Ken Reid Running For Virginia Senate In New 37th District: Profile

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Republican Ken Reid is a 65-year-old editor, publisher, small business owner, and journalist. He's also a candidate running for the 37th District seat in the Virginia Senate.

Reid is running against Democrat Saddam Salim, who defeated incumbent Chap Petersen in the June 20 primary. Before redistricting, Petersen represented the old 34th District during the 2023 legislative session.

Election Day is Nov. 7 in Fairfax County, where registered voters will be casting ballots for candidates running for open seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board races. In Fairfax County, candidates are running to be chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sheriff, commonwealth's attorney, and clerk of the court, as well as directors of the Soil and Water Conversation District. Voters will also be choosing who will represent them in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.

Related: Saddam Salim Running For Virginia Senate In New 37th District: Profile

The first absentee ballots for the General Election will be mailed on Friday, Sept. 22, which is also when early voting begins. Early voting will continue through Nov. 4, which is three days before Election Day. More information about about how to register to vote, vote early, request an absentee ballot and find your polling place in Fairfax City, Falls Church and Fairfax County is available online.

Patch invited each of the candidates running in the 11th District race to fill out a questionnaire about their campaigns. Patch does not edit the responses of candidates to its election questionnaire. The following are Reid's responses.

Name

Ken Reid

Position sought

State Senate District 37

Age (at the time of election)

65

Campaign Website

www.kenreid.org

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

M.A. Missouri School of Journalism; B.A. Rutgers

Occupation - Please include years of experience

Editor & Publisher, small business owner and journalist (43 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Leesburg Town Council, 2006 to 2011 and then 2017; Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, 2012 to 2015; current member of the Fairfax County Landlord-Tenant Commission and have served on numerous regional boards and commissions including the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Northern Virginia Transportation Commission

Why are you seeking elective office?

While in control of the General Assembly and Governor's mansion, 2020 to 2021, the Democrat majority enacted in the name of "police reform" a number of bad measures that have led to a crime wave, such as allowing someone to shoplift up to $950 in merchandise before they can be charged with a felony and barring principals from reporting crimes by students. They put shackles on the police — so much so, that despite giving cops collective bargaining rights, we have serious police staffing shortages in Fairfax and other counties. Democrats also have presided over a serious decline in student performance due to supporting keeping schools closed and masking, despite evidence children were of little threat of getting COVID or transmitting it. I am running to undo these very bad reforms and stand up for parent involvement in the schools, opposing anti-Asian student discrimination and focusing on helping kids succeed — not just lowering SOL standards (which by the way, did nothing). Fairfax and Loudoun have among the worst school boards in the country and they all must be replaced Nov. 7. In addition, a number of transportation projects are NOT proceeding — i.e., widening 95 to Richmond and I-81; and getting interchanges on the Fairfax County Parkway to reduce crashes, which are many. VDOT's decision to go with HOV 3 on I-66 inside and outside the Beltway was egregious and should be reformed — like giving a rebate to frequent single occupancy drivers who use the toll lanes, or going back to HOV 2.

Democrats also enacted a lot of nuisance taxes on grocery bags and higher utility bills via the Virginia Clean Economy Act -- which is NOT moving us away from fossil fuels, only requiring us to pay more. Gas prices, rents, mortgages are killing the middle class and working class, along with high tolls. IF we do not tackle these issues, and if voters are going to put national political party preferences over state and local problems, Virginia will become a failing state like New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois with business and residents fleeing, or where only the very rich can live and the very poor who will seek handouts from politicians to get their votes. I don't believe most Fairfax County residents want to live in a state like that so am running to stop an extreme Leftist Democrat from representing us who supports Big Government, more giveaways to employee unions, and keeping our schools failing in order to advance political agendas. And again, because I've been elected four times to municipal office, despite having an "R" next to my name on the ballot, I am the far better choice to represent the people of this district.

