Key Facts
Background
Karl Frisch has previously served as the executive director of watchdog Allied Progress, staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, City of Fairfax School Board liaison and Virginia General Committees liaison, and is a former small business owner. He has also worked on various campaigns. As national press secretary for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Frisch was also the co-chair of President Biden’s Virginia LGBTQ+ Leadership Council [1, 2, 3, 9].
In 2019, Frisch was elected to the Fairfax County School Board in the Providence District. Currently, he is the Board’s congressional liaison and is serving on the Audit and Public Engagement Committees, as well as one of two representatives on the Joint Environmental Task Force. Frisch is the chair of the Board’s Public Engagement Committee and the former chair of the Governance Committee. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to local office in Fairfax County [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
Key Issues
Curriculum
Frisch wants to expand access to advanced academics and related opportunities, teach accurate history, and eliminate literacy gaps [1, 2, 5, 8].
Teachers
Frisch advocates for higher pay for teachers and staff and to allow collective bargaining [1, 2, 5].
School Safety
Frisch wants to prevent gun violence in schools and supports banning assault weapons in Virginia [1, 5, 6, 9].
Budget
Frisch wants to ensure that Fairfax County Public Schools get a fair share of taxpayer money [9].
LGBTQIA+
Frisch wants to protect LGBTQIA+ students through keeping LGBTQ-inclusive books and sponsoring a policy protecting transgender students, a proposal allowing alumni with changed names to request another diploma, changes to family-life education curriculum to include LGBTQ+ parents, and the school division’s first recognition of Pride Month [1, 2, 3, 5, 8].
Reproductive Rights
Frisch promotes abortion access for all [6, 9].
Economy
Frisch advocates for collective bargaining and increasing the minimum wage [6, 9].
Miscellaneous
Frisch advocates for protecting school libraries from censorship. He also wants to address school overcrowding, rename schools currently named after Confederacy-affiliated figures, and encourage energy conservation. He supports keeping immigrant families together and has co-sponsored a FCPS policy banning all cooperation between the school district and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [1, 2, 5, 8].
Endorsements
Democratic Party; Janet Howell, Virginia State Senator; Don Beyer, United States Representative; Eileen Filler-Corn, former Speaker of the Virginia House and current Virginia State Delegate; Jeff McKay, Fairfax County Chairman; Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney; LGBTQ Victory Fund
Sources
1 Karl Frisch
2 Fairfax County Public Schools
3 Influence Watch
4 FFXNow
5 LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
6 WTOP News
7 Washington Blade
8 Patch
9 Metro Weekly
10 VPAP