Why It Matters
Ward and Smith PA has ended its lobbying representation of Fairfax County, Virginia, concluding a relationship focused on defense, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and federal facilities issues affecting the county.
The firm filed an LDA termination notice on July 13, with the termination taking effect June 30. Mike McIntyre, senior adviser for government relations and economic development at Ward and Smith PA, served as the principal lobbyist on the account.
Ward and Smith PA's representation of Fairfax County generated modest but consistent revenue over several years. In 2021, the firm reported $10,000 in filing amounts each quarter for the account. By the first quarter of 2025, however, the reported filing amount had fallen to $0, indicating the relationship had largely wound down before the formal termination.
Fairfax County represented a relatively small client within Ward and Smith PA's lobbying portfolio. The firm's larger government and nonprofit clients include North Carolina Railroad Co., which generated $200,000 in disclosed lobbying fees, along with the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission and the Town of Holden Beach, N.C., each generating $150,000. Other clients include Brunswick County, N.C., the Military Support Coalition and the Village of Bald Head Island, N.C., each generating $100,000 in disclosed fees.
Broader Context: Defense and BRAC Issues
Ward and Smith PA's work for Fairfax County centered on defense-related advocacy. The firm lobbied on Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) issues, sequestration, federal facilities, defense budget and appropriations, and defense issues affecting Fairfax County.
The termination comes as the Department of Defense has completed disposition of approximately 90 percent of land from prior BRAC rounds. This substantial progress in the BRAC process may have reduced the urgency or necessity for ongoing congressional advocacy on the issue, particularly for a locality like Fairfax County that had been seeking to protect its defense installations and federal facilities.
The county's lobbying priorities under Ward and Smith PA's representation had evolved over time. In the early 2000s, when Fairfax County worked with Alcalde & Fay, the county pursued federal funding for transportation infrastructure projects, including the I-95/Fairfax County Parkway Interchange at Newington Road and I-66/Vienna Metrorail Accessibility and Capacity Improvements. The firm also sought funding for the Dulles Metrorail project and advocated on healthcare and energy efficiency matters before Congress.
By the time Ward and Smith PA took on the account, the focus had narrowed to defense and BRAC matters, reflecting the changing legislative landscape and Fairfax County's evolving federal priorities.
The Bottom Line: No Replacement Firm Identified
Fairfax County has not hired another lobbying firm to continue the defense and federal facilities advocacy work that Ward and Smith PA had been conducting.
With the BRAC process substantially advanced and federal facilities issues potentially stabilized, Fairfax County appears to have concluded that the ongoing expense of federal lobbying representation was no longer justified.
Ward and Smith PA continues to maintain a substantial client base focused primarily on North Carolina municipalities and organizations, particularly those with coastal and defense-related interests. The loss of the Fairfax County account does not appear to significantly impact the firm's overall revenue structure, given the larger fee-generating clients it retains.
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