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Election 2023 Virginia

Prince William board votes on controversial data center proposal

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Three newly elected liberal Virginia prosecutors are set to speak at the Center for American Progress. Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth's Attorney-elect, Arlington County Steve Descano , Commonwealth's Attorney-elect, Fairfax County, Virginia Buta Biberaj, Commonwealth's Attorney-elect, Loudoun County, Virginia.

The Washington Post

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Three newly elected liberal Virginia prosecutors are set to speak at the Center for American Progress. Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth's Attorney-elect, Arlington County Steve Descano , Commonwealth's Attorney-elect, Fairfax County, Virginia Buta Bi..

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Early voting in Virginia 2022

Special election for VA 4th House district

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VIRGINIANS ELECT STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

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Virginia election - Fairfax, VA

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There’s much at stake in this year’s Fairfax County election. The county remains an economic powerhouse in Northern Virginia but continues to deal with the effects of the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/" target="_blank" class="contextual_link">coronavirus</a> pandemic. Home values have risen, leaving many residents with higher annual tax bills. Offices are vacant and some retail areas aren’t back to pre-pandemic levels of activity, stifling commercial tax revenue. Meanwhile, schools are crowded, neighborhoods need revitalizing, and the demand for mental health counseling and other social services is up — all requiring more spending.

Voting in Virginia's 2023 primary elections? Here's a guide to the races

How Fairfax will respond to these issues will be determined in elections this year, in which voters will choose among candidates for several contested primaries ahead of the general election in November.

We asked all candidates in contested primary races for the Board of Supervisors to respond to questions about their backgrounds and views. Their responses have been edited for content, length and clarity.

Primary voters in Fairfax will cast ballots for chair of the Board of Supervisors, the nine other supervisors, commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff. The chair, four supervisor seats, the commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff are the only contested races in the Democratic primary; the Republican primary has no contested races.

Virginia has open primaries, which means that you don’t need to be registered with a specific party to cast your ballot. But you need to have been registered to vote with an up-to-date address before the May 30 deadline to avoid casting a provisional ballot. You can check your registration status or register to vote <a href="https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation" target=_blank>here</a>.

Registered voters who wanted to vote absentee had to have requested a mail ballot before the June 9 deadline. All absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by the local registrars office by noon on the following Friday will be counted.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 20, and polls will be open that day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place, which you can look up <a href="https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/polling" target=_blank>here</a>. Anyone already in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote, even if it is after 7 p.m.

Virginia law requires all voters to provide ID at the polls, such as a passport, driver’s license, student ID or another form listed <a href="https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/voter-id/outreach-materials/documents/Voter-Identification-Chart-Rev-4-28-21.pdf" target=_blank>here</a>. Voters without an acceptable form of ID will need to sign a statement affirming their identity or cast a provisional ballot.

4. Who’s running for chair of the board of supervisors?

Jahi Chikwendiu

Major endorsements: We are in the process of securing endorsements. All who endorsed my campaign in 2019 are expected to endorse this campaign.

First priority if reelected: To continue the economic progress we have been making, which is necessary to meet all our other community goals. I would employ the same common-sense leadership that I employed to get us through the pandemic to see us through our full recovery.

More on his candidacy: I am exceptionally proud that we have fully funded schools and look forward to our continued close collaboration on budgeting. With our One Fairfax equity policy driving our decision-making, the worst of the pandemic is in our rear view, and with a strong economy with more people working now than before the pandemic, we are poised to do great things.

Karen Jimmerson

First priority if elected: My first priority will be to unite the board in agreement that the top resource priorities for Fairfax County are education, public safety and affordable housing. Future county budgets will be crafted with the objective of funding these priorities first so that we will hold true to these goals, even while responding to changes in the economy.

More on her candidacy: A meals tax may be considered for funding a specified, targeted need, such as schools or public safety. We have areas in the county that need revitalization. These are areas of growth for Fairfax. Efforts to improve infrastructure should remain a consistent and continuing high-level budget line.

