Interim Fairfax Mayor Appointed; Special Election Feb. 7

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Former three-term Fairfax City Council member Steve Stombres was named the city's interim mayor Tuesday night after a unanimous voted by city council members.

The ex-chief of staff for former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor will serve until a Feb. 7 election to elect a replacement for former mayor Scott Silverthorne, who resigned last week days after being arrested by police in a narcotics-related sting operation.

Councilmember Jeffrey Greenfield had served as acting mayor since Silverthorne's arrest on charges of felony distribution of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Stombres decided in 2014 not to run for another term on the council because he said his duties under Cantor took too much of his time away from the city. Cantor later lost his bid for re-election to the relatively unknown Dave Brat.

Stombres now is a partner with the political consulting firm Harbinger Strategies. He had been a member of Cantor's staff since 2001.

Silverthorne was arrested Aug. 4 on charges that he offered undercover detectives meth in exchange for sex at a Tysons Corner hotel.

Photo: Scott Stombres via linkedin