Stafford County Supervisor Monica Gary was arrested last week on a charge of assault and battery of a family member, but she said Thursday night that she “never” put her hands on anyone.
Gary, who has represented the Board of Supervisors’ Aquia District as an independent since 2022, was arrested early Saturday after a domestic incident at her home, according to a report from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.
The report also says the incident was “alcohol-related” and that a juvenile was involved.
If convicted of the charge, Gary would face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
In a brief interview with the Free Press, however, she said she and her husband had gotten into an argument but that she didn’t harm anybody.
“I never put my hands on anyone,” Gary said.
She also disputed the notion that alcohol was a factor, saying she had had only one drink about six hours before the incident. She said she didn’t recall authorities asking her about alcohol and that her breath wasn’t tested.
Mainly, Gary said, her family is going through a rough time.
“I love my husband,” she said. “I love my family, and we are working very hard in difficult circumstances.”
Gary also addressed Saturday’s situation in a Facebook video and in a statement from her campaign for state Senate. She isn’t seeking re-election to her county seat this year but announced recently that she would make a second run for the 27th District Senate seat in 2027, this time as a Democrat.
On Facebook, Gary was emotional and described in some detail what she said were problems in her marriage.
“It’s not good, guys,” she said online of the scenario. “It’s not good.”
Monica Gary
In the video, which lasts about 10 minutes and was posted Thursday, Gary also said she was using the opportunity to recommend others seek help for mental health issues.
“I’m working on my own because I don’t want to be popping off and yelling in my house, no matter what’s happened to me,” she said. “I don’t want to scare my children.”
In the statement released Thursday from her Senate campaign, Gary announced she would take time after her current supervisor term to “focus on healing and family.”
She also said she was addressing “recent concerns with transparency.”
“Recent allegations stemmed from my own unprocessed trauma,” she said. “While there was no physical violence, I recognize the emotional strain that trauma can cause. The well-being of my family is my top priority, and I’m focusing on healing and restoration.”
Gary ran for the same Senate post as an independent in 2023. She finished third to current Sen. Tara Durant, a Republican, and Democrat Joel Griffin in the district, which comprises Fredericksburg and parts of Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
Thursday’s news follows several months of controversy for Gary.
She initially said she wasn’t going to seek re-election to her supervisor seat. However, in the spring, she changed her mind and decided to run as an independent and face Democrat Maya Guy and Republican Hank Scharpenberg.
Gary changed her mind again in August, and announced support for Guy, vice chairwoman of the Stafford School Board.