5. Who is running in the Dranesville District?

Stephen Barrett

Major endorsements: Supervisor John Foust; Rep. Gerald E. Connolly; state Sens. Jennifer Boysko, Barbara Favola and Janet Howell; Dels. Kathleen Murphy, Rip Sullivan and Irene Shin; Dranesville School Board member Elaine Tholen; Herndon Town Council members Keven LeBlanc, Donielle Scherff, Pradip Dhakal, Cesar del Aguila and Naila Alam; NOVA Labor Federation; IBEW Local 26; Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association; LIUNA; CASA in Action; and Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence.

First priority if elected: Fairfax County must continue to be a welcoming place that strives to provide opportunity to all. In the short term, I want to ensure our office provides high-quality constituent services and a proactive approach to solving problems. I hope to work with the community to support our schools, protect our environment and strengthen our local economy.

More on his candidacy: I am running to protect the progress we have made and to continue to expand opportunities for all. I want to stand up for the values of our community and to fight for positive change on education, housing, the environment, public safety, transportation and more. I grew up in McLean and have seen the changes the Dranesville District has gone through. I want to give back to the place that helped raise me.

Sri Namburi

First priority if elected: The Board of Supervisors and the school board share responsibility for school overcrowding. This issue would be my priority. The board levies taxes and controls the land-use decisions that drive growth. The two boards have policies governing their collaboration, but we need a joint county-school system review and update that incorporates best practices from other urbanizing jurisdictions, provides transparency into and accountability for decisions, and puts greater financial responsibility on developers.

More on his candidacy: Local policy issues in all areas, including land use, environment and transportation, are increasingly data-driven. My professional and educational experience will allow me to guide the staff in asking the right technical questions, to identify potential weaknesses in analyses reported to the board, and to understand connections between issues that might otherwise seem unrelated. I am particularly concerned by problems maintaining staffing, particularly among first responders.

Jeremi Burgher

Major endorsements: Run for Something.

First priority if elected: Housing affordability is a huge issue in Fairfax County. I understand the issue personally, as my wife and I were able to afford our first home with the help of the Fairfax County Workforce Dwelling Unit Homebuyer Program. As Mason District supervisor, I would work to strengthen housing affordability countywide by leveraging all available resources, including developing land owned by the county, expanding the eligibility of those who qualify for affordable housing, and the workforce housing program.

On revitalizing the Seven Corners area: I would work to secure federal grants in addition to Smart Scale funding currently being sought from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. Once secured, I’d like to begin the first phase of the proposed ring road construction as soon as possible. This portion of the project will have the most immediate impact on travel times, construct detour streets during future phases of the project, and its completion will naturally bring more investment and development to revitalize the area.

More on his candidacy: For the past several years, I have supported the Mason District and Fairfax County through my work in Rep. Don Beyer’s office. I serve constituents in the district by managing various portfolios such as education, Medicare, veteran affairs, Social Security, and serving as the outreach liaison for Fairfax County. Most recently, I led efforts to defeat rezoning for a data center in my community.

Molly Humphreys

Major endorsements: Rep. Gerald E. Connolly; Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey C. McKay; Sen. Dave Marsden; Dels. Eileen Filler-Corn, Elizabeth Guzman, Paul Krizek, Alfonso Lopez, Vivian Watts and Marcus Simon; Supervisors James Walkinshaw, Rodney Lusk, John Foust and Walter Alcorn; school board chair Rachna Sizemore Heizer and member Ricardy Anderson; LIUNA; and CASA in Action.

First priority if elected: Mason District needs its next supervisor to have the experience to lead from day one. I have a road map for Mason District that I plan to bring forward based on what I’ve experienced as a resident, as well as heard from residents, firsthand. This includes much-needed environmental policy changes, the creation of more senior housing, mental health programs, bike/pedestrian improvements, economic revitalization and more.

