Apple from the Tree

Jack Herrity left behind a political legacy in Fairfax County. Thirty-five years later, his son Pat Herrity aims to reinforce his father’s mark as he assumes the very same seat as the Fairfax County Supervisor in the Springfield District

By Joseph Elias Hight 

Photography by Seth Freeman

“Jack Herrity has a place in Fairfax County history. He was a pivotal figure in the transition of this county … to an economic center in its own right.” 

That was Gerald E. Connolly (D) mourning the passing of John “Jack” Herrity (R) on Feb. 1, 2006.  Shortly before his death, from his hospital bed, Herrity was planning a comeback campaign to unseat Connolly for Fairfax County Board chairman in 2007.

It wasn’t meant to be. Instead, Pat Herrity, eldest son of Jack, stepped in and ran as the Republican candidate for the seat held by his father 35 years earlier. Pat won the post of Fairfax County Supervisor from the Springfield District with 59 percent of the vote. Just a year later, Pat found himself in a race for chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. After losing a close election, and in a mood of reflection, Pat Herrity agreed to answer a few questions.

On Feb. 3, you came close to winning the seat as Chairman for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the same seat held for 12 years by your father, Jack Herrity. Can you tell me a little about how you are feeling today?
Obviously I am disappointed. From the outset we were deemed to be the underdogs—unable to win in a now-“blue” Fairfax County and competing against an incumbent with 21 years on the Board of Supervisors. We outperformed expectations but in the end fell just short, by one percent in the final vote tally. There were, however, many bright spots: wins in four magisterial districts—Dranesville, Mount Vernon, Springfield and Sully; we won the absentee-ballot campaign; we had a large and energized grassroots campaign; and we ran a clean and honest campaign.

Before running for office in 2007, what did you work at, and what do you consider some of your major accomplishments up to that point?
I’ve had a very successful 20-plus-year business career as a chief financial officer at several of the county’s major government contractors—growing companies and creating jobs and opportunities. I won a CFO of the Year award for turning around a troubled company. I’ve been an active volunteer in the business community and received top leadership awards from the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and Northern Virginia Technology Committee for my leadership in transportation. Perhaps less well known is my love for sports and coaching. I’ve coached swimming, soccer, basketball, rugby and hockey. I’ve helped to establish new teams and leagues and generally just get kids active and involved in sports. One of the things I miss the most since becoming Springfield District Supervisor is having the time to coach. I do still manage to sneak in some time for it though.

The Metro rail extension to Dulles Airport is a big project for Northern Virginia. Would you explain your position on that proposal?
My position on rail was much maligned during the campaign. I did file suit against the rail project way back in 2002, but the purpose of the suit was to force the project to be competitively bid. To this day, I believe if we had competitively bid the project we could have built the tunnel and still met the federal cost standards. This is the largest public infrastructure project in Virginia’s history and to not competitively bid it makes no sense. 

The Fairfax County budget runs on a fiscal-year basis. The budget for the next fiscal year needs to be set sometime in April 2009, and the county faces a $650 million difference between revenues and projected expenses. What is your stance on county spending? What should be cut and whether there should be a tax-rate increase?
What we have in Fairfax County is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Over the last seven years the Board doubled taxes people pay as real-estate values rose. During this period they grew spending by $1 billion faster than the growth in inflation and population. They failed to set priorities, make tough spending decisions or put away for the bad times during this period. In the last two years the county has spent over $200 million to purchase apartments, grow a large government housing bureaucracy and become among the largest landlords in the county. We are subsidizing housing for those making up to $99,000 per year, and there is a proposal to build a $100 million luxurious school-administration building while many of our schools are crumbling. I plan to continue to lead the fight to get our priorities straight, get spending under control and get our citizens tax relief during these difficult economic times.

How would you assess the prospects for the Republican Party in Northern Virginia?
I like to remind people that when my father was Springfield District Supervisor he was the only Republican on the Board of Supervisors, and Fairfax County was facing troubled times. He went on to become chairman and is widely credited for making Fairfax County the economic engine it is today, working with a board that was at times a Democratic majority and at times a Republican majority. These things tend to go in cycles. Most voters in Northern Virginia are intelligent voters and tend to vote [for] the best candidate and not just the party. I think the prospects for the Republican Party in Northern Virginia are good, as today people are looking for fiscal responsibility, transparency and common-sense solutions to our problems.

Would you like to continue to follow in your father’s footsteps—to become Chairman of the Fairfax County Board Of Supervisors—and then to perhaps to go further, to fulfill goals your father failed to achieve?
Right now I am focused on representing the citizens of the Springfield District and Fairfax County on the Board of Supervisors as the Springfield District Supervisor. I am clearly leaning toward another run for chairman but will not make a final decision for another year or so. 

Your father’s first marriage ended in divorce, and he experienced serious health problems. He had a heart transplant in 1994 when he was 62 years old. What lessons can you take from your father’s career about how to balance family life, attention to personal health and dedication to a career in politics? 
My father was a public servant in the truest sense and made many sacrifices over his life for the people of Fairfax County.  He cared deeply about the county and continued to watch Board of Supervisors meetings until the day he died. I share that same passion for Fairfax County and its citizens. I have already made significant sacrifices, including largely giving up a successful business career and much of the youth sports coaching I enjoy so much. However, I have learned from him the need to focus on family and health. I reserve as much time as I can for family and keep active with swimming, rugby and ice hockey. It is a constant struggle to keep balance with so much to do on so many fronts.

Can you describe your family and introduce us to your wife and children?
My wife of 19 years, Nancy, is originally from Pittsburgh, is an avid sports fan and follows national politics. She works part time as a human-resources specialist for a local technology company, Delex Systems, Inc., where we first met 21 years ago. My son Sean, 16, is a good student and athlete. He has been skating since he was 4 and loves ice hockey, inline hockey and rugby. My daughter Valeria, 16, is also a good student and loves animals. She hopes to find a job where she can put her love for animals to good use. 

(May 2009)

Tags: Pat Herrity, Republican