Issues dominate elections in Prince William, Loudoun

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Elections based on candidates’ positions on major issues ensure immigration in Prince William County and slow-growth concerns in Loudoun County will be dominant concerns in the months ahead.

The victories by Republicans in Prince William County and Democrats in Loudoun County demonstrated the power of popular issues that have dominated their communities for months.

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart said Tuesday’s mandate gives the board clear direction to enforce an illegal-immigration plan that the supervisors unanimously approved last month.

“There are a lot of communities around the country that are looking to the Prince William model, and we have a special responsibility to make sure it’s done right,” said Stewart, who defeated Democratic challenger Sharon Pandak with 55 percent of the vote.

Rather than push for broader anti-illegal-immigration measures after the election, Stewart said the board has to focus on properly implementing a plan giving police powers to check the legal status of immigrants.

“Clearly we’ve taken off a big bite and we have to make sure that it is enforced in a fair way,” Stewart said.

However, immigrant activist Nancy Lyall suggested Stewart’s re-election was due more to party dynamics in the county than the crackdown.

“The results now are exactly as they would have been prior to the immigration issue,” she said.

Groups that helped Democratic challengers win four seats from Republicans in Loudoun County called the election a decisive win for slower-growth positions.

“Loudoun County has been the fastest-growing county in the country, and … people are tired of a developer-driven agenda,” said Rebecca Perring of the Coalition for Smarter Growth in Loudoun County.

The elections will bring the board new perspectives on growth and direct more energy toward coping with existing homes than approving plans to build more, she said.

“We’ve built ourselves into this mess, and we can’t build ourselves out of it,” Perring said.

New Loudoun winners:

» Dulles: Stevens Miller, D, 57.62%; *Steve Snow, R, 42.13%.

» Leesburg: Kelly Burk, D, 57.07%; *Jim Clem, R, 42.65%.

» Potomac: Andrea McGimsey, D, 49.34%; *Bruce Tulloch, R, 28.74%.

» Sugarland Run: Susan Klimek Buckley, D, 59.11%; *Mick Staton, R, 40.72%.