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I am running for Mayor because I love this city and care deeply about its future. Fairfax has tremendous opportunities to remain a great place to live and become even better. But that will depend on important decisions and collaboration over the next few years among our community, the City, the City Council, and our many private and community partners. I believe Fairfax needs a Mayor who is experienced, skilled, patient and trusted to help people with different perspectives work together to achieve what is best for our city. Serving as a City Council member has taught me that there is no substitute for experience as an elected official. The decisions become very real. People depend on you—their safety, finances, neighborhoods, children and future. I have cast more than 200 votes affecting our residents, including many difficult ones, and I understand both the responsibility Council members carry and the support a Mayor can provide through active facilitation and collaboration. I also bring 44 years of experience across government, business, nonprofit leadership and higher education, including work at the White House, U.S. Senate and EPA. Much of my career has involved helping diverse people and organizations work through difficult public decisions. Through my service on eight regional boards and commissions, I also understand that Fairfax is part of a larger regional community requiring strong coordination and collaboration.

My name is Kirsten Lockhart and I’m running for mayor of the City of Fairfax. I am currently the Vice Chair of the City’s Planning Commission, on which I have served for more than five years. Professionally, I have worked in management and strategy consulting for more than twenty years, predominately in federal and defense markets in the DC metropolitan area. I have lived in the City of Fairfax with my husband and two children since 2017, although I actually grew up just over the city-county line. Understanding that readers of the Independent obviously care deeply about development and environmental issues in the City, I’d like to take this opportunity to share my Planning Commission voting record on those items, as well as my other policy positions, all of which can be reviewed here: www.lockhartforfairfax.com/blog. Thank you for your consideration – I look forward to earning your vote, and to representing the best interests of all City of Fairfax residents going forward.

On August 31,2026, The Independent News Press invited the City of Fairfax Mayoral and City Council Candidates Questionnaire to participate in our very first questionnaire. This questionnaire was designed to give City of Fairfax voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates seeking to lead their City on matters of public affairs.

Beginning July 1, a typical Dominion residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month saw bills increase by about $8 because of higher fuel costs. Combined with an earlier approved base-rate increase of $8.51 per month, average monthly bills are expected to rise by nearly $19, or about 14%, in 2026.

This year the Democratic Party of VA told county and city party committees they couldn’t endorse candidates without a primary. The City of Fairfax dem committee decided to “recommend” instead. The practical difference is probably nothing, but there are some key points to note. The city dem committee had a questionnaire on their website for individuals interested in party endorsement or support, and a handful of candidates responded to that questionnaire: Anthony Amos, Sandra Slappey Brown, Maria Padmore, and Kelly O’Brien. They all ended up on the recommendation list - along with Kirsten Lockhart. Everyone who asked for endorsement or recommendation from the city dem committee received it. The endorsement committee for the city dems is tiny (4 people including the chair & chair’s husband).

Fairfax, VA - When Virginians head to the polls this November, they will vote not only for candidates seeking federal, state, and local office, but also on three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. The measures address reproductive freedom, marriage rights, and voting rights for individuals with felony convictions.

Former State Senator Janet Howell was a force to be reckoned with. For 32 years in the Virginia Senate, the Reston Democrat fought against injustice, championed Northern Virginia and helped shape policies affecting residents across the Commonwealth

City of Fairfax, VA - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), in partnership with Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED), hosted a one-of-a-kind Reverse Pitch Day focused on sensors and autonomy technologies on June 26, 2026, at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center.

Backyard vegetable gardening is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to turn unused outdoor space into something productive, living, and deeply grounding. What begins as a few seeds in soil often becomes a long-term relationship with weather, patience, and the subtle rhythms of nature.

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CITY OF FAIRFAX, VA - The City of Fairfax is considering a resolution to request a Fairfax Circuit Court order for a special election on a 1% retail sales tax increase. Revenue would be dedicated exclusively to public school capital projects, such as school construction, facility expansions, and infrastructure upgrades.

To start, don’t change the City Charter. The Mayor-Council form of government has proven to be an effective way of balancing the needs of the community with strong leadership, when needed, from the Mayor’s chair. Unfortunately, we have already seen unfiltered partisanship and a shift from May to November elections, making City elections less about the issues and more about a party. And that’s really sad. We shouldn’t be voting based on the color of a sample ballot. Modifying the Charter, as some have suggested, will only make the situation worse.