This article was written by Michael O’Connell of The Patch and can be found here.

FAIRFAX, VA — Hands down, affordability is the most pressing issue facing Braddock District residents, according to Kenneth Paul Balbuena, the Republican running in the Dec. 9 special election to determine who will be the next Braddock representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

“I have talked to so many residents who have sadly said that they are considering leaving Fairfax County because they cannot afford to live here,” Balbuena said. “One of them, Kathy, is a federal worker whose husband died ten years ago. When he died, she was paying $2,000 in property taxes. Now, she is paying $9,000 as a single parent with one child in college and another graduating high school. I am running to take care of Braddock residents like Kathy.”

Balbuena is facing two other candidates on the Dec. 9 ballot — Carey Chet Campbell (I), and Rachna Sizemore Heizer (D). All three are running to complete former Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s (D) term, which runs until Nov. 2, 2027.

The seat became vacant when Walkinshaw defeated Republican challenger Stewart Whitson in the Sept. 9 special election, filling the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), who died in May. The former supervisor’s victory created the need for the Dec. 9 special election.

Patch recently invited Balbuena, Campbell and Sizemore Heizer to complete a candidate questionnaire, in order to help voters decide which candidate best matches their political beliefs. The following are Balbuena’s responses.

Name

Ken Balbuena

Position Sought

Braddock District Supervisor

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Have you been endorsed by a political party? If so, which one.

Republican

Family: Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share

Wife: Kristy Balbuena | Children, Anna (high school), Allie (middle school). My kids are a big motivator for my public service. I’ve always wanted to build the best neighborhood possible for them both, just like my mom did for me as a child.

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

My wife has worked for a public higher education institution for nearly 20 years. I previously worked in higher education, both at Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University doing marketing and communications.

Education

Masters of Public Administration with a specialization in state and local government (George Mason University) | Post-Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management (George Mason University) | Bachelor of Arts in English (Old Dominion University) | Undergraduate Certificate in Tour Guiding (Northern Virginia Community College)

Occupation: Please include years of experience.

I have 25 years of marketing, communications, and government consulting experience in addition to my community service. My work has included the federal government (Department of Defense), faith-based nonprofits, higher education, and government consulting. I am currently working as a technical writer supporting the Department of State. I seek out jobs that are mission-oriented, which is why I am interested in being a member of the Board of Supervisors. I would like to be a servant leader with a greater level of impact.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office

I have been appointed to several Fairfax County boards by both Democrats and Republicans. My appointments have included: 1) FCPS Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (2020-24, chair 2021-24; appointed by D-Megan McLaughlin) 2) Future of Lake Accotink Task Force (2023; invited by D-Sharon Bulova) 3) Consolidated Community Funding Pool Selection Advisory Committee (2021; invited by D-James Walkinshaw) 4) Visit Fairfax (2013-19; co-chair of the Marketing Committee; appointed by R-John Cook) 5) Barbara Varon Volunteer Award Selection Committee (2011-23; appointed by D-Jeff McKay and D-Sharon Bulova). Additionally, I served on the FCPS Strategic Plan Core Planning Team (2023; invited by Superintendent Michelle Reid) and the FCPS Superintendent Business and Community Advisory Council (2012-15; invited by Superintendents Jack Dale and Karen Garza).

Why are you seeking elective office?

When I moved into the Braddock District in 2012, I wanted to make my neighborhood as good as it could be for my daughters. My oldest was 3 years old, and my wife was pregnant with our second child. I got involved in my civic association right away and eventually served as president for four years. I became PTA president, and I continue to serve on my pool board. As my children got older, I started to get involved in County-wide boards such as Visit Fairfax and the FCPS Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee. I saw the impact I was making, and so did the community since I was awarded with a Citation of Merit from the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations in 2016.

In 2017, I survived a ruptured brain aneurysm. During my hospitalization, I began to think about why I survived. The realization I came to is that I was called for something greater in this life. After deeper reflection, I realized I was called to run for public office. I am running to be a champion of the people, to bring my lens as a community leader to the Board of Supervisors and be an advocate who can ensure that their voices are heard and being listened to.

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

Affordability. Hands down. I have talked to so many residents who have sadly said that they are considering leaving Fairfax County because they cannot afford to live here. One of them, Kathy, is a federal worker whose husband died ten years ago. When he died, she was paying $2,000 in property taxes. Now, she is paying $9,000 as a single parent with one child in college and another graduating high school. I am running to take care of Braddock residents like Kathy.

