Vote for one. Three candidates appear on the ballot in the order they appear here. Candidates were asked for a brief bio and to tell us about one voter who tried to find common ground with them regardless of their political party whose questions spurred them to action, with a tight word limit. 

Envisioned and compiled by Mercia Hobson. 

For information on how and where to vote, see https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/ 

More than 8,000 Fairfax County voters have already voted as of Oct. 10. 

Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid

Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid (D) is a 36-year veteran of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office and the first woman to lead the agency in its 281-year history. She serves over 1.1 million residents in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the Towns of Herndon and Vienna.

Kincaid received her bachelor’s degree in political science/criminal justice from Frostburg State University in 1987. Starting as a sheriff’s deputy right after college, she worked her way up to the rank of captain before being elected Sheriff in 2013.

One of her top priorities continues to be changing the way our criminal justice and behavioral health systems interact, resulting in better outcomes for individuals and a safer and healthier community for all. She helped spearhead Diversion First, the county’s collaborative initiative that offers alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and/or developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offenses.

In the Adult Detention Center, she has expanded opportunities for education, life skills programs, job training, mental health services, substance abuse treatment and re-entry initiatives to help inmates better themselves while incarcerated and increase their chances of becoming productive community members upon release from the ADC.

Within the Sheriff’s Office, Kincaid has created a culture of engagement. She and her staff meet people in their neighborhoods, clubs, schools, businesses, and places of worship. She listens to their concerns and finds solutions to improve the administration and operation of the Sheriff's Office.

Response: When I was first approached about starting a Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) program in the Adult Detention Center (ADC), it was controversial. Many in law enforcement felt MAT “provided addicts with drugs." The person I was talking to was well-versed in opioid use disorder, and I had witnessed the awful effects of opioid withdrawal from my days as a deputy in the ADC.

I discussed and researched the idea further. I learned that beyond the inhumane effects of withdrawal, those leaving incarceration with opioid use disorder are much more likely to overdose within the first two weeks of their release. A well-run MAT program would reduce the impact of withdrawal and drastically reduce the chances of overdosing upon release. 

Armed with my research, I embarked on starting a MAT program at the ADC. But this program was going to go the extra mile. So, we have incorporated not just medication into the ADC but also utilized our expansive reentry services and peer support specialist to connect individuals with harm reduction tools and continued treatment once they leave the ADC. We now have one of the most robust and holistic MAT programs in the country.

 kincaidforsheriff@gmail.com staceykincaid.com

Jerry L. McMillian (I)

Jerry L. McMillian (I), 72, candidate for Sheriff, has over 17 years of experience and says he is the first Black candidate for Sheriff in Fairfax County. 

As a former Reserve Deputy Sheriff, I can bring a unique and valuable perspective to the Sheriff's Office and the communities the Sheriff's Office represents. Furthermore, I utilize a calculated and methodical approach to problem-solving.

I have a vast range of experience with the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office as a former Reserve Deputy Sheriff and maintaining community relationships through volunteerism.

Education and training

Bachelor of Science in Business Management and graduated from Fairfax County, Virginia Criminal Justice Academy

Northern Virginia Community College Law courses

• Gibbs College Criminal Justice courses
• Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, Interaction Sensitivity Training
• Certified in Mental Health, National Council for Behavioral Health
• Retired
• Retired from Fairfax County Government, Code Enforcement Branch
• Volunteer law enforcement
• Former Reserve Deputy Sheriff, Fairfax County, over 17 years of volunteerism
• Former President Plain-clothed Security Volunteer
• Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Income Tax Service LLC

Fairfaxcountyfirstblackcandidateforsheriff.com fairfaxsheriff2023@gmail.com

Christopher F. DeCarlo (I)

Christopher F. DeCarlo (I) 64, candidate for Sheriff, studied electrical engineering at Georgia Tech and political science and criminology at George Mason University. He is an inventor, president of DeCarlo Enterprises, Inc., the author of the teen handbook “What Now? An Uncensored Guide to School and Life,” and father of five children ages 17 to 25.

Response: I have common ground with all voters whose concern is the corrupted governance that occurs from campaign contributions because the funding competes with our constitutionally vested power that originates with citizenship.

My theory is that all campaign contributions are unconstitutional, as provided in the Virginia Constitution, Article I. Bill of Rights Section 2. People the source of power (as authored by George Mason, 1776): That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people,... This clause is known very simply as the Popular Sovereignty Clause; I believe there’s a lot more to it.

To me, it means that the vested special power from citizenship that flows through the derivation in the three steps of voting, electing, and swearing-in is the only power that elected officers can constitutionally and, therefore, legally accept.

Acceptance of money, or anything other than that which is derived from the people, the source of power clause, is a violation of the Oath of Office because, via their oath, they are restricted to only the “all” power vested with citizenship.

The Office of Sheriff has the statutory authority to protect the Constitution and the rights it guarantees, even against the sophisticated and powerful Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) that deal in entrusted power and controversy. But sheriffs and commonwealth’s attorneys are reluctant to exercise their authority against it because they are in debt to whichever party and moneyed interests sponsored their candidacies. As sheriff, I will strive to see that all of your constitutionally guaranteed vested and derived power is preserved and not diluted under the color of law.

George was very concerned about the inevitability of political corruption, and, for the society of 1776, this interpretation was probably his intended mechanism to prevent it. Serendipitously, the clause originated from the 24 Fairfax County Resolves, endorsed at the Fairfax Courthouse, Alexandria, July 1774, also written by George. 

Copyright © 2023 Christopher DeCarlo, All Rights Reserved, Reprinted with permission.

 cdecarlo@fairfaxpropane.com www.honestyandethics.com