Terrence Modglin runs for Mason Supervisor
Andres Jimenez, the Democratic candidate running for Mason District supervisor, has an opponent for the Nov. 7 election. It’s not a Republican, though, it’s Terrence Modglin, running as an independent.
At a recent meeting hosted by the Lafayette Village Community Association, Modglin described himself as “fiscally conservative and socially responsible.”
Modglin was an Army officer in Vietnam, worked on Capitol Hill as staff director of the House Panama Canal Subcommittee, and held leadership positions at organizations focusing on crime prevention and youth development. He also served on the board of directors at Woodlake Towers condominium in Seven Corners.
Jimenez, also a resident of Seven Corners, serves on the Fairfax County Planning Commission and as the director of an environmental organization.
Jimenez’s campaign has raised over $197,000 as of Aug. 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, compared to $644 for Modglin.
This is not Modglin’s first run for political office.
He ran for the House of Delegates in 2021, 2019, and 2013, losing all three times to Del. Alfonso Lopez (D). The best performance of his political career came in 2015 against state Sen. Dick Saslaw when he got 24.4 percent of the vote, compared to Saslaw’s 75.6 percent.
Related story: Andres Jimenez is reaching out to Mason residents to hear their concerns
One of Modglin’s top priorities is working with the police to “curb violent, drug-driven and quality-of-life crime.” He would accomplish that by promoting positive youth development and taking a hard line against shoplifting and drug crimes.
He would stop the opioid epidemic through “extensive public education, more enforcement and apprehension of drug dealers, and stiffer sentences for drug crimes.” Modglin acknowledges having a drug problem while serving in Vietnam, “so I’m sensitive to that issue.”
Modglin supports expanding Metrorail by pushing for the creation of a new route through Mason District and south Arlington.
To improve the environment, he would strengthen recycling and limit or ban the use of plastic bags, plastic straws, and other non-biodegradable items.
Modglin says he would start a neighborhood empowerment grant program to help residents improve their communities.
His proposals for education include expanding parent input in the curriculum, increasing the number of school resource officers, and switching sex education classes to an opt-in, rather than an opt-out process.
He says, “The success of a local jurisdiction is based on two foundations: safety for its citizens and the quality of education.”
Being “tough on crime” doesn’t do anything when Descano won’t prosecute. So that is just fodder to me.
“Parent input in the curriculum”? No thanks, the parents rights group is an uneducated, right wing cult. I prefer professionals build curriculum.
“Expanding metro rail” is an absolute pipe dream and more fodder. It has been extensively reviewed as cost prohibitive and WMATA is not interested.
This guy has no platform
‘ the parents rights group is an uneducated, right wing cult’ Must be awesome to be so much smarter than the idiots who are interested in what their children learn in school and want to have a say in it. By all means, let’s just rely on a totally left wing group of professionals do it all.
Not sure if you’re one of the cultists trying to sound reasonable or genuinely uninformed of the “parents rights” movement that pushed to have slavery removed from US history curriculum in Florida under the boogeyman of CRT
Parents rights groups are everywhere and have our kids’ best interests at heart. If you believe in freedom, you believe in parents rights. If you believe in socialism, you entrust your kids to government schools and government employees.
If the parents rights group had their way and the curriculum changed somewhat, their kids would still be in government schools taught by government employees, no? So based off your comment, it’s still socialism.
I would never send my kids to government schools, correct.
That’s certainly your right.
Can we stop with the childish, you must be on one side or the other arguments? So if you don’t believe the current movement for “parental rights” is really what they say they are, you not for freedom? It’s so pathetic, do better and stop being so dramatic. Most folks who support something still question parts of it, that’s normal.
Carson, I admire your rejection of socialism as it means you’ll also be refusing your Social Security and Medicare benefits to say nothing of rejecting both police and fire protection.
Ehm, no, I am not a cultist. I sound reasonable because I am reasonable. The majority of Virginians who voted for a governor who supports parents having a voice in their child’s education are also reasonable people, not ‘cultists.’ And believe it or not, many of us are educated!
It’s giving cult. No, you and those people are not reasonable. Since the current administration has come into power, the only thing those parents have done is ban books to erase LGBT stories, POC perspectives, domestic violence accounts, and white wash history
Dan, I had a say in FCPS while my kids attended them. We called it a “school board” and we elected them on a regular basis. When did Fairfax County get rid if their elected school board?!?
When did the FCPC school board matter? It has been a rubberized stamp for far too long. It would be better to merge its authority and powers with the Board of Supervisors who already control the money.
In the USA, the proper way to remove elected officials with whom you disagree is to vote them out. Your solution smacks of totalitarianism.
No it’s effective and efficient. The school board is a wast of tax dollars. In many locations the county council is also the school board.
JTR, FCPS is the largest school district in the State, and the tenth in the entire nation. Do you really believe that it should or could be tidily scooped up and run by the BoS?
How quaint.
Glad that Penny is going and that there will be more than one candidate to choose from. Jimenez won the primary with roughly a third of the vote so he is not the overwhelming choice of Mason voters.
Don’t fool yourself. Jimenez’s campaign has raised over $197,000 compared to $644 for Modglin. I just want to know how many of Penny’s donors are now Jimenez’s donors now. Money is speach – it’s how you get your name and message out. It’s how you organize and mobilize supporters to vote.
In talking with Terrence Modglin, I get the impression that he supports residents and communities. He seems to be a straight talker who doesn’t follow a party agenda, but wants to solve problems.
Mr Moglin has run for office before and has always lost in those races. He has never had support from many resident groups nor financial support other than his own. He seems to be looking for an audience for his message but may not be interested in governing just running. Not sure he is ready to do the job.
Terry would do an excellent job. He is really concerned about the community.
Sounds like a person who cares about the people who live in this community. If he could do 1% of his platform it would be a vast improvement over the present conditions. Some basic housing code enforcement would be a miracle around here. There’s an unregistered car parked on our block for 3 years… multiple complaints to vdot and police – zero action. White vans parked on the grass for months, uncut grass… Just some basic enforcement would improve the community a lot.
I would be interested in hearing his thoughts on housing and allowing more multi-family units.
As would I.
I wish Jimenez would be more YIMBY but his credentials are much better than a independent who is pushing for hard policy against drugs and fiscally conservative
Where’s Waldo is unlikely to show up for work given his track record. This guy sounds like he will. He’s got my vote. I’ve had enough of the do nothing crowd.