A key piece of my campaign is addressing the commercial vacancy rate to alleviate the overburden on residential taxpayers. To summarize, the number of empty office space is increasing, but the value of that land is decreasing. To compensate for this lost revenue, the County hits residential taxpayers with higher assessments and/or higher property taxes. Last year, the average home bill increased by nearly $500 after increasing a similar amount the year before. My plan is to develop a systematic approach to identifying all of these commercial spaces and work with developers to convert many of them to mixed use properties. This is similar to what we have seen in Mosaic and like what is currently happening in the Mason District part of Annandale. A mixed use format allows us to grow the residential tax base without overburdening the current taxpayers. A portion of these homes can also help the County reach its goal of providing 10,000 affordable homes by 2034. My approach also gives small businesses opportunities to grow and thrive with retail space matched with a potential customer base, and with the “meals tax” going into effect soon, the County can generate revenue from restaurants who move into these spaces. Like with any redevelopment project, however, community input must be taken into account.

My plan makes Fairfax County a place where you can live, work, play, *and stay* for many years to come.

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

In addition to my campaign platform being full of specifics versus generalities, there are three critical differences between Rachna Sizemore Heizer and me.

• First and foremost, I am running as a community leader who will bring the people’s voice to the Board of Supervisors. My campaign slogan, People Before Politics, is a promise I make to the people of the Braddock District. My track record as a civic association president has proven my ability to do this, especially when I helped our community explore potentially installing speed tables into the neighborhood. You can read all about that here. My opponent stated in her announcement video that “above all,” she is a proud Democrat. If it were me, I would have said I am honored to serve all of the people of the Braddock District. Additionally, she continually vilifies a large portion of her constituents by saying that I have aligned myself with extremists. The truth is I am a bipartisan leader, and I have aligned myself with other bipartisan leaders like former Congressman Tom Davis and former Braddock District Supervisor John Cook. I am also the only candidate in this race whose endorsements go beyond the political sphere to include community leaders such as the dozens of current and past civic association presidents, PTA presidents, and pool board presidents in addition to the former Superintendent of Catholic Schools and the former Chief of Police for Northern Virginia Community College.
• Second, I am transparent and fiscally responsible. I use my background in marketing and communications to share information with people. I also find ways to educate others on key community issues. As civic association president, I created a regular column in our newsletter where I shared an issue brought to my attention. I broke the problem down into what it was, what options there are, and how the civic association planned to address it. My opponent will often discuss things behind closed doors and circumvent rules to the extent possible. If you look at the FY26 budget discussions by the School Board, my opponent pushed through a budget without considering any amendments. One amendment requested by a School Board member (Dunne-Mount Vernon) asked for $5 million to provide security guards. Consideration of this amendment was denied, but two weeks later, the School Board was able to find $11 million for a spending appropriation to which Mr. Dunne called out the hypocrisy of there not being funding for his school safety measure. My opponent often talks about being endorsed by the majority of the School Board members without recognizing that another School Board member (Moon-At Large) ran against her in the primaries. Neither Mr. Moon nor any of the School Board members who endorsed him have endorsed Ms. Sizemore Heizer. She fails to recognize that she has fractured the School Board that she once chaired. She was also part of the vote coming out of closed session where a $121k per year admin assistant position was created for School Board members, and my opponent has been accused of using two of these positions to campaign for her during their constituent hours. If true, this is blatant and illegal fiscal mismanagement of taxpayer dollars for political gain.
• Third, I show up. I continually find innovative ways to connect with constituents. During the campaign, I held a Brews with Balbuena event to provide a unique way for people to ask me questions. I also held a Virtual Town Hall on YouTube to bring my campaign to people as a way to work around their busy schedules. I pride myself on always being responsive and being at community events. In fact, I helped start the annual National Night Out celebration in my community as the civic association president to help bring the neighborhood together. If you ask any parent who has written Ms. Sizemore Heizer expressing a concern, they will tell you that the probably did not get a response. If you express a differing opinion and are “fortunate” to get a response from her, the response will often come with dismissive phrases like, “There seems to be some confusion,” or “what you said is not correct.” My wife and I have both been on the receiving end of these kinds of messages long before I was a political candidate. If you ask several parents in the Annandale High School pyramid, which is represented by both my opponent and Dr. Ricardy Anderson, they are likely to tell you that if you want a response, you go to Dr. Anderson because you will not get anywhere trying to talk to my opponent.

