Political planner May to run for supervisor position
He was barely able to finish a sentence or two of his announcement speech before the crowd of about 175 supporters interrupted with applause.
May is seeking the seat Ruth T. Griggs, R-Occoquan, will leave open at the end of her term since she is not seeking reelection.
May’s most recent boss, U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-11th District, Fairfax County said May, 26, is up to the job on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
May became familiar with local issues after running Davis’ district office in Prince William County, a job he took in 1999 after he ran a successful campaign for Prince William Delegate Michele B. McQuigg, R-51st District.
“He knows the district. He’s seen politics firsthand at the state and federal level,” Davis said before May made his announcement.
“He’s been involved out here. He’s helped the town of Occoquan. He’s working with federal grants for the county. There’s no question he has the knowledge base,” Davis said.
In his introduction, Davis told the crowd to expect a lot of May in years to come. In fact, Davis intimated that he might have to look over his shoulder to see if May is sneaking up on him.
“I hope he’ll let me get a few more years on my pension first,” Davis said of May’s prospects for future political office.
When he could get a word in, May said if he is elected, he would concentrate on lowering taxes, advocate smart growth and promote public safety.
“First and foremost we have to continue to ease the tax burden on Prince William families by continuing to lower the tax rate … And to the extent that we must pay taxes, let’s ensure that we get the best possible services for our tax dollars,” he said.
May said lower tax rates would attract more businesses which would in turn bring more jobs to the county.
“The more we can do to attract positive economic development and high-paying jobs to the county the better,” May said. “This will allow more citizens who live here to also work here, getting people off the roads to spend more time with their loved ones.”
On public safety, May said the main thing police, fire and rescue workers need are the tools to get the job done and support from the Board of County Supervisors.
“The most important tool they will need is a Board of County Supervisors with the right vision,” he said.
Stephen R. Wassenberg, R-Occoquan, Prince William County School Board, and Corey Stewart, 2002 Occoquan District Road Committee representative are also seeking the seat Griggs will give up to attend law school.