McKay lauded as the most experienced candidate for Board of Supervisors chair

Jeff McKay address supporters at his campaign kickoff event.

Jeff McKay has the experience and competence it takes to be an effective chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Rep. Gerry Connolly said at McKay’s campaign kickoff event Jan. 12 in Springfield.

McKay has represented the Lee District on the board for the past 12 years.

Some of the supervisors, school board members, and state legislators at the McKay event.

“Experience in this job matters. There’s a lot at stake,” Connolly said. McKay understands the complexity of the issues the board deals with and is “the only candidate who has that experience.”

McKay faces two challengers in the Democratic primary: Ryan McElveen, an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board, and Tim Chapman, a housing developer and former chair of the Virginia Housing Development Authority. (Chapman has contributed many thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates over the years, but also donated $15,000 to far-right gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli in 2013.)

Republican Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield) still hasn’t decided yet whether to run for the position of BoS chair, he said at a meeting of the Mason District Republican Committee Jan. 12.

The current board chair, Sharon Bulova, will retire when her term is up Dec. 31. Primary elections are June 11. The general election is Nov. 5.

McKay told the audience at his campaign event – which included dozens of elected officials and candidates – that he plans to maintain the progressive vision that made Fairfax County “a beacon of hope and inclusivity for the nation.”

McKay grew up along the Route 1 corridor, as did his parents. His biggest inspiration was his grandmother, a strong advocate for equal rights and affordable housing, who told him “if you want to improve people’s lives, you have get involved in local government.”

He touted his leadership on the board’s legislative committee, where he advocated for expanding Medicaid and restrictions on firearms, and the board’s budget committee, noting that for the first time in over 20 years, the board last year fully funded the school system.

McKay vowed to ensure schools remain “Fairfax County’s number-one priority.” His agenda includes expanding prekindergarten and school safety.

He lauded the One Fairfax policy adopted by the BoS and school board, which calls for both bodies to “look at everything through an equity lens to lift up the most disadvantaged people.” Under One Fairfax, county leaders look at “what is wrong in society that we can fix systemically,” he said.

Fairfax County has a “moral responsibility to lead the commonwealth of Virginia on environmental issues,” he said, which includes being a leader in attaining zero-carbon emissions and removing the restraints that prevent solar installations on schools and county buildings.

Other items on McKay’s agenda include working with nonprofits to develop more affordable housing, support for mental health counseling, and standing up for county employees when their  benefits and pay are threatened.