On revitalizing the Seven Corners area: The new supervisor needs to take a fresh look at the many different recommendations that have been made for Seven Corners. We also need a responsible yet aggressive timeline to ensure revitalization occurs on schedule, that community stakeholders have a seat at the table, and that we hold all parties accountable, including VDOT, the county, the state and construction partners. Lastly, I think we should look at the creation of a BID-like organization or something like the Southeast Fairfax Development Corp. (SFDC), which exists along Route 1.

More on his candidacy: The work I’ve done throughout my life is why this campaign has the momentum and support it does. We need a Board of Supervisors that looks like the community and shares its values. This is particularly true in Mason District. I am honored to be running to uphold our shared Democratic values, support the strengthening of our community for everyone, and to serve as a Latino supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Major endorsements: Dels. David Bulova and Irene Shin, state Sen. Chap Petersen and former delegate Mark Keam.

First priority if elected: Support local small businesses so that they can, in turn, support local communities. Mason District is one of the most diverse districts. Because of this diversity, Mason residents are closer to enjoying diverse cultures. However, this diversity has also created distance from mainstream and other diverse residents. I will work to bring them together.

On revitalizing the Seven Corners area: First, I need to study <a href="http://bc7rc.com/" target=_blank>BC7RC.com</a> to better understand what was done in the previous administration and why revitalization is not moving forward. We will meet with citizens groups and project engineers to close any possible loose ends. Large projects such as these are not going to make everyone happy but may be needed. With increased population and traffic, Seven Corners is too dangerous and congested.

More on his candidacy: I have operated many different types of small businesses in Mason District. I have been a part of the diverse community in the district who worked to bring diverse and mainstream communities together. I helped to bring many new types of businesses to Mason District to improve the economic environment. Volunteer engagements and public services have prepared me to be a hands-on supervisor.

Larry Golfer

Major endorsements: My campaign’s energy is centered around engaging communities as opposed to seeking endorsements. I have actively engaged with civic leaders, homeowner association boards and PTA parents to truly understand the unique challenges facing each neighborhood. Through door-to-door canvassing of over 5,000 homes to date, I have personally connected with residents throughout Mason District and actively listened to their concerns.

First priority if elected: I will fight harder for Mason District to receive a fair share of the county’s budget. For years, we have witnessed a lack of major traffic improvements, with the Seven Corners intersection ranking as the worst in Northern Virginia. In addition, our elementary schools are grappling with severe overcrowding, and mental health has yet to receive the attention it deserves. I will fight for equity.

On revitalizing the Seven Corners area: The first step to accelerating the revitalization of Seven Corners is to secure the necessary funding for critical traffic improvements. For years, the problematic intersection has been a source of frustration for our county. I am committed to collaborating closely with our legislature in Richmond and D.C. to make this intersection a priority. As the entrance to Fairfax County from the north, this intersection should offer a smooth and appealing welcome to our county.

More on his candidacy: While our schools should be celebrated, I believe that we must prioritize the elimination of elementary school trailers, which have become a permanent fixture in our district. I am determined to work toward mixed-use commercial development in Seven Corners, Baileys Crossroads and downtown Annandale to help revitalize these areas and promote economic growth. We need to expand mental health services. We must ensure that our police officers are properly compensated. Finally, we must take action to protect cyclists and pedestrians. I will work to install control devices that enable safe crossing of our busy roads, promoting a safe and healthy county for all residents.

7. Who is running in the Mount Vernon District?

Daniel G. “Dan” Storck, incumbent

Major endorsements: Reps. Don Beyer and Gerald E. Connolly, former congressman Jim Moran and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey C. McKay.

First priority if elected: Our most pressing issue continues to be revitalizing Richmond Highway and Lorton. We are successfully working together re-envisioning Lorton and the highway; investing in education; delivering new parks, public safety facilities, housing of all types, businesses, “The One” bus rapid transit, pedestrian and cycling improvements, and more, while making sure no one is left behind.

