Meet The Candidate: Sean Regan For Herndon Town Council

HERNDON, VA — In addition to voting for the president and vice president, U.S. senator and U.S. representative in the Nov. 3 general election, residents of the Town of Herndon will be choosing from among 10 candidates to fill vacant seats on the Town Council. They will also choose who will be the new mayor.

Sean Regan is a 51-year-old is a member of the Herndon Planning Commission, with 25 years in real estate development and construction experience. He is running for the Herndon Town Council.

As part of its coverage of the 2020 election, Patch has asked each of the candidates in Herndon to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

Candidate

Sean Regan

Age (as of Election Day)

51

Town/City of Residence

Herndon

Office Sought

Herndon Town Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat running in a non-partisan race

Family

Wife, Anne, and two sons

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I am a current member of the Herndon Planning Commission

Education

BA History, Dartmouth College. M.Ed Instructional Leadership, Colorado State University

Occupation

25 years in real estate development and construction

Campaign website

www.reganforherndon.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Appointed to Planning Commission in 2012

The single most pressing issue facing the Town of Herndon is maintaining town services and public safety during COVID-19, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Maintaining Town services and public safety during Covid

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I support the Black Lives Matter movement and understand why people are angry that we have not created a just and equitable society. Herndon is better than most places but we can do more to eliminate intentional and unintentional bias in our institutions and in our community. We owe it to all residents to do that hard work.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?

I'm not sure where that phrase came from and don't think many people support it in any meaningful way. The residents I talk to support the police. They want the police to be trained properly and they want to see counselors and other mental health professionals involved in policing so officers aren't forced to manage situations they aren't trained to manage. Officers deserve protection when properly doing their jobs, and should be held accountable when stepping outside those bounds. It's not an either/or issue.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?

American society is a fine balance of rights versus responsibilities and that balance is very difficult to strike amidst the uncertainty of a global pandemic. There is very little precedent to fall back on and the stakes are high. We must adapt and adjust, loosening restrictions at times and then pulling back in ways when infections go up. Resiliency will serve us much better than rigid thinking.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As I participate in various candidate Q&A sessions I am struck by the similarity of our positions. Maybe it's because local priorities are universal: safe neighborhoods, responsive government, low taxes, less traffic. So perhaps the difference is in the ability get things done, and my time on the Planning Commission and my years running large construction projects have taught me how to listen to different opinions, disagree without being disagreeable and work with people to create something that is better than we could ever create alone.

Why should voters trust you?

Anne and I came to Herndon in 1998 and we built our lives here. Our friends are here, our family is here, my business is here. If you don't know me personally you probably know someone who does. I hope they will tell you that I am an honest, ethical person who cares about this town and has worked hard for it for many years. A seat on the Town Council would be give me the opportunity to prove it to you.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

The Herndon Town Council, like all legislative bodies with authority over the budget, is a position of public stewardship. The Council must balance the needs of the present, which may seem urgent in the moment, against the needs of the future Council and future Town residents. In that role, its actions may not always be popular in the short term and only the passage of time will determine if they were correct.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No there is not.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

If you don't believe in freedom of speech for people you don't agree with, you don't believe in freedom of speech at all.