Marty Gordon, NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Montgomery County is adding a second open position to a November special election.
After 21 years, Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettit is stepping down with one year remaining on her current term. Pettit said in a resignation letter to county supervisors she has decided to move into a new phase of her life.
“I was blessed to become a grandma last fall and wish to dedicate more time to my family. Therefore, I will be resigning my position as Commonwealth’s Attorney effective August 1, 2026.”
“We all deserve to feel safe in our homes and throughout our community. No one accomplishes this mission alone”, Pettitt said in a statement released by Montgomery County. “It has been my privilege to serve alongside my law enforcement partners to keep our community safe. I hope my efforts helped make that a reality for the people of Montgomery County.”
Pettitt has served in that office since 2005. She first served as an assistant, then as the Chief Deputy, and was then elected Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2012. According to information released by Montgomery County, she was re-elected without opposition in 2015, 2019 and 2023.
“In 2013, Pettitt designated a dedicated Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court prosecution team to focus on child abuse and domestic violence. She also worked with the court and other community stakeholders to establish a substance abuse Recovery Court in 2017 and a Behavioral Health Docket in 2021,” the county announced.
Prior to working for Montgomery County, she served as a prosecutor in Roanoke County and Gloucester County and had a private law practice previous to those roles.
As part of the short-term transition, Pettit has appointed her Chief Deputy Patrick Jensen as Commonwealth’s Attorney, which is pursuant to state code. Patrick holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Tech
The open position will be added to the election roll with the county’s sheriff position as Sheriff Hank Partin stepped down earlier this spring.
Whoever is elected in November will then have to run for the full four-year term in 2027.