Five Fairfax County supervisors confirm they’ll seek re-election in 2023

With the 2022 elections now in the rearview mirror, five Fairfax County supervisors have already confirmed that they will be seeking re-election in 2023.

All 10 Board of Supervisors seats will be on the ballot come Nov. 7, 2023, along with the entire school board, General Assembly members, and other local elected offices.

While individuals can’t submit paperwork to the county’s office of elections until after Jan. 1 to make their candidacy official, a number of incumbents have already confirmed their plans.

Seeking Reelection

Board Chairman Jeff McKay intends to run for reelection next year, a spokesperson told FFXnow.

“His campaign will make an announcement soon,” the spokesperson said.

First elected to the position in 2019, McKay previously represented Lee District, which is now known as Franconia District. He has been a vocal advocate for local authority, and in recent months, he has clashed with the state on abortion-related protests and policies limiting transgender student rights.

Over the summer, Rodney Lusk announced he will seek a second term in McKay’s former seat. In 2019, he became the first African American man elected to the Board of Supervisors, per his website.

He told FFXnow at the time that his second-term priorities will be similar to his first term, when he emphasized access to affordable housing, school funding, pedestrian and bicycle safety, criminal justice reform, and food insecurity.

This Saturday (Dec. 3), Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck is set to launch his own re-election campaign. He’s running for his third term on the board after first getting elected in 2015 following a stint on the Fairfax County School Board.

On his website, he highlights as achievements his work to reduce crime, the opening of a number of new county facilities in the Mount Vernon District, the continued revitalization of the Richmond Highway Corridor, and the saving of River Farm.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn told FFXnow in an email that he’s been raising campaign funds and does “intend to run for re-election in 2023,” as suggested by his newly updated campaign website.

This would be Alcorn’s second term. He was first elected in 2019 after serving on the county’s planning commission.

During his first three years in office, he has opposed development of Reston National Golf Course, supported affordable housing initiatives and, perhaps most notably, helped get the Silver Line Phase II on track to opening as the chair of the board’s transportation committee.

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw also confirmed that he will be seeking a second term next year:

Serving on the Board of Supervisors is an incredible honor. We’ve accomplished a lot in the last three years. We navigated a global pandemic, created new community-building events like our children’s concert series and Braddock Bark festival, sent hundreds of editions of our email newsletters, and helped answer questions and solve problems for thousands of constituents. I look forward to taking that record of responsive, collaborative leadership to the voters in 2023.

Stepping Down

In August, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust announced he will step down after 16 years when his term ends on Dec. 31, 2023. During his tenure, he oversaw the creation of a plan to revitalize downtown McLean and advocated for the widening of Route 7.

In a new statement to FFXnow, Foust said it was a “very difficult” decision not to seek re-election but ultimately decided this was what was best for him:

I have loved serving my community on the Board of Supervisors for the past 15 years, and I especially enjoy working with the current Chairman and Board members. I decided, however, that there were other things I want to do at this time. While I enjoy working on the very broad range of a Supervisor’s responsibilities, going forward I am looking forward to focusing my efforts more specifically on some of the causes I care about most. And I am very much looking forward to having more time for my family, friends, and travel.

As of this moment, no one has announced their candidacy for Foust’s seat.

Undeclared

Long-time Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said she will declare her intentions by the end of 2022. She’s served on the Board for 27 years, since 1995, and is now in her seventh term.

“It’s a little early for planning for 2023,” she told FFXnow. “But I anticipate making an announcement sometime in December.”

Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, and Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity all said they plan to make campaign announcements early next year.

Herrity already has a potential challenger in the Springfield District. Local tech entrepreneur Albert Vega announced in September that he will run in the Democratic primary in June 2023.