Jeff McKay

Jeffrey Charles McKay is an American politician serving as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the board in 2007, representing the Lee district, which includes the Springfield and Franconia areas. In 2019, he was elected as chairman, taking office in 2020.

Education McKay attended Bishop Ireton High School, a private Roman Catholic high school in Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from James Madison University in December 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He had served as president of the college Young Democrats during his sophomore and senior years, and as Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats College Caucus. In 1998, McKay graduated from the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

Political career Shortly after graduating from JMU in 1996, McKay was hired as Chief of Staff to Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman. He continued in that position for more than a decade, until Kauffman retired in 2007 and he won the November election to succeed him. Following his time as Lee District Supervisor, McKay was elected countywide in 2019 to serve as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Since joining the Board, McKay co-created Fairfax County's One Fairfax resolution and policy. McKay supported expand benefits for employees, including six week of paid family leave and entering into the county's first collective bargaining agreement with unions. He is Chair of the Dulles Corridor Advisory Committee, as well as on the board of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Virginia Association of Counties. Jeff was also named one of Northern Virginia’s 50 Most Influential People of 2024 by Northern Virginia Magazine.

Following an ethics complaint regarding his purchase in 2017 of a home not listed in MLS from a developer who had business before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, McKay was investigated by the Virginia State Police in 2019. The investigation considered whether McKay's purchase of his family home from a developer friend for $850,000 in 2017 was an undisclosed gift, which would have been a misdemeanor. McKay denied malfeasance, and was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

After their last pay raise in 2015, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in March 2023 proposed a 36% pay increase for supervisors and a 45% pay increase for the board chair. Following hours of criticism from County residents, the board approved in an 8-2 vote a 29% pay increase for themselves and a 38% pay increase for the board chair (McKay). McKay stated before the vote: "The board does not enjoy raising its salary. I do not enjoy raising a future board's salary."

In 2024, amid a housing shortage in the D.C. metropolitan area, McKay said that Fairfax County did not intend to follow the lead of other Northern Virginia counties in eliminating single-family exclusive zoning regulations. McKay said it was important to "protect the integrity of our single-family neighborhoods" and that Fairfax County was not capable of accommodating missing middle housing. McKay supports relaxing rules for accessory dwelling units. hosted by Dulles Area Transit Association (DATA) McKay discussed the importance of the American Legion Memorial Bridge revitalization project saying “The bridge has to be rebuilt. It’s way overdue. We’re in a clock that is already ticking”.

Personal life

McKay is a lifelong Fairfax County resident, born and raised on the historic Route One Corridor in Lee District. McKay married Crystal Newsome in 2005. They have two children, Leann and Aidan.

Electoral history