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JUNE 1 - 7, 2023 | PAGE 19
An Overview of the Upcoming Fairfax Democratic Board of Supervisors Primary
by Sam Mostow
Falls Church News-Press
The Fairfax County Democratic party will hold its primary on June 20, allowing voters to select nominees for the two open Board of Supervisors seats: Mason District, which includes Annandale, and Dranesville District, which includes McLean, Great Falls and Herndon. Neither included incumbents in either race for the first time since 1995. In addition, neither incumbent has endorsed a candidate in advance of the primary. Mason District Primary Penelope A. “Penny” Gross, who represents Mason District, is stepping down, having been first elected in November 1995 and serving seven terms. She is vice-chair of the Board. Gross
also represents Fairfax County on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors. After serving seven terms, she will step down. The four candidates who are vying to replace Gross in the Mason District Democratic primary are Jeremy G. Allen, Andres Jimenez, Steve Lee and Reid Voss. Allen is a staffer for Rep. Don Beyer (D–Va.) and hopes to prioritize housing affordability if elected. He purchased a home through the Fairfax County Workforce Development program after struggling with housing costs in the area. Additionally, he was a leader in the “Save Bren Mar” movement, which stopped a rezoning proposal to alter his residential neighborhood. Jimenez is the Executive Director of Green 2.0, which is an environmental non-profit organization. He previously worked at
the Citizens’ Climate Lobby as the Senior Director of Government Affairs. He is a former staffer of the House Judiciary Committee’s Immigration Subcommittee and the New York Mayor’s office. He has also worked for Rep. Howard Berman (D–Calif.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D–Calif.). Lee is an entrepreneur who has owned businesses in the Mason District for more than 40 years, working at local establishments such as 9292 Korean Barbeque and Cafe V. He represented Mason District on the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission, is a co-founder of the Taste of Annandale festival and is President of the Korean American Association of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area. Voss is a Northern Virginianative, real estate agent and small business owner. He has two chil-
dren who attend Sleepy Hollow Bierman worked on healthElementary School and is active care reform advocacy at Families in his local homeowner’s asso- USA and in the Biden-Harris ciation. He also coached at Justice Administration at the Department of High School. Homeland Security as an Attorney Advisor. Since 2019, Bierman has Dranesville District Primary served on the Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel, chairing it John W. Foust is the supervi- from March 2021 – February 2022. sor for the Dranesville District, He clerked for Beverly B. Martin of totaling four terms after his first the United States Court of Appeals election in 2007. He has served as for the 11th Circuit. President of the McLean Planning Fiske is a board member of the Committee and the McLean McLean Citizens Association and Citizens Association. Additionally, is a member of the Greater McLean he has been the Chairman of Chamber of Commerce. He worked the Advocacy Committee of at NASA as a government researcher. Fairfax County’s Medical Care Although the voter registration for Children Partnership and the deadline passed, early voting began Fairfax County Environmental on May 5 and continues until June Quality Advisory Council’s 17. Election Day is June 20. The Legislative Committee. deadline to request a mail ballot is The two candidates seeking June 9. The polls on Election Day to replace Foust are James N. will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 “Jimmy” Bierman and David p.m. For more information, check R. Fiske. fairfaxdemocrats.org/primary.
Guest Commentary: Delegate Kory Reflects on Women’s Healthcare
by Delegate Kaye Kory
A decade ago, I established the Virginia Women’s Health Care Caucus in the Virginia General Assembly. I created this caucus because I knew the obstacles women across Virginia had to go through in order to access the care they need and that change required coordinated efforts from lawmakers and advocates to get things done. One focus of our caucus was improving access to affordable and quality healthcare, particularly through Medicaid. As Virginia began the year-long Medicaid unwinding process in April – which was incidentally Medicaid Awareness Month – it has become even more important to share how Medicaid has transformed the lives of women across Virginia and how we have strengthened the program over the last few years. Many of us can remember the historic nature of 2020 when I joined my colleagues in electing my long-time friend Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn as Virginia’s 56th Speaker of the House of Delegates. She made history as the first woman and first JewishAmerican to hold the position in Virginia’s over 400 year legislative history. What some of us
forget to mention is that, under her leadership, we passed one of the most transformative budgets in Virginia’s history that included many of the priorities the Virginia Women’s Health Care Caucus had been working to advance for years. The budget approved in 2020 included funding to extend postpartum care for women in low-income women in Medicaid from 60 days to a full year. This is a transformative policy decision approved by the legislature that is currently improving health outcomes for new mothers and their children. That same budget also removed the harsh 40 quarter work requirement for legal permanent residents to be eligible for Medicaid. For many immigrant women, this additional barrier meant they would go without care for a minimum of 10 years and meant that at any moment, a health issue could lead to bankruptcy. We also finally added dental coverage, which many experts cite as important for maternal health because there is link between oral health and preterm birth. As a Delegate who represents a district with many new mothers and new Americans, I can see the impact these policy decisions continue to have on my constituents today.
Subsequent budgets passed by the legislature have continued that progress we started in 2020 of improving access to health care by increasing reimbursement rates for services coverage by Medicaid, expanding prenatal coverage regardless of immigration status, and more. In a few years, much of the legislative goals of the Virginia Women’s Health Care Caucus were achieved thanks to the tireless work of advocates and the legislative leadership of former Speaker Filler-Corn. I celebrate these victories and the role I played in laying the groundwork for many of these policy wins because I know that I have transformed the lives of many because of the votes I cast over the last few years. I also know that there is still much work to be done on protecting and strengthening Medicaid in Virginia and across the country. Republicans in Congress are threatening to gut Medicaid and cut coverage for millions of families, including here in Virginia as they hold the budget hostage. Here at home, there is also a lack of planning regarding a 12 month Medicaid redetermination process known as Medicaid “unwinding” that could disproportionately impact
immigrant women, Black women, and more. It is estimated that nearly 172,000 people will lose coverage, despite still meeting the eligibility requirements to stay enrolled in Medicaid. While the legislature has approved some funds for the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Virginia Department of Social Services, the two agencies tasked with leading the unwinding process, to provide additional capacity we need a plan to provide targeted outreach to communities who may lose coverage, even though they
remain eligible for Medicaid. Protecting Medicaid and keeping people enrolled is a women’s rights issue. It is a vital tool in our efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis we are experiencing in Virginia. As I finish my final term in the Virginia House of Delegates over the next few months, I am laser-focused at keeping Governor Youngkin’s administration accountable to ensure my constituents do not lose coverage, particularly those with language or economic barriers that make it harder to stay enrolled in the program.
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