The single most pressing issue facing the 37th District is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The cost of living due to higher taxes — including the car tax, which is inequitable — high gas prices, higher gas and electric bills, housing costs, and soon, higher local taxes to pay for higher salaries and benefits for unionized county employees. The General Assembly needs to give the governor the authority to delay gas tax increases if pump prices go up. Democrats killed Gov. Youngkin's version of a "gas tax holiday" when it cost $6 a gallon for gas in Fairfax County. We also need to establish a rebate program for frequent users of 66 and 495 and lower the tolls on I-66 inside the Beltway, which have been excessive since Gov. McAuliffe approved them in 2017, turning this into a private freeway for Arlington commuters. The Virginia Clean Economy Act has led to a 35 percent increase in utility bills to pay for solar and wind energy follies — and we also are going to mandate that 35% of all cars sold in 2026 be electric or hybrid (a big burden on lower income people who cannot afford thee cars). This law needs to be repealed or revised. And, collective bargaining should only be allowed for police and maybe firefighters and rescue personnel. On housing, Gov. Youngkin and his predecessor issued a panoply of proposals to boost affordable housing, but none were enacted by the General Assembly. This includes regulatory reforms. We need more senior and assisted living housing, which will open up the single family home market to families. A number of seniors are staying in their big homes since they are paid off and they have no other options to live in Fairfax County or Northern Virginia.

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

What sets me a part from my opponent, who has never been involved in the community except for Democrat Party politics, is that I have served Northern Virginia for more than 20 years — 10 years as a councilmember and supervisor in Loudoun, and 10 years working on various boards and commissions and being an activist for transportation and traffic and pedestrian safety. I now serve on the Fairfax County Landlord Tenant Commission, and hope to parlay that experience to fight for affordable housing expansion — which is critical. Few other non incumbent candidates running in Fairfax County have any record like mine. As a result, I am well prepared to serve the people of this district in Richmond, particularly as a liaison to the incorporated cities of Fairfax, Falls Church and town of Vienna, which comprise about 1/3 of the 37th's population. My opponent has none of these qualifications and has so far refused my request for face-to-face debates. Instead, he probably hopes Democrat voters will just blindly vote for him because they dislike Trump (which I do, too) and national GOP politicians. Well, I would hope Democrats and Independents will think hard about who they want to represent them in Richmond. I am running on issues that matter in people's day to day lives and have a track record of delivering results — transportation, especially confronting the excessive tolls on I-66 and 495; tackling crime, which is increasing and discouraging people from being police officers due to liberalized "police reform" laws enacted by Democrats; fixing our failing schools (a goodly number of students in the 37th have declining math and reading proficiency scores); examining the expansion of community health centers for underserved populations (Many doctors do not accept Medicaid); and the feasibility of getting high school students who are at risk of becoming criminals mentoring and job skills. I am a pragmatist, not an ideologue, and we have to get back to electing people who will work to achieve results, not headlines and social media stardom.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Despite the Medicaid expansion and Obamacare, many Virginians lack access to doctors and specialists, and we continue to have terrible health outcomes — especially in the African American and Latino communities, and among poor whites. Richmond should examine expanding community health clinics and if Medicaid should pay for anti-obesity drugs and gastric bypass surgery. Obesity is the leading cause of heart disease, diabetes and other ailments --and some 78% of COVID patients who died were obese. The state also should not try to pass legislation to restrict access to prescription drugs based on political whim -- including abortion drugs because states should not interfere with FDA pre-emption and interstate commerce (which is in the Constitution). I also would like to see if it's feasible to expand job partnerships with private industry, which is hurting to find workers, by allowing 14 and 15 year old students at risk of committing crimes to work for companies part time and gain mentoring and job training skills. This will take them out of bad households and neighborhoods. I'd like to see if this can help reduce crime and imprisonment, but it has to be studied first.

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

I was the pivotal vote on the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to bring the Silver Line to Dulles and keep the Metro project on schedule. I garnered a lot of heat for this from Republican activists, mainly — and to this very day. So, I know how to make difficult decisions. In addition, I study issues carefully and do a lot of my own reading and research, independent of what is "recommended by staff." As a journalist by trade, I also raise questions — but I tend to write too long (as you can see by my answers to these questions :)

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A person is a person no matter how small (Horton Hears a Who)

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

I am not an ideologue but a pragmatist and I believe government CAN solve problems — if we can ONLY vote in folks who take the time to study the issues, listen and talk to their constituents. I am not backed by ANY special interests, but my opponent is, so think carefully who you want representing you.