Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said today (Jan. 22) that she will not seek re-election this year.

The announcement came shortly after 11:30 a.m. during the Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Her planned retirement adds to list of supervisors who have also said they are leaving.

Hudgins, who is nearing the end of her fifth term, was first elected to the board in 1999.

Her colleagues on the board took to Twitter shortly after the announcement to share the news and praise her work.

Chairman Sharon Bulova, who announced her plans to retire in December, tweeted that Hudgins “will be sincerely missed when she retires from the Board at the end of 2019.”

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity posted — and then deleted — a tweet saying, “At today’s Board meeting, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has announced that she will not seek re-election. It was a pleasure serving with her and I wish her the best on her future endeavors.” A few minutes later, he wrote, “At today’s Board meeting, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has announced that she will not seek re-election.”

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who was the chairman before Bulova, tweeted that Hudgins has been a “tireless advocate for the Hunter Mill District,” pointing to her work on affordable housing.

Thank you to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins on her decades of service to Fairfax County. She will be sincerely missed when she retires from the Board at the end of 2019.

— Sharon Bulova (@SharonBulova) January 22, 2019

Cathy Hudgins has been a trainblazer and an advocate for Hunter Mill District and Reston for many years. We wish her the best in her retirement and look forward to great things for the rest of the year!!! https://t.co/DMNiSbDKDm

— Bill Bouie (@bbouie) January 22, 2019

Supervisor Cathy Hudgins has been a tireless advocate for the Hunter Mill District. She’s been a champion for affordable housing and has dedicated her career to making sure every voice is heard in our community. I'm proud to call her a friend and wish her well in her retirement.

— Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) January 22, 2019

Two Democratic candidates have already joined the race for her seat, Reston Now previously reported.

Shyamali Hauth, a United States Air Force veteran and community advocate, has her campaign focused on transportation, affordable housing, construction practices, budgets, security and education systems. Parker Messick, a recent graduate of Roanoke College, is running on a platform to “stop big development.”

The election for the county’s Board of Supervisors will take place on Nov. 5.

File photo