As for my other opponent Carey Campbell, I think the biggest difference is that my platform is more realistic. I do not believe that there is an economic way to implement a “more trains, less traffic” solution to reducing the number of vehicles on the road, especially since there is not space to install new rail for said trains.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to addressing the commercial vacancy rate to alleviate the overburden on residential taxpayers, my other campaign priorities include:

• Advance key Braddock District projects such as preserving Lake Accotink and fixing Braddock Road.
• Promote safe and inclusive neighborhoods through increased funding for first responders, community organizations, and nonprofits while supporting the military and our Federal workforce.
• Improve fiscal responsibility through more continuous collaboration with the School Board beyond the budget development process and greater advocacy for state funding.
• Restore confidence and trust in the Board of Supervisors to reassure those we represent that their voices are heard.

You can read more about the specifics of these priorities in greater detail at on my website.

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

The two biggest accomplishments that demonstrate my ability to handle this job are the work I did on traffic calming and my ability to raise funds to install a track at our local elementary school during the pandemic.

As previously stated, I led a very transparent process as civic association with regard to traffic calming. I appointed a committee who oversaw the day-to-day work and coordinated with the civic association board that I led. I provided the community with regular updates about the committee’s work in the association’s newsletter, on the blog we created on social media, and during civic association meetings. I also recognized that the County’s process for traffic calming limited the input to 264 individuals but impacted 7,200 residents. As such, I added a step into the process to provide the entire neighborhood with an opportunity to take an active role in the matter. I called for a public vote to empower all residents on whether to advance the traffic calming process to the next phase. It was not a requirement, but it was in the best interest of the community. People Before Politics.

When I was PTA president, the school had a $5,000 shortage in being able to install an ADA-compliant track on the outdoor field. The school could not use the field in any capacity when it rained because the field was muddy. Having a track would provide students with an opportunity to still have outdoor activities when the field conditions would otherwise prevent it. Additionally, the larger community could use the track for exercise outside of school hours. This was especially vital during the pandemic when outdoor activities and social distancing were both highly encouraged. My efforts leading fundraising resulted in securing $5,000 in donations from 81 people (many of whom did not have children at the school) two weeks ahead of the fundraising deadline. We were also able to raise additional funds to further offset the financial responsibility for the school, so their funds could be reinvested back into the classroom. I was able to identify a problem, create a solution, and deliver results.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice I’ve heard is from leadership author and speaker John Maxwell. He said, “Your best thoughts aren’t the best thoughts. They just are the best thoughts that you can have. Your best thoughts are never your best thoughts until they become thrown out to a collective pool of other good thinkers who can make your best thoughts better thoughts. That’s the whole issue of teamwork.” As it relates to this race, there is a great imbalance on the Board of Supervisors, and there are many times when a motion from a specific member of the Board will not be seconded and, therefore, not debated. When public discourse is shut down, it limits the possibility for the best idea being brought forth and prevents the status quo from being deliberated.”

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

I believe I am the most bipartisan candidate in this race. I have a proven history of working with both political parties and have been appointed to various boards by both Democrats and Republicans. I have aligned myself with supporters who also greatly value bipartisanship and who have repeatedly come up with creative solutions to tackle difficult problems. My Catholic faith and membership in the Knights of Columbus have allowed me to see the dignity in every human person, and I prioritize service to the community as my servant leadership vocation. People are my motivator for this office. My Master’s of Public Administration studies provided me greater knowledge of how government runs effectively at a local level. It supplements what I had already learned from my years of community leadership and through the Braddock Supervisor’s Neighborhood College program. My People Before Politics commitment is a promise to the Braddock District. More than anything, I am proud of the opportunity to represent all of you. I do not expect an automatic vote from you, but I hope to earn it. Thank you for considering me as your next Braddock District Supervisor.

How To Vote For Braddock Supervisor

Only registered residents of Braddock District are eligible to vote in the Dec. 9 special election. Residents can confirm their eligibility to vote by visiting the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.

The deadline to register or to request a mail-in ballot is Dec. 1. Forms sent by mail must be postmarked on or before Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. The online deadline to register normally or update your registration is Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Learn more.

Starting on Dec. 2, same day registration will be available at early voting locations. Voters registering the same day will complete a provisional ballot. Learn more.

The early voting period closes at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Dec. 9 and received by noon on Dec. 12. Learn more.