Actor and activist Jane Fonda weighs in on Mason District supervisor race

One candidate in the crowded primary contest for Mason District supervisor has snagged the support of one of Hollywood’s most high-profile and persistent activists.

Actor Jane Fonda, who’s known as much for her environmental and anti-Vietnam War protests as her work in classic movies like “Klute” and “9 to 5,” has endorsed Fairfax County Planning Commissioner Andres Jimenez through her climate-focused political action committee.

In her announcement yesterday (Thursday), Fonda highlights Jimenez’s past work as a director of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonprofit advocacy organization, and as head of Green 2.0, a campaign to ensure people of color are represented in environmental groups.

“He has worked tirelessly to educate the public about the devastating impact of climate change,” Fonda said. “When elected, he will bring this experience to Fairfax County, where he will fight to increase solar tree canopies and [electric vehicle] charging platforms, moving the large region away from reliance on fossil fuels. I am proud to endorse him.”

Please join us in supporting @andresforchange for Fairfax County Mason District Supervisor!

Make a plan to vote if you’re eligible, and please support the campaign & the @JaneFonda Climate PAC today at https://t.co/JTHdRTvzeH pic.twitter.com/IUwnbj0KlM

— Jane Fonda Climate PAC (@janeclimatepac) May 25, 2023

Jimenez is vying against three other candidates for the Democratic nomination to succeed longtime Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, who will retire at the end of this year.

Also campaigning are Jeremy Allen, a constituent services staffer for Rep. Don Beyer; restauranteur and Korean Community Center Director Steve Lee; and Reid Voss, a real estate agent and member of the Lake Barcroft Association board.

While Jimenez might’ve scored the splashiest endorsement in the race, he’s only second when it comes to fundraising, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Voss led the pack with $83,148 raised, as of March 31, the end of the first quarter for campaign finance reporting.

Fonda isn’t the only celebrity to weigh in on this year’s local elections. Singer John Legend, who will perform at Wolf Trap National Park on June 2 and 3, recorded a robocall earlier this month endorsing incumbent Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.

Descano is locked in a heated primary battle with former prosecutor-turned-defense-attorney Ed Nuttall, whose supporters include Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid and State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34).

Legend said Descano “has enacted smarter pretrial detention and several diversion policies to improve community safety.” The “Glory” Oscar winner has also endorsed Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who was elected in 2019 on similar promises of criminal justice reform.

The Democratic primary will be held on June 20, though early voting has been underway since May 5. Other races on the ballet include Board of Supervisors chair, sheriff, Mount Vernon, Dranesville and Springfield district supervisors, and several General Assembly seats.