FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City Council candidate Rachel McQuillen raised $4,640.45 during the first eight months of 2026, with contributions coming from several business owners, former city officials and another candidate in this year's council race, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Virginia Department of Elections.
McQuillen's largest reported 2026 contribution was $1,000 from William Jennings, listed in the filing as the owner of Fairfax City Self Storage. Richard O. Dickson, owner and sales and leasing manager of The Dickson Company, contributed $500, while former Fairfax City Mayor Steve Stombres gave $500.
McQuillen's campaign reported $2,448.71 in cash on hand as of Aug. 31. The committee reported $3,189.55 in election-cycle disbursements and no unpaid debts.
McQuillen raised $2,350 during the first quarter of 2026, according to the campaign's second amended report.
Jennings gave $1,000, Dickson contributed $500 and Thomas Blackburn gave $300. Doug Church contributed $250 during the quarter, while Kevin Farrish, identified as a business owner with Farrish of Fairfax, gave $200. Another $100 came from a contribution small enough that the donor was not required to be itemized on the report.
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The amended filing shows Dickson as the owner and sales and leasing manager of The Dickson Company and Jennings as the owner of Fairfax City Self Storage.
During the second quarter, McQuillen raised another $840.45. Stombres contributed $500, while $260 came from five smaller contributions. The total also included $80.45 in unitemized in-kind contributions.
McQuillen raised $550 between July 1 and July 23. Fellow Fairfax City Council candidate Steve Chang contributed $500 on July 5, with the remaining $50 coming from a smaller contribution.
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From July 24 through Aug. 31, McQuillen raised another $900. David Fogg contributed $300, while Church and Patricia and Spencer Cake each gave $200. Three smaller contributions accounted for the remaining $200.
Church's Aug. 13 contribution brought the amount attributed to him in the campaign's records to $900.
McQuillen's amended Aug. 31 report shows $2,317.45 in spending during the latest reporting period, substantially more than the campaign raised during those weeks.
Among those expenses were two payments totaling $750 to a Fairfax publication identified in the campaign filing as The Independent Press: $250 for a newspaper advertisement on Aug. 12 and $500 for a newspaper advertisement described as an "op ed" on Aug. 16. The Independent News Press is a Fairfax-based publication whose CEO and majority owner is fellow City Council candidate Steve Chang, who had contributed $500 to McQuillen's campaign the previous month.
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The campaign also spent $1,326.48 with Polaris Press for door hangers, yard sign stickers and flyers. Other expenses included payments for campaign support, literature distribution and food for a candidate gathering.
McQuillen's committee entered 2026 with $947.62 in cash after an amended report added a $250 contribution from Church during the second half of 2025. Because the committee predates the current year, its election-cycle figures include activity before 2026.
By Aug. 31, RachelforFairfax reported $5,090.45 in total receipts for the election cycle. Of that amount, $4,640.45 represents contributions received during 2026. The committee reported $3,189.55 in total election-cycle disbursements and an ending cash balance of $2,448.71.
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