correction
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that a federal appeals court had ruled the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled a transgender woman could sue the office over that allegation and that gender dysphoria was covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act. The story also incorrectly reported that Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid worked as a deputy in the office for 35 years before becoming sheriff. She has worked in the office as a deputy and as the sheriff for 35 years. This version has been corrected.
A former D.C. police officer and law clerk announced this week he will run against the incumbent sheriff in Fairfax County.
Kelvin Garcia, a Democrat, announced Wednesday his primary campaign against Stacey Ann Kincaid (D), who was elected sheriff in 2013. Garcia said before becoming a law clerk at the Virginia law firm Liberty Legal, he had been an officer with the D.C. Police Department between 2008 and 2019. He also is a freshman football and basketball coach at Herndon High School, he said. Garcia said he launched his campaign over concerns about Kincaid’s management of the county’s adult detention center, which the sheriff oversees.
“Just because someone has been running an organization for 10 years doesn’t mean they have been running it well,” Garcia said of his opponent.
As part of his campaign, Garcia said he would make incarcerated people’s first 30 minutes of calls to family members free. He also said he would house transgender and other gender-nonconforming people in units based on their identities rather than sex, which diverges from the jail’s current policy. In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled a transgender woman could sue the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by housing her with men during her time in jail. Court records show the sheriff’s office has since petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.
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“To me, there are two sides right now to the Democratic Party on the ballot this year,” Garcia said of the sheriff’s election. “There’s the old-world moderate and the progressive who wants to build a future for everyone.”
Kincaid, who confirmed she is seeking reelection, was the first woman to become the county’s sheriff. She has worked in the department for about 35 years. During her time as sheriff, Kincaid ended an agreement with federal authorities that kept people potentially facing deportation in jail beyond the end of their criminal sentences. A campaign manager for Ed Nuttall, who is running in the Democratic primary race for Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, said Nuttall endorsed her candidacy. Kincaid declined to comment on Garcia’s campaign.
In neighboring Loudoun County, Sheriff Mike Chapman (R) is facing a challenge from Democrat Craig Buckley, who recently stepped down as the Town of Louisa police chief, according to the Central Virginian. In Arlington, Beth Arthur (D) stepped down as sheriff in January after serving for over two decades in the role. Arthur’s replacement, Sheriff Jose Quiroz, is running to keep the position in a Democratic primary race against James Herring, an Arlington County police officer, and Wanda Younger, a retired lieutenant who worked in the sheriff’s office for more than 30 years.
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