Washington Post Endorses Jeff McKay for Fairfax Chairman
FAIRFAX COUNTY, among the nation’s best-educated, wealthiest and more diverse localities, has been well led by an array of long-tenured and moderate elected officials, most of them Democrats in recent years. Now, for the first time in decades, a vacancy for the chairmanship of the Board of Supervisors, the top job in a county of nearly 1.2 million people, has triggered a contested primary, on June 11, among four Democrats. The best by a mile is Jeff C. McKay, one of the region’s most knowledgeable, effective and experienced local leaders.
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Tough-minded, measured and strategic, Mr. McKay is respected by his colleagues on the board, deeply popular with his Lee district constituents (whom he served for more than a decade as a staffer before running for office), and in touch with his counterparts around the region and the state.
His priorities — protecting and growing Fairfax’s affordable-housing stock; revitalizing older and poorer areas, including the Route 1 corridor; and deepening the county’s commitment to minority communities and sustainable environmental programs — are broadly similar to those of his primary opponents. What’s different is his track record and broad command of local and regional issues, which testify to his ability to get things done.
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We have occasionally supported relatively inexperienced candidates for local office who have managed to master local issues and devise innovative ideas. In the Fairfax race, there is no such candidate. Mr. McKay possesses that mastery, along with sensible, progressive priorities and a proven knack for problem-solving.