On revitalizing the Route 1 corridor: We have been accelerating our results for years by continuing to implement our very successful economic development plans, Lorton Visioning, “The One” and “Potomac Banks” branding, dedicated development team and other key growth initiatives. Since 2016, I have helped secure more than $2 billion in federal, state, regional and county public investments. Our public investments have leveraged more than $1 billion in major private investments just in the past few years, a key to further accelerating our renewal, with much more coming.

More on his candidacy: I bring reasoned, action-oriented experience, thousands of community connections built over 30 years of my many nonprofit and elected leadership roles, and a proven track record for delivering results. We have become a successful, revitalizing 21st-century suburban community, very sought-after for its history, urban and natural world access, and many family-friendly quality-of-life amenities.

Maritza Zermeño

First priority if elected: My first priority will be to establish working teams: A team with school administrators to address the opioid problem in our schools — ignoring the problem will not make it go away. In a similar manner, I will create a team with the county chair, adjacent district supervisors, state legislators and our federal representatives to move big projects forward — the district is being left behind the rest of the county.

On revitalizing the Route 1 corridor: We need to immediately stop the pervasive move away from the county’s comprehensive plan in the Mount Vernon District by simply increasing housing density along the Route 1 corridor — almost all recent changes are to increase from one to as much as 150 housing units per acre with almost no consideration to low-income housing or multiuse environments. We have also seen a haphazard grant of variances to build multiple McMansions on single-unit lots. The district should explore technological innovations, such as smart traffic lights, bike-sharing programs and mobile apps to help enhance the corridor’s appeal to residents and businesses.

More on her candidacy: I emigrated from Mexico as a single mother of four. I come from a place with little regard for zoning, urban planning or concern for the environment. I have lived among a population with desperate poverty and food insecurity. It is not a world many in Fairfax County could envision, much less understand. I have seen the effects of uncontrolled population growth: more paved surfaces, more roofing area and less tree canopy. It is not something anyone here wants to experience — especially with the changes we expect from increased climate change.

8. Who is running in the Springfield District?

Major endorsements: Rep. Gerald E. Connolly; state Sens. George Barker and Dave Marsden; Dels. Eileen Filler-Corn, Dan Helmer, Karrie Delaney, David Bulova; former delegate Hala Ayala; Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey C. McKay; former Mount Vernon supervisor Gerry Hyland; county school board member Stella Pekarsky; International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF); Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF); IAFF Fairfax County Local 2068; Loudoun County IAFF Local 3756; NOVA Labor; VoteVets and Run for Something.

First priority if elected: My first priority is to mitigate teacher and public safety staffing shortages. We are understaffed, particularly with elementary education and special education teachers, and short on police officers and paramedics. We need to ensure we are offering the most competitive compensation and focusing on recruitment and retention. Shortages in these areas have a direct trickle-down impact on the taxpayers.

On revitalizing aging parts of the district: We should work with community groups and developers to find common ground and assess the needs of the community. Some of our shopping centers in the district could probably use modernization with regard to electric vehicle charging in parking lots, and updating to attract more customers and encourage small-business owners to open stores. However, “aging” doesn’t necessary mean something is bad. Parts of the district are older, but historical, and should be preserved while modernizing utilities and other systems to keep up with modern technologies.

More on his candidacy: I’m running on issues and identifying with people in the community that I see in the field every day working as a firefighter and EMS worker. We should continue combating the opioid issue and bringing community awareness of the dangers. I’m extremely supportive of the “aging in place” concept, but we need to understand the service worker and EMS support that’s required to facilitate it. Mental health is going to continue to be an issue, and conversation should be about how we can provide an affordable and appropriate service based on patient needs. At a time when tax assessments are causing many residents to contemplate moving, we need to focus on the core services the local government provides and bolster the fundamentals.

