GAINESVILLE, Va. – Patrick Harders, a longtime Manassas area resident and founder of a regional outdoor lighting company, is running for Gainesville District Supervisor—and he’s entering a race already stirred by internal Republican friction and calls for leadership rooted in integrity.

Harders announced his candidacy Thursday, casting himself as a conservative voice for responsible growth, fiscal accountability, and transparency. He says he’s stepping up to continue the work of the late Supervisor Bob Weir, who died earlier this month and was known for his outspoken opposition to data center sprawl.