is the wrong location.
He intends to work toward saving old-growth trees, regulating infill development, and mandating practical transportation projects that prioritize private car travel.
Morgan will advocate for a strict guidance policy to remove politics and bias from the county budget. This will cut wasteful programs and excess spending. He will also advocate for a 3-1-1 Citizen Request Portal and App for County Services to improve citizen interaction.
Response: As president of my community, I remember a call I received earlier in the year from a retired woman in tears who had received her property tax assessment. She lives in the same home where she grew up and was terrified that she could no longer afford the county taxes on it.
I acted then as I would in my job in the tech industry. I researched the issue. I found the facts. I learned that, on average, property taxes in our area were up 50 percent in the past three years. I read every page of the county budget and researched the process by which it is passed. I traveled to the county center to testify in front of our Board of Supervisors. I wrote about my experiences and posted them on social media for my neighbors to read.
I knew I could not sit on the sidelines when people needed my help and perspective. Taxes and spending weren’t my only motivation. I was concerned with several environmental issues, transportation, school policies, and rising street crime. I entered the race for Mount Vernon Supervisors as an independent to fix problems, not play politics. As a supervisor, I will be a steward of my neighbor’s money, and I’ll work backward from a maximum spending amount and be completely transparent about where each dollar is spent. I’m running for my family and all our neighbors who are struggling and know that we can do better. Votechristophermorgan.com
Providence District
Brian R. Murphy (R)
Brian R. Murphy (R) Candidate Board of Supervisors, Providence District. My professional career is in real estate finance and investments. I was the Chief Financial Officer of Triangle Development Company. I expanded my expertise into the home building industry's acquisition, development, and construction sides to become a general partner in the building and development of my subdivisions.
I've been a Realtor for over thirty years, using my experience to help new and move-up homeowners navigate the ups and downs of the real estate market while focusing on raising healthy and happy families.
Response: While canvassing at Oak Marr Farmers Market, a senior citizen approached me and expressed concern about her fixed income and the recent assessment change on her condominium, threatening her ability to pay the new tax. Eviction and dissatisfaction with what “they” were doing with all the money worried her.
This year, the county changed real estate assessment procedures. They shifted real estate taxes from a property tax to a tax on unrealized capital gains.
This was done by taking all of last year's market sales, calculating a factor based on capital gains in those sales, and applying that factor to last year's assessed value to get to everyone's bill this year.
Their justification for the change was a misinterpretation of the Code that says real property in Virginia shall be assessed at fair market value. A property tax is levied based on the cost to Fairfax County to provide the goods and services mandated under their charter from Richmond prorated to your parcel.
The fair market value clause protects the little guy from government eminent domain. The ‘highest and best’ valuation practices ensure fairness for the little guy. It is, at best, an unhealthy mix of public facility and a competitive real estate market.
Traditional assessments considered lot size, improvement value, type of use, zoning designation, and county budget. Thus, the assessed value and asking price of a property in the real estate market differ greatly.
If elected, I will petition the Attorney General to issue a ‘cease and desist’ writ against Fairfax County for violating the Dillon Rule, which requires General Assembly approval before any local government can levy a new tax. I urge Fairfax County residents to support Republican district candidates to restore a Republican majority on the Board of Supervisors. www.brianmurphy4supervisor.com/home
Dalia Palchik (D)
Dalia Palchik (D), running for reelection for member, Board of Supervisors, Providence District. Palchik, 40, was born in Argentina, moved to Fairfax County at age six. She worked in international microfinance, as a medical interpreter, and as a classroom world language teacher. She is the first Latina to serve on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and offers a fresh and thoughtful perspective on issues, big or small. She looks forward to continuing the work towards bringing intentional transit-oriented development to Fairfax, finding creative ways to increase affordable housing, and expanding quality and affordable childcare and early childhood programs.
Response: In early 2021, a resident from a vulnerable community reached out to my office about the difficulties they were facing in receiving financial assistance for public water and sewer services. With the well on the property no longer being a viable source of water, the family has been struggling to find an affordable option to access clean water. After engaging with several county agencies and learning that there are no ready options to provide assistance to families needing access to public water services, I presented a board matter directing staff to work with Fairfax Water to explore options to help families like this. Access to clean water is a right that no family should struggle to achieve. I am happy to share that we were successful in helping them get access to public water and sewer services.
Although this issue relates to one particular family, we know there are challenges across the county with water or sewer connections. In order to help address that, I worked with the county agencies and budget staff to help create a targeted pilot program to help address the issues here and for those in need across the county.
Dalia currently serves as the Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission Chair. Additionally, she serves on the State Executive Council for Children’s Services, the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team, the Council to End Domestic Violence, the Fairfax Food Council, and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. www.daliaforsupervisor.com
Springfield District
Patrick S. "Pat" Herrity (R)
Patrick S. "Pat" Herrity (R), running for reelection for Board of Supervisors, Springfield District. A lifelong resident of the Springfield District, I graduated from West Springfield High School and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia Tech. I became a CPA and worked for a big-eight public accounting firm before beginning an award-winning career as a senior financial executive for fast-growing government contractors and technology companies.