Olivia Anderson

Major endorsements: Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano; state Sen. Scott Surovell; former Virginia education secretary Atif Qarni; Alexandria City Council members Canek Aguirre and Alyia Gaskins; Dels. Sam Rasoul and Paul Krizek; Prince William Supervisor Victor S. Angry; LIUNA Baltimore/Washington District Council; CASA in Action; 3.14 Action Fund and Juntos Por Virginia.

First priority if elected: My first priority will be addressing our housing crisis. Springfield District has inadequate housing options for families of various sizes/incomes and is dead last in affordable housing. Working families deserve to live and work in the district. We need to increase inventory, work with different types of developers to improve the housing variety, and focus on redevelopment toward efficient communities while minimizing our environmental impact.

On revitalizing aging parts of the district: I would focus on redeveloping underperforming areas with more innovative and efficient mixed-use housing. These areas should be walkable and include businesses, affordable housing, child care and health-care options, workforce development centers, and transportation hubs. I would also focus on incorporating renewable energy generation/storage and efforts to increase energy efficiency.

More on his candidacy: As a PhD engineer, minority and small-business founder, I want to use my common sense and background to bring back problem-solving to our district. Also, our diverse Springfield community needs stronger representation on the board. Simple actions to address the views or concerns of our residents are ignored. We need to grow our voice for working families, labor-force protections, immigrants, the LGTBQ+ community, common-sense gun laws and effective environmental protections.

Should the county pursue zoning changes allowing for multifamily dwellings in areas now designated for single-family homes as a way to cultivate more affordable housing?

Yes: Allen, Bierman, Downing, McKay, Nowadly, Storck, Vega, Zermeño.

Should the county again pursue a meals tax as an additional source of tax revenue?

Yes: Allen, Bierman, Fiske, McKay, Vega, Zermeño.

No: Downing, Jimenez, Lee, Nowadly, Voss.

How do you plan to create more affordable housing in the county, particularly “missing middle” homes for middle-income residents?

Downing (Chair): Fairfax County consists of many neighborhoods with unique features. We are obligated to examine neighborhoods individually to determine what changes, if any, are appropriate for increasing housing in those areas. The county needs to work with developers to provide incentives for building entry-level owner-occupied dwellings. Additionally, we need to accelerate and expand the construction of 10,000 new rental housing units in Fairfax County by 2034.

McKay (Chair): The county is doing more now for affordable housing than ever. We are using every tool in our toolbox to leverage our resources to build new homes and preserve affordable units in all parts of the county. In the FY2024 budget, we are investing $175 million in affordable housing development, programs and services, and will invest more. I made the motion to double our goal to 10,000 new units by 2034. Under this board, we have 4,000 units built or on the way.

Bierman (Dranesville): While the county is making progress, we need to increase our targets for affordable housing. We must consider strengthening set-asides for affordable units and contributions to our affordable housing fund in developer proffers. Our approach must be to continue to find ways to protect and preserve existing affordable and workforce housing while still looking for strategic openings to increase our stock of housing in opportunity zones, transit corridors, activity centers and commercial areas.

Fiske (Dranesville): “Middle” properly refers to housing between single-family detached and mid-to-high-rise apartments. It is not a financial designation. In Fairfax County, this housing is not “missing.” As of 2022, at least 24 percent of units were “middle,” with more units expected. The county’s affordable housing plan incentivizes developers to include units by allowing bonus density. We should also consider a program that provides an allowance to first responders and teachers who live near their station or school.

Allen (Mason): Although I firmly believe areas that are historically single-family should be preserved, I recognize that there are certain communities where expanded housing options could be desirable. Some areas stand to benefit from increased multifamily developments, especially if those developments are coupled with mixed-use investments and improved transit. However, any zoning changes should be site-specific, not countywide, and made only after seeking the input of those site-specific communities.

Jimenez (Mason): The current board set an ambitious goal of growing the number of affordable units in the county, but we need to well exceed that number. We can do this by looking to invest in more subsidized and mixed-income units as well as bring new housing online in vacant and underutilized space, especially near mass transit and job hubs. We also have to be creative. This means building units on county land, co-locating units in county projects and examining the reuse of vacant retail properties.

