On January 13, 2026, City of Fairfax Mayor the Honorable Catherine S. Read announced from the dais that she will not be seeking a third term.
“As I prepare to leave this seat for someone else, I am committing myself to being an agent of change in improving our system of governance. I was active in city affairs long before becoming mayor, and I will continue to speak up when I am no longer in elected office,” shared Mayor Read on Linkedin in January 2026. “I am deeply committed to supporting those who step forward to serve our democratic institutions at the local, state, and federal levels. Now more than ever, defending our country’s founding principles requires engagement and effort beyond what many of us have been asked to give before.”
Catherine S. Read was first elected Mayor of the City of Fairfax in November 2022. She was sworn in on January 1, 2023, becoming the first woman mayor in the city’s history. She was subsequently reelected in 2024. Her election marked both a personal achievement and a symbolic step forward for women in public leadership across Northern Virginia. A reflection on her career tells the story of a woman who worked tirelessly for her neighbors and her values.
Read first arrived in Fairfax in 1981 as a student at George Mason University, where she studied government and politics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1984 and later became deeply involved in community advocacy according to a story published in George Mason University News.
Over the years, Read built a career centered on nonprofit leadership and legislative advocacy. Her work included efforts on the Virginia Values Act, which expanded anti-discrimination protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations, the abolition of the death penalty in Virginia, and protections for public breastfeeding.
She also founded – Read. Think. Act. – a consulting business focused on digital communications and messaging for nonprofits and advocacy organizations, reflecting a career that blended activism, entrepreneurship, and public engagement.
Her priorities as mayor have included housing affordability, transportation improvements, environmental initiatives, and economic developments for local businesses. She has also emphasized collaboration with regional partners such as George Mason University.
Read’s leadership as Mayor focused on three key areas: affordable housing, multimodal transportation, and environmental sustainability. Her Affordable Housing Strategic Plan aimed to increase and preserve affordable units, partnering with TPMA for data-driven policies and supporting diverse housing types. In transportation, she advocated for state investment in transit, roadway improvements, and pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure, prioritizing projects that enhance everyday mobility and accessibility. Additionally, Read balanced development with environmental protection, notably through updating the tree ordinance and developing the Urban Forest Master Plan to preserve the city’s tree canopy.
Beyond policy initiatives, Read’s mayoralty carries symbolic importance for women in politics. During the city’s Women’s History Month celebration, she noted that progress in representation has come gradually and only through the efforts of generations of women. The current City Council is notable as the first majority-woman council in the city’s history, illustrating how far women have progressed in Fairfax.
Read’s election came at a time when women representation in Virginia politics was rising significantly. Over the past decade, the number of women serving in the Virginia General Assembly has grown drastically. The current session of the Virginia General Assembly includes 56 women, making up 40% of all seats, including a record 42 women in the House of Delegates.
Read has championed making a more participatory local government. During her mayoral term, the city’s local elections moved from the middle of the year to November to coincide with the general elections. The mayor has also campaigned for ranked-choice voting and staggered elections to strengthen democracy and stability in governance.
Read remains active not only within Fairfax City but also across the broader region. In addition to her mayoral duties, she serves on the advisory board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center and continues her involvement with the community and policy initiatives.
For the City of Fairfax, the story of Catherine Read is both a remarkable personal journey and a civic milestone – one that connects the city’s past with a more inclusive future for its leadership.
[Editor’s note: Mayor Read declined an in-depth interview with The Fairfax Independent. In honor of her legacy and to cap our coverage of this year’s Women’s History Month, readers can find an in-depth interview conducted by the Schar School of Policy and Government – Running A Municipal Government with Hon. Catherine Read, published on March 4, 2026, on the following GMU website.]
