Gerarda Culipher (Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Virginia, candidate 2023)

Gerarda Culipher (Republican Party) ran for election to Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court in Virginia on November 7, 2023.^[1]

Elections

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

Gerarda Culipher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Culipher's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As current Deputy Clerk for the Fairfax Circuit Court, I am running for Clerk to continue my service to Virginia’s largest and busiest trial court, keeping it an exemplar of good government. I believe in continuing the smart, well-run, and accessible administration of justice, in Fairfax. I have over ten years serving the Fairfax Circuit Clerk as Chief Deputy & Legal Counsel; I know the job!

Growing up here locally, I headed off to Johns Hopkins University, majoring in Classics and minoring in the History of Medicine, Science & Technology. While at Tulane Law School, where I received my JD, I was a judicial extern at the federal court in New Orleans (EDLA). Returning home to the DC-area, I clerked for the US Court of Federal Claims. I met my husband while he was stationed in the National Capital Region. As a military wife, mom of four, and Virginia lawyer, I know how busy the people of Fairfax are!

Every day at our courthouse, I see how it touches our lives--often at its critical moments. I call it the "court of hearth and home." From the difficult times: divorce (domestic), business disputes (commercial litigation), loss of a loved one (probate), surviving a crime (felony cases and grand juries); to the happy times: getting married (marriage licenses), adopting a child (adoptions), or buying your first home (recorder of deeds), the Clerk's office memorializes life's major moments.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Excellent Customer Service
Access to Justice
Preservation of the Public Record in the Digital Age

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am humbled by how our justice systems protect due process rights, civil liberties, and provide agile and efficient court-service. When my neighbor is having their worst day and finds themselves at the courthouse, the Clerk's counter must be a friendly and knowledgeable place, for everyone. Of particular note, our Clerk's Office remained open throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, never ceasing to serve your civil liberties, because we believe so deeply in them. We stayed open to the public, and pivoted swiftly, expanding to virtual hearings and appointments as an option for customers. Fundamental freedoms and civil rights were preserved in Fairfax, even in the midst of a Pandemic.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Hon. John T. Frey (Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Fairfax-wide) The Hon. Pat Herrity (Fairfax County Supervisor: Springfield District) The Hon. Ellie Schmidt (City Council, Fairfax City) The Hon. Jeannemarie Davis (Virginia State Senate: Vienna, Oakton, Herndon, Tysons) The Hon. Barbara J. Comstock (Congressman, 10th Congressional District) The Hon. Scott Cameron (Northern Virginia Soil & Water Commission, Fairfax-wide) The Hon. John Cook (Fairfax County Supervisor: Braddock District) The Hon. Tom Davis (Congressman, 11th Congressional District) The Hon. David Albo (Virginia House of Delegates: Springfield/Lorton/Fairfax) The Hon. Timothy Hugo (Virginia House of Delegates: Clifton, Fairfax Station) The Hon. Steve Hunt (Fairfax County School Board & Electoral Board, Fairfax-wide) The Hon. Jim LeMunyon (Virginia House of Delegates: Oak Hill/Herndon/Chantilly) The Hon. Sang Yi (City Council, Fairfax City)

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At 15 I became a lifeguard, and swim coach-- a sport that I still adore to this day!

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Serving others is critical for all leaders, but particularly important in the Clerk's Office of Virginia's busiest court. Not just serving the customers, but serving my colleagues, amplifies the goodness of the work we do. When a Clerk champions her talented employees, she champions the customer too!

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

In Virginia, the Clerk serves as the recorder of deeds, the trial court and jury administrator and the probate office. The elected Clerk's core functions are peppered throughout The Code of Virginia....set out in over 800 statutory duties. Land records, criminal trials, civil litigations, appellate record compilation, marriage licensure, probate, administering oaths, ballot retention, and archival records preservation are just some of these duties.

Many people do not realize that the Clerk, overseeing the land records office of the Commonwealth's largest jurisdiction, is responsible for the collection of hundreds of millions of dollars in recordation taxes that are sent to state and locality. When you close on your home, "closing costs" include the recordation taxes.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Having spent over ten years running a 175-person court agency, I have broad command experience to serve my colleagues and our customers in the Commonwealth's largest jurisdiction. Put another way, I've not only written our annual budget, I have managed it on a day-to-day basis.

What legacy would you like to leave?

In my 8-years as your Clerk, I will create a "Digital Trial Practice" system that takes binder-filled trial exhibits into the digital-age with virtual exhibit marking.....creating a fully-digital litigation experience. At the same time, I will create a "Know the Craft" teaching philosophy, that emphasizes increased knowledge-sharing among experienced staff and newest hires. For example, streamlining employee on-boarding and training our talented legal staff into tiered supervisors and managers.

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