Lee (Mason): Mason District has many more than 50-year-old garden-style apartment complexes. They are old and out of compliance. Police department receives calls about unhealthy living conditions from many of them. We need to meet and work with those property owners and find the highest and best use of those apartments.

Voss (Mason): It is crucial to prioritize the creation of affordable housing alongside the development of new projects. As a part of this commitment, I will collaborate closely with our revitalization groups to ensure that we implement smart mixed-use growth in our three major commercial regions. These developments will include affordable and workforce subsidized housing, thereby promoting equitable access to housing and ensuring that our county is a welcoming place for all residents.

Storck (Mount Vernon): Our district has a wide range, variety and great diversity of all types of housing, including lower-cost, substantial middle-income and some of the most expensive housing in the DMV. The smart-growth housing and community development policies that I helped initiate, plan, fund and implement in 2016 have resulted, in the past two years alone, in building or preserving more than 1,000 units of workforce and affordable homes while more than 1,000 middle-income homes were built or being constructed.

Zermeño (Mount Vernon): “Areas” rather than “lots” need to be evaluated for increases to housing unit density, and consideration must be given to the cultural and historic value of the area. Simply accommodating more high-density apartment complexes in an area already overburdened by traffic in a known bottleneck does more harm than good. Replacing low-income manufactured-home neighborhoods with high-density apartment buildings is counterproductive.

Nowadly (Springfield): We should focus not only on affordable housing, which is benchmarked to the area median income (AMI), but also on accessible workforce housing for middle-class workers who might exceed the AMI. We need to strike a balance between communities of single-family homes whose owners want to preserve such neighborhoods, while utilizing land in more urban/walkable areas to prioritize multifamily dwellings. I would also like to integrate green space, stores, sidewalks and child-care facilities in future developments.

Vega (Springfield): We need to combine other county efforts alongside housing. Combining transportation, renewable energy and workforce development into mixed-use developments allows smarter housing options with shared development costs. I want to expand the usage of public-private partnerships, correctly staff our housing/zoning offices to be part of the problem-solving process, generate comprehensive housing resources for renters/buyers, and provide more detached and multifamily options for our communities.

12. Who’s running for commonwealth’s attorney?

Sarah L. Voisin

Major endorsements: Former governor Terry McAuliffe; Reps. Gerald E. Connolly and Don Beyer; former Virginia education secretary Atif Qarni; state Sens. Jennifer Boysko, Barbara Favola and Janet Howell; Dels. Karrie Delaney, Dan Helmer, Paul Krizek and Irene Shin; Supervisors Rodney Lusk, John Foust, Walter Alcorn and James Walkinshaw; Fairfax County School Board member Laura Jane Cohen (Springfield); and Herndon Town Council members Naila Alam and Cesar del Aguila. Descano tweeted he was also <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveDescano/status/1654208739304521729" target=_blank>endorsed by singer John Legend</a>.

More on his candidacy: Descano, 42, is running for a second term as commonwealth’s attorney. Before he was elected in 2019, he was a federal prosecutor for six years with the Justice Department and general counsel for three years with Paragon Autism Services, a behavioral health nonprofit led by his mother.

As commonwealth’s attorney, Descano decided to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/cash-bail-end-prosecutor-fairfax/2020/12/21/2429124e-43b8-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_7" target=_blank>stop recommending cash bail at defendants’ bond hearings</a>. He also released a data dashboard in the fall tracking what bail recommendations his office had made to judges and the outcomes of such bond hearings. Last month, Descano sought to indict a Fairfax County police officer with manslaughter in the February killing of an unarmed Black man at Tysons Corner Center, a move that a grand jury rejected. His office confirmed last month that a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/25/special-grand-jury-tysons-police-shooting/" target=_blank>special grand jury would be impaneled</a> to probe the case, renewing the possibility that the officer could be charged in the case. Critics of Descano attempted to recall him in 2021, claiming that his moves <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/northern-virginia-prosecutor-recall/2021/08/02/06b2c808-f147-11eb-a452-4da5fe48582d_story.html" target=_blank>“flout the rule of law.”</a> Descano, who was among a group of liberal prosecutors in the recall, rejected these claims, arguing that he was making the system fairer and better-aligned with the community’s values.

If reelected, Descano said he hopes to expand his office’s data program and help his prosecutors make data-informed decisions. “I want to do four more years because you can’t fix decades worth of disparities and decades worth of injustice in three years,” he said.

Major endorsements: State Sen. Chap Petersen, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid and the Fraternal Order of Police’s Fairfax County lodge.

More on his candidacy: Nuttall, a defense lawyer at the Fairfax firm Carroll &amp; Nuttall, said he was running for top prosecutor because Descano’s measures failed to consider how the local “criminal justice system works.” Nuttall, 55, has worked as an attorney in Fairfax County for about 26 years, he said. During his career, he was a prosecutor for about three years under <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/10/29/fairfax-prosecutor-horan-dies-dc-sniper-case/" target=_blank>former commonwealth’s attorney Robert Horan</a>.

Nuttall has represented officers in more than 20 police shooting cases in Virginia, <a href="https://www.carrollnuttall.com/attorneys/edward-j-nuttall/" target=_blank>his firm’s website shows</a>. He defended Adam Torres, a Fairfax County police officer who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2016/06/24/ex-fairfax-police-officer-who-killed-john-geer-returns-to-court-friday-for-sentencing/?itid=lk_inline_manual_37" target=_blank>pleaded guilty to fatally shooting</a> an unarmed man in his doorway. Nuttall also defended Tyler Timberlake, a Fairfax County police officer who was acquitted in 2022 of charges that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/fairfax-county-officer-failed-to-turn-in-body-worn-camera-footage-of-alleged-taser-assault-on-black-man-prosecutor-says/2020/07/13/495adc0c-c517-11ea-a99f-3bbdffb1af38_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_37" target=_blank>he used excessive force on a Black man</a>.

Major endorsements: State Sen. Chap Petersen and Ed Nuttall, a primary candidate for Fairfax County commonwealth’s attorney.

More on her candidacy: Kincaid, 58, first came to the sheriff’s office in 1987 as a deputy, moving up through the ranks until she was elected sheriff in 2013. During her time as sheriff, Kincaid<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/amid-an-increase-in-deportations-under-trump-fairfax-ends-federal-agreement-to-keep-inmates-wanted-by-ice/2018/01/23/8dafacea-0087-11e8-93f5-53a3a47824e8_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_12" target=_blank> ended an agreement with federal authorities</a> that kept people who potentially faced deportation in jail beyond the end of their criminal sentences. In 2016, she helped create Diversion First, a program to steer people with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/fairfax-county-unveils-jail-diversion-program-for-mentally-ill-offenders/2016/02/11/b3b7ab6a-d0da-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html" target=_blank>mental health disorders away from jail</a> that the sheriff oversees. The effort was partly inspired by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/fairfax-jail-inmate-who-died-was-fully-restrained-when-tasered-four-times/2015/04/11/ede0957c-decd-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html" target=_blank>2015 death of a woman in a mental crisis</a> who was restrained and Tasered at the county jail. If reelected, Kincaid said, she hopes to build on the office’s reentry programs for people leaving jail, aiming to create a reentry center in Fairfax County.

In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled a transgender woman could sue the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/17/trans-jail-fourth-circuit/?itid=lk_inline_manual_7&itid=lk_inline_manual_8" target=_blank>housing her with men during her time in jail</a>. Court records show the sheriff’s office has since petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. Kincaid said she was limited in her ability to comment on the issue but added: “We treat people with dignity and respect, and we’re not there to make anybody feel less than.”

Washington Post staff

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Voting in Fairfax County's 2023 Democratic primary? Key issues on the ballot

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Lucy Naland

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