Gibson Seeks Office, Challenges Connolly

DUMFRIES, Va. — From a doughnut shop in Dumfries, Mark Gibson explains why he’s getting into the race to become the next congressman for the Potomac Communities.

“As a small business owner I have to keep low overhead costs, and I don’t think the federal government is doing that,” said Gibson.

The 51-year-old Independent from Fairfax is collecting signatures to get his name on the ballot for the November General Election. He needs 1,500 before June to be considered in the race.

His opponent is two-term Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly, a man Gibson described as having a good knowledge of how the government works, but also has too many years in office touting the same party line.

“Mr. Connolly is a good foot solider for the party but we don’t need foot soldiers, we need innovation,” said Gibson.

A native of the Washington area, Gibson, 51, lives with his wife, daughter and son – both who are in elementary school in Fairfax County. He’s the chief operating officer of a 15-employee IT firm that does database work for small business.

While the 11th Congressional District he wants to represent had portions of western Fairfax and Prince William counties redistricted away from it, the district still includes much of the Potomac Communities of Dumfries, Lake Ridge, Occoquan and Woodbridge. It’s an area of economic good fortune, he said, with federal jobs aplenty. Gibson said he doesn’t believe in a federal hiring freeze, and added downsizing government would ultimately lead to the loss of federal workers — but it doesn’t all have to happen at once.

“You can lose positions from attrition, and that will lead to more government savings, and over time that means we can pass along pay raises to federal employees,” said Gibson. “The people who come for work for me have gumption. They come in and want to be promoted, and federal workers are no different.”

On Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Gibson says those who were promised a return on their investments into those systems should be rewarded, but added that those who have not yet reached retirement age will most likely have to wait longer to receive benefits.

A one-time Democrat, Gibson said he attended a meeting of Dems in Fairfax County but later felt the caucus was more about business as usual than bringing about change, which is why he said he’s running as an Independent.

Aside from Connolly, he faces proclaimed fiscal conservative Ken Vaughn and likely Republican nominee Chris Perkins.