I channeled my early public service into business, sports, and civic communities and earned leadership awards from organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Virginia Technology Association, and the Southwestern Youth Association.
Shortly after my dad passed away in 2006, I took my public service to a new level and ran for Springfield District Supervisor because I did not like the direction the county was headed as taxes doubled in eight short years. I have served as Springfield District Supervisor since 2008, bringing balance and common sense to the board.
I am Chair of the Board’s Older Adults Committee, where I led the development of the award-winning 50+ Community Action Plan and founded and chaired the Board’s Sports Tourism Task Force.
I have been named the Best Public Servant in Fairfax in the Gazette Leader’s Best of the Best for the last 7 years. I am the only supervisor to ever receive the President’s Award from the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. I led efforts to reduce the tax burden on residents, address increasing crime rates and panhandling, and focusing education resources on teachers and classrooms instead of administrators and political agendas.
Response: Most of my best ideas and common-sense solutions come from listening to concerned residents. For example, responding to a constituent who asked why Route 123 was constantly being paved, and the Fairfax County Parkway was full of potholes, I worked with my colleagues to get the designation for the parkway changed from a secondary road to a primary road to get it additional maintenance and construction funding from the state. Responding to a request from a constituent about the illegal signs in medians, I worked with Delegate David Albo and the Board to change state legislation and allow the county to remove illegal signs from the medians to address this public safety issue.
Concerned about panhandling, a constituent sent me an article about the Albuquerque, New Mexico, program called “There’s a Better Way.” After researching the program, I brought it to the Board and worked with our Stormwater Division to create Operation Stream Shield, which provides panhandlers and homeless residents with paid jobs helping clean up our streams. The dignity of work brings them into services, and helps them get back on their feet. It is a cost-effective way to clean our streams, and we have graduated over 100 participants into full-time employment.
The most recent example is working with the community and a bipartisan group of state and local leaders, VDOT and FCDOT, to implement short- and long-term solutions to the dangerous hills on Lee Chapel Road after two teens were tragically killed. The short-term solutions were rapidly implemented, and we have the project to remove the two hills moving forward at a record pace thanks to the bipartisan effort. PatHerrity.org
Albert Vega (D)
Albert Vega (D), 46, candidate for Board of Supervisors, Springfield District, is an electrical engineer and small business founder. He received his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and his master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University. A proven problem solver for over 20 years, Albert wants to ensure logic and problem-solving drive county government.
Response: While knocking on doors, I encountered a young couple just starting their family. Currently living in a townhome, they were concerned about growing their family and where that growth could occur. Even though they are dual-income, moving to a larger home in Springfield was out of their budget. The Springfield District is in the county's last place for housing affordability, and inaction has led us to this point.
Continued inaction will have adverse impacts on our working families. We need to seek practical solutions to ensure residents can buy their first home, live and work in the same community, and ensure senior residents can age in place. We need to identify inefficient development for improvements, engage community-minded and nonprofit developers, work to close the housing supply deficit and work closely with the zoning and housing departments to create solutions that benefit our community. I will also promote incorporating the development of affordable and workforce housing on county-owned property, with the exception of school grounds.
As a scientist, I understand that we can only address a housing challenge with accurate data for a path toward success. I will support efforts to monitor and correctly track affordable housing in the Springfield District. www.albertvega.com
Corazon Sandoval Foley (Independent Green)
Corazon Sandoval Foley, 72, the Independent Green candidate for Board of Supervisors, Springfield District, is the first Filipino American, the first Asian American, and the only female Springfield Supervisor candidate. Foley was a State Department Diplomat Intelligence Officer for 30 years and resided in the Springfield District with her family for 44 years. She has two children from her 49-year marriage to Michael Daniel Foley, who died in 2022. Foley was named Lady Fairfax 2009 and runner-up for the Fairfax County Citizen of the Year award. She received the Library of Virginia Award for Virginia Women in History and the AARP Andrus Award for Outstanding Community Service.
Response: I drove my friend, Filipino American Pacita Aguas, 81, from Burke to Lorton Senior Center for her senior fitness programs. Pacita often wondered why our Springfield District did not have a senior center despite the fact that we paid taxes like other districts. She convinced me to work for equity for seniors and families in our underserved Springfield District.
I thought the project would not be difficult to complete, but our Springfield supervisor (2015) was not helpful, and we had to grow the Burke/West Springfield Senior Center Without Walls, inch by inch, with facility donations from churches and nonprofits. Pacita was steadfast in her support for our petitions and demonstrations and was the first to encourage me to run for Springfield Supervisor in 2015 to make progress for our center.
Thanks to Sharon Bulova, I negotiated the county pledge to include our center in the 2020 bond referendum in 2016, but then the Springfield supervisor delayed the referendum to 2024. While my friend Pacita Aguas has since died, I remain inspired by her wisdom as well as the remembered support of my husband to complete this important community project. www.facebook.com/people/Corazon-Foley/100008952457139/