On the heels of Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross’s retirement announcement, a new candidate has already stepped up in a bid to become her successor.
Democrat Andres Jimenez announced this morning that he’s running to be the next Mason District supervisor. The Falls Church resident is the executive director of the nonprofit Green 2.0 and an at-large member of the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
This comes less than 24 hours after long-time Supervisor Penny Gross publicly shared that she will not running for reelection next year, instead retiring from the Board of Supervisors when her term ends in December 2023.
In his announcement, Jimenez touts his experience as an environmental advocate. Previously, he served as the senior director of government affairs at the nonprofit Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
He says affordable housing, transportation, commercial revitalization, and climate change legislation would be his top priorities:
We’ve seen much progress but I know there is more work to do. I know the struggles that many are facing as we continue to recover from the pandemic, the fight for affordable housing and transportation solutions, and the critical decisions that must be made to combat the effects of climate change.
We must drive economic investment and revitalization toward our older commercial areas. And it’s critical that we invest in our workers, our schools and school staff, and the programs that make Fairfax County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
I’m excited for this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to meet and speak with all Mason District residents and to help lift up every voice during this campaign and beyond.
A resident of Mason District for over a decade, Jimenez has run for elected office before. In 2019, he ran for his local House of Delegates seat where he pitched himself as a champion of progressive causes. However, he lost in the Democratic primary to the incumbent Del. Kaye Kory (D-38).
Jimenez has also worked in national politics. He was a staff member in two California Congressional representative offices, plus the New York City legislative representative under former mayor Michael Bloomberg.
For 27 years, Gross has served as the Mason District Supervisor. Yesterday, though, she announced that she will retire, saying “it’s the right time” to step aside.
Jimenez thanked Gross for her years of public service in his announcement.
“I want to thank Supervisor Gross for her decades of service to our community and our workers, particularly as the leader of the Board’s Personnel Committee and former chairwoman of the Environmental Committee,” Jimenez said. “She’s been a friend and a champion for so many, and I know we all have a great deal of admiration and thanks for her lifetime of service.”
For the moment, Jimenez is the only person who has declared their candidacy for the soon-to-be vacant Mason District supervisor seat. All 10 seats on the Board of Supervisors will be on the ballot next year.
