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Rachna Sizemore Heizer made Fairfax County history on Tuesday, Dec. 16, becoming the first Asian American to serve on the Board of Supervisors.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Stephen C. Shannon administered the oath of office at the Fairfax County Government Center. Sizemore Heizer is only the fourth person to represent the Braddock District since 1991.
In her first remarks as supervisor, she promised an inclusive approach shaped partly by her family’s experiences.
“I will listen. I will fight for all that may be seen and heard. I will lead with empathy, and I will refuse to leave anybody behind, because it’s happened to my family and I won’t let it happen to you,” she told the audience.
She described the occasion as an act of stewardship rather than a personal achievement and expressed confidence in local government’s ability to improve people’s lives.
Speaking with the permission of her son Jake, Sizemore Heizer discussed his life with autism, including the obstacles he has faced and the optimism he has maintained. Advocating for him, she said, taught her how easily people can be dismissed and how hard families often must fight for recognition and support.
“I learned firsthand how we dismiss people and how hard families must fight to be seen, heard and supported,” she said. “Advocating for him showed me how systems can fail people and how one person can change the way we think and the way we perceive the world.”
A major budget test awaits
Sizemore Heizer previously served on the Fairfax County School Board and chaired its Budget Committee. She joins Supervisors Dalia Palchik, Kathy Smith and Daniel Storck as members with experience in school governance.
That background could prove important as the county and school system confront a projected combined budget shortfall of $131.5 million for fiscal year 2027.
Her arrival fills the vacancy created when James Walkinshaw resigned in September to enter the U.S. Congress, succeeding the late Gerry Connolly. Sizemore Heizer, a Burke resident since 2001, now shifts from seeking money for the school system to helping the 10-member Board of Supervisors oversee Fairfax County’s $5 billion budget.
Three major fiscal deadlines fall within her first 60 days. FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid is scheduled to present the proposed school budget on Jan. 22, 2026. The county executive is expected to release the advertised county budget on Feb. 17, followed by a Joint County/Schools Budget Committee meeting on Feb. 24 focused on the funding gap Sizemore Heizer identified in November.
Economic growth and affordability
Sizemore Heizer campaigned on a “Smart Economy” platform that calls for attracting artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and life-science companies to vacant commercial properties. The goal is to broaden the county’s tax base and reduce its economic dependence on the federal government.
A University of California, Berkeley-trained attorney and employment law professor, she has identified affordability as her leading priority. Her platform also calls for expanding housing choices, protecting green space, easing pressure on taxpayers and maintaining strong public schools.
School Board vacancy triggers appointment process
Sizemore Heizer’s move to the Board of Supervisors left the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County School Board vacant as of Dec. 16.
State law gives the School Board 45 days to appoint an interim representative. The appointee must be a qualified voter who lives in the Braddock District when selected. The board must also conduct at least one public hearing no fewer than seven days before making the appointment.
Within 15 days of the vacancy, the School Board must ask the Fairfax County Circuit Court to issue a writ of election, creating a Dec. 31 deadline.
Because Virginia law bars a special election within 55 days of a primary—and a primary is scheduled for June 16, 2026—the election is expected to take place in late winter or early spring. Its winner will complete the term ending Dec. 31, 2027.
Two residents had announced plans by Dec. 16 to seek the Democratic endorsement: former Terra Centre Elementary School PTA President Tom Dannan and Woodson High School Orchestra Boosters President Alexa Krezel. The Fairfax County Republican Committee had not announced a prospective endorsee for the officially nonpartisan seat.