Stafford County Supervisor Monica Gary — a former stripper who won election to the Board of Supervisors in 2021 — is facing a domestic assault charge stemming from an incident at her home.
A Stafford County Sheriff’s Office report shows deputies were called to Gary’s home shortly after midnight on Saturday, October 18, 2025, for a domestic disturbance. The report lists the case as Assault & Battery – Family Member under Virginia Code 18.2-57.2, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Alcohol use was noted as a contributing factor, and a juvenile was involved.
The case was marked “cleared with arrest,” meaning an arrest was made, but Gary was released to a responsible adult rather than booked into jail. She is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025, in Stafford Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
During the Board of Supervisors meeting held three days after the incident, on October 21, Gary indirectly acknowledged recent scrutiny.
“I know there’s been a lot said about me lately. I’m still here doing the work for my district. My commitment to the people of Stafford hasn’t changed,” she said. “We all face personal trials, but my focus remains on serving our community with honesty and faith.”
Gary did not mention the charge, and she has not responded to a request for comment.
Gary, who represents the Aquia District, was elected in November 2021 and began her four-year term on January 1, 2022. Before entering public office, she worked for several years in strip clubs, a past she has discussed openly in national interviews. She has said that period of her life was part of an abusive and coercive relationship, describing her later journey through faith and recovery as central to her public service.
She went on to found New Wine Community Church in Stafford and earned a theology degree from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies before turning to politics.
Earlier this month, Gary launched a campaign for the Virginia Senate’s 27th District as a Democrat after previously serving as an independent. Her announcement came as Democrats grappled with fallout from offensive text messages sent by Attorney General candidate Jay Jones in 2022. Gary condemned Jones’s comments but said she still supports him over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, citing her own experience with domestic violence and calling for “leaders who take accountability seriously.”
Earlier this year, she announced she would not seek re-election to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors following controversy over her role in the removal of a library board member. Weeks later, she reversed course, saying she would run again after “encouragement from the community,” only to withdraw once more later.
Her state senate bid in 2027 is her second for the Virginia Senate’s 27th District, after previously running as an independent in 2023, when she finished third behind Republican Tara Durant and Democrat Joel Griffin.
