John Foust

John William Foust (born September 5, 1951) is a member of the Fairfax County, Virginia Board of Supervisors from the Dranesville district, which includes McLean, Great Falls, Herndon and portions of Vienna and Falls Church. He was the 2014 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress in Virginia's 10th congressional district. He was unsuccessful in his bid.

Personal life and education

Foust grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the oldest of five brothers. After graduating from Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown, he became the first person in his family to attend college and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973. To pay for his education, he worked each summer as a laborer in the steel mills and on the railroad tracks. Foust later went on to receive an MBA from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies in 1976, and a law degree from George Washington University Law School in 1981.^[1][2] In 1984, John married Dr. Marilyn Jerome, a partner in Foxhall Ob-Gyn, Associates in Washington, D.C. They have two sons, Matthew, 27, a graduate of Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Patrick, 24, a graduate of the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Career

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Foust worked full-time for C&P Companies, performing and supervising economic, cost analysis, and regulatory studies. During this time, he attended night classes to earn his law degree. He then practiced construction law in Northern Virginia until his election to the Board of Supervisors.

He served as the President of the McLean Citizens Association, and as Chairman of the Environmental Quality Advisory Council's legislative committee. He also served as the Chairman of the Chain Bridge District of the Boy Scouts of America.

In 2007, Foust defeated Republican incumbent Joan Dubois with 53.5% of the vote to represent the Dranesville district on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. He then went on to win re-election in 2011.^[2][3]

As a member of the Board of Supervisors, Foust serves as the Chairman of the Board's Audit Committee and as Vice Chairman of the Board's Budget and Transportation Committees. In addition, Foust serves as Chairman of the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission and also serves on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the Route 28 Transportation Improvement Commission, the Mosaic Community Development Authority, the Dulles Rail Phase I and Phase II Transportation Improvement District Commissions, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council.^[2]

Candidate for U.S. Congress

Foust ran for Congress in Virginia's 10th congressional district. He was unsuccessful in his bid. The seat was held by Republican Frank Wolf, who is retiring.^[4]

Some endorsers of John Foust include the American Federation of Government Employees,^[5] The Human Rights Campaign,^[6] Everytown For Gun Safety,^[7] and the National Education Association.^[8]

John Foust has been criticized for saying of his opponent, Barbara Comstock, "I don't think she's even had a real job."^[9] When confronted in a TV interview about his comments, he said: "The problem is, those jobs were so hyper-partisan, and that was the point I was making."^[10]

Electoral History

See also

• Fairfax County, Virginia
• Dranesville, Virginia

External links

• Washington Post bio
• Official Fairfax County bio
• County Campaign Website
• Congressional Campaign Website

References