Thomas D. “Tom” Peterson Announces Campaign for Mayor, Offering Trusted Leadership, Proven Results, and a Positive Vision for Fairfax’s Future
Experienced City Council Member Highlights Trusted Leadership, Proven Results, and a Positive Vision for Fairfax’s Future
CITY OF FAIRFAX, VA — July 15, 2026 — Thomas D. “Tom” Peterson today announced his campaign for Mayor of the City of Fairfax, offering trusted leadership, proven results, and a positive vision for Fairfax’s future rooted in Fairfax Common Ground.
First elected to the Fairfax City Council in 2024, Peterson enters the mayoral race with decades of leadership experience in local government, business, higher education, and public service. He said Fairfax is at an important moment, facing growing pressures related to affordability, thoughtfully balanced growth, economic vitality, transportation, environmental stewardship, and maintaining the exceptional quality of life residents value.
“ The office of Mayor is ultimately about trust,” Peterson said. “Residents deserve someone who listens carefully, thinks independently, brings people together, and always puts Fairfax first. Throughout my career, I have worked to earn that trust by listening, solving problems, and delivering results, and that is exactly how I will continue to serve our community. ”
Peterson said his campaign will be guided by Fairfax Common Ground, a community-centered framework built on the shared value of Care for the Community and guided by four principles: Fiscal Responsibility, Transparent Government, Public Participation, and Respectful Collaboration.
“When I talk with residents across Fairfax, I hear remarkable agreement about what matters most,” Peterson said. “People want a community where families can afford to live, neighborhoods retain their character, local businesses thrive, schools remain excellent, City services are strong, public safety is protected, our environment is cared for, and government listens, engages, and spends taxpayer dollars wisely. Fairfax Common Ground reflects those shared priorities and provides a practical framework for working together to build Fairfax’s future.”
Trusted Leadership. Proven Results.
Since taking office in January 2025, Peterson has focused on delivering measurable results through practical, fiscally responsible leadership.
He helped hold down and substantially reduce proposed property tax increases while protecting essential City services, including playing a leading role in reducing the cost—and resulting taxpayer impact—of the new Willard-Sherwood Community Center by more than 55 percent. The revised approach enabled the long-awaited community investment to move forward while significantly reducing its financial burden on Fairfax taxpayers.
His record also includes successfully advocating for an independent Finance and Operational Efficiency Review of City government; helping preserve nearly 100 acres of forest and open space through the George Snyder Trail decision; securing funding for the Pickett Road Safety Study; sponsoring Council resolutions to strengthen crime prevention and coordination between public safety and health and human services; protecting investments in excellent public schools; and expanding transparency and meaningful public participation in major City decisions.
Before joining the Fairfax City Council, Peterson served as Chair of the City’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, where he worked with residents, businesses, and community organizations to advance practical solutions that balanced environmental stewardship, economic vitality, and neighborhood quality of life.
Professionally, Peterson is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Climate Strategies and has held senior leadership positions in the White House, the United States Senate, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working across political and institutional boundaries to develop practical public policy solutions. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at both Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, where he teaches graduate courses in climate adaptation, energy, and public policy. Over more than four decades, he has helped governments, businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations build consensus and solve complex policy and management challenges.
“I have spent my career bringing people together to tackle difficult problems,” Peterson said. “That experience has taught me that progress happens when leaders listen, collaborate, and focus on what unites us. Good leadership earns trust through results, and that is exactly how I intend to serve as Mayor.”
Fairfax Common Ground
Peterson said his campaign will focus on the values, principles, and priorities reflected in Fairfax Common Ground.
The framework begins with one shared value:
Care for the Community
and is guided by four principles:
Fiscal Responsibility
Transparent Government
Public Participation
Respectful Collaboration
These principles support six community priorities:
Cost of Living & Economic Security
Quality of Life & Carefully Balanced Growth
Environmental Stewardship & Community Health
Economic Opportunity & Local Business Support
Community Safety & Quality City Services
Excellent Schools & Educational Opportunity
“My campaign is built on a simple belief: when we care for our community, listen respectfully, and work together to find common ground, there is no challenge Fairfax cannot overcome,” Peterson said. “Together, we can continue building a City that is financially strong, economically vibrant, environmentally responsible, and an outstanding place to live, work, learn, and raise a family. I would be honored to earn the trust of our residents to serve as their next Mayor.”