Billy Bates Seeking Re-Election To Fairfax City Council: Profile

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — While most of the attention this political season has been on the presidential race, Fairfax City residents will not only be voting for candidates running in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives (11th District) races, they will also be casting ballots for mayor, city council and school board candidates.

Incumbent Fairfax City Councilmember Billy Bates is a full-time student and on the Nov. 5 ballot running for one of the six open seats on the council. He is facing fellow incumbents Kate Doyle Feingold and Jeff Greenfield, as well as newcomers Anthony Amos, Amini Elizabeth Bonane, Taylor A. Geaghan , Stacy Hall, Stacey Hardy-Chandler, Rachel McQuillen, Tom Peterson and Jack Ryan.

As part of its coverage of the 2024 election, Patch has asked each of the candidates in the Fairfax City Council race to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

Early voting for the Nov. 5 election begins on Sept 20. More information about the election is available on Fairfax City's Voter Registration & Elections page. Non-city voters can visit the Fairfax County Office of Elections or the Virginia Department of Elections for more information.

Your Name

Billy Bates

Position sought

City Council

Age (as of Election Day)

21

Campaign Website

batesforfairfax.com

City elections are traditionally non-partisan and candidates must run as independents, according to both the city charter and the Code of Virginia. No party affiliation or "mark" will appear next to any of the candidates' names on the Nov. 5 ballot. Have you been endorsed by a recognized political party or have you aligned yourself with a group of candidates representing themselves as independent, non-partisan candidates, including candidates running in other city races? Please check the answer that is most appropriate.

Please elaborate on your answer to the previous question and explain how this will affect the way you will serve on the school board.

We are mandated by Virginia law to be elected on a nonpartisan ballot, as are all other local governing bodies in Virginia such as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (some of those calling for no party involvement in city races somehow do not seem to have any issue with backing a certain Republican Party-endorsed county Supervisor, or with backing City Council candidates who have supported or been supported by him), and party endorsements do not change or conflict with that rule. I am running with the endorsement of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee, a highly committed, civically engaged group of city residents I've been involved with since well before I knew I was going to run for office. Given my years of experience volunteering for Democratic campaigns and affiliated groups, applying for their endorsement was clearly the most honest decision I could have made, and I did not feel right about hiding my values since even indicating alignment with the values of a certain party without officially being endorsed could still make me a partisan candidate. That being said, there have been times when I have differed from my colleagues who ran with the Democratic endorsement. I have Republican and independent friends and family, and have also volunteered for nonpartisan/bipartisan advocacy groups such as OneVirginia2021. Having this endorsement has not and will not affect my decisions on the City Council in any way. I can say with absolute confidence that I have always and will always do what I believe is right.

How does your status as described in the two previous questions help Fairfax City voters choose a candidate that aligns with their particular political beliefs?

I believe in leaving it up to the voters to decide whether or not to consider party endorsements/involvement when choosing candidates to support, but it is important that they have access to that information should they want to consider it. The Democratic endorsement within itself allows voters to infer how we'd most likely vote on certain issues. However, my hope is that it will encourage them to read up on our positions and records to see why we have the endorsement. The other endorsed candidates would have my full and enthusiastic support regardless of the endorsement, and there are comprehensive sets of policy positions on my website and on our joint webpage for voters to explore. In the words of Yale Law professor David Schleicher, "In cities with partisan elections, individual competitive seats are rarer than at the national level and there is almost never competition for partisan control of councils. Nonpartisan city council elections are even worse, with virtually undefeatable incumbents and no policy competition of any kind." It has always been my desire to buck that trend.

Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share about your family.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you are a candidate in.

No.

Education

Fairfax High School, Advanced Diploma, graduated 2021; George Mason University, Computational Physics B.S., graduated 2024; George Mason University, Applied and Engineering Physics M.S., expected completion 2025

Occupation - Please include years of experience.

Full-time college student, 3 years; graduate teaching assistant, 2 weeks

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office

City Council

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for reelection to the City Council to serve my hometown and preserve the progress we have made over the past 2 years toward lifting up our most vulnerable and making Fairfax an even more vibrant and livable place to call home.

The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing voters is development, and I intend to continue carefully evaluating each development project the Council must vote on in terms of its impact on efficiency of land use, market-rate as well as affordable housing, green space, tree canopy, retail stock, multimodal connections, stormwater and runoff, vibrancy, and traffic.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a lifelong resident of Fairfax City, and my father has lived in the city for almost his entire life as well. I have a unique background as a master's student in physics, having served as a research intern with the Georgia Tech Research Institute from May 28th to August 3rd of this year. I prioritize openness and honesty with constituents, whether with regard to my background and values or my positions and rationale on the dais.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

A few of the focuses of my campaign include more efficient development, common sense gun restrictions at public parks, facilities, and events, supporting our first responders and their relationship with the community, increasing opportunities for walking, biking, and using public transit, and investing in renewable energy.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am currently serving my first term on the City Council and have carefully researched and considered every decision I've made during my tenure. I have also earned a bachelor's degree, pursued a master's degree, and gained research internship experience in the field of physics, which has contributed to my mindset, perspective, and work ethic while serving.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

To focus on the journey rather than on the goal. I'm slowly starting to get the hang of that.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I wholeheartedly believe in my platform and in the decisions I've made on the Council. While there are certainly issues we don't all agree on, I always do my best to consider input from residents as well as new perspectives I hadn't thought about, and sometimes I handle things differently than I would have if I hadn't done so. However, I never consider the optics or electoral repercussions of a certain vote over the substance, morality, and tangible impacts of it. I also do not view the issues we face through a chiefly political lens to justify or support one ideology or another. Instead, I consider each decision in its own right and do my best to discern the most morally and pragmatically sound course of action.

Also See...

• Early Voting Begins For 2024 Election: What's On Fairfax City Ballots
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• Poll Fuels Debate Over Partisan Vs. Nonpartisan Elections In Fairfax
• Fairfax City Democrats Endorse 4 Candidates In 2024 Election
• Former Fairfax City Senator's PAC Backs Independent, Nonpartisan Group