Supervisor Frey Announces Retirement from Sully District Position

Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey, a Republican, announced his retirement from his position on Tuesday in a letter to constituents on his Facebook page. The Sully District includes Centreville, Chantilly, and portions of Clifton and Oakton.

Frey, a 24-year veteran of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has represented the Sully district since its creation in 1990. In that time he played an instrumental role in shaping Fairfax County’s growth, and has seen many successes including:

• bringing the World Police and Fire Games to Fairfax County
• progress on Route 28 including a new interchange with I-66
• bringing the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum to the Sully district

The following is the letter posted by Frey to his Facebook page:

For the past 24 years I have had the honor and privilege of representing the Sully District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. During that time we have grown and developed into one of the most amazing places to live, work and raise a family not just in Northern Virginia but the entire country. We have an active and engaged community of citizens who work cooperatively to make this an even better place. We have outstanding schools, active recreation and passive open space parkland, and a solid economic base providing job opportunities for our residents. And we have safe, beautiful neighborhoods that provide housing for our residents. It is truly a wonderful place to live. To have had some small part in this evolution is something that I am proud of.

As with all things, however, there comes a time when change is appropriate. I believe that time has come for me, and I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to a seventh term. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of Sully District and Fairfax County, and I want to thank all those I have worked with and who have contributed their time and energy to our community. It has been a truly wonderful 24 years.

Michael

Republicans appear eager to hang onto the district with a candidate throwing his hat in the ring almost immediately.

Brian Schoeneman, a resident of Centreville, has announced his candidacy for the seat, which will become open at the end of Frey’s term in December.

“Having spent the last two years supervising elections in Fairfax County, I realized that I could
better serve my community by putting my name on a ballot, rather than continue counting them,” Schoeneman said Tuesday in a news release. He resigned from the electoral board effective Jan. 23.

“I look forward to working hard, earning the Republican nomination and running a successful campaign through November,” he said.

Schoeneman, a Republican, has served over the last two years as vice chairman and later as secretary of the Fairfax County Electoral Board. In 2011, he ran for Virginia House of Delegates against Del. David Bulova (D-37th) in a district that included portions of Sully. He also serves on the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission, and was a member of the Bi-Partisan Election Process Improvement Commission established by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors following the 2012 presidential election.

Schoeneman sent a letter Wednesday to Fairfax County Republican officials outlining more about his candidacy.