#PWCBattleground: Mike May to Run for Commonwealth’s Attorney; Paul Ebert Retiring
Paul Ebert, who has been the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Prince William County for over 50 years, is stepping aside this November.
Former Occoquan Supervisor Mike May, who served on the Board of Supervisors for nine years before narrowly losing to Ebert in 2015 by less than 4,000 votes, announced his bid for the seat in a press release this morning:
Former Occoquan District Supervisor Mike May today announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for this year’s election to the office of Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
May was the party’s nominee for the position in 2015, but narrowly lost to the incumbent who has held the position for the past fifty years. During his 2015 campaign, May stressed the need to modernize the office and implement reforms.
“The issues that motivated me to run for this important position in 2015 are the same issues that motivate me to run today,” said May. “We have to keep our community safe and protect our neighborhoods. We need to modernize the office and make it more transparent, and we must actively engage the community to enhance public safety and crime prevention.”
May has a series of policy proposals to accomplish these important goals. These include implementing criminal discovery reform; making the hiring process more transparent; establishing a pay classification system to ensure a more sustainable budget; and fostering the vital community connections between the prosecutor’s office and the people it serves.
Since 2016, May has served as a Managing Partner of his Northern Virginia law firm, and more recently took over ownership with his wife, Amelia. Formerly known as Albo & Oblon, LLP, the firm is known today as May Law, LLP.
In addition to his nine years of local service on the Prince William Board of Supervisors, May brings almost 15 years of experience as a Virginia trial lawyer. He handles criminal, civil and family matters in the Circuit Courts, General District Courts, and Juvenile Courts throughout the Commonwealth. As a former elected community leader and an experienced lawyer, May is the ideal candidate for the position of Commonwealth’s Attorney – a job that entails both policy direction and management of a team of 25 lawyers.
May received his B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Government and Spanish, and graduated law school at the George Mason University School of Law. May and his family live in Lake Ridge, and they are parishioners of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
May has already been endorsed by Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park leaders, including:
Manassas Park Vice-Mayor Preston Banks:
“Mike stands apart in his initiative and ability to lead our Commonwealth’s Attorney office” said Preston Banks, Manassas Park Vice Mayor. “He will be an outstanding prosecutor for the citizens of Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park.”
Manassas City Councilman Ian Lovejoy:
“Our Commonwealth’s Attorney office is ready for new leadership, and Mike May is uniquely suited to be the standard-bearer for needed reforms.”
Supervisor Ruth Anderson:
“Mike helped lay the groundwork for the positive trajectory we’re on in the Occoquan District. I look forward to working with him as our next Commonwealth’s Attorney.”
Supervisor Pete Candland:
“Mike is steadfast in his attention to the job and his principles – as Commonwealth’s Attorney, we can count on Mike to do what is right for our community.”
As well as Supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Marty Nohe, School Board member Willie Deutsch, former Delegate Rich Anderson, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, and House of Delegates candidate DJ Jordan.
Retiring C.A. Paul Ebert is most famous for prosecuting the Beltway Snipers and Lorena Bobbitt, but also for being accused of prosecutorial misconduct in the death row case of Justin Wolfe. Wolfe was convicted of murder-for-hire, but the star witness recanted after saying he lied on the stand due to being threatened with the death penalty. An appeals court eventually overturned the conviction and issued a scathing missive of Ebert’s actions.
Most recently, last year Ebert declared that federal agents who shoot unarmed suspects in the back are immune from local prosecution.
Democrat Amy Ashworth has already announced for the seat.
You can visit Mike May’s website here: www.votemikemay.com
Mike May joins an impressive crop of candidates for Republicans running for state and local office in Prince William County. With Ebert as the second countywide official retiring (joining Corey Stewart) and a slate of vulnerable freshmen Democrats in the House of Delegates, Prince William County is gearing up to be the most pivotal battleground in the Commonwealth for the 2019 elections.
More on #PWCBattleground:
— Governor Northam, Supervisor Ruth Anderson Deliver Huge Win On I-95
— Yesli Vega Adds to Her Endorsements for Supervisor
— D.J. Jordan Announces for HD-31 (Prince William, Fauquier)
— Corey Stewart Won’t Run for Re-Election
This article is part of the ongoing series #PWCBattleground, featuring updates and analysis for the 2019 races in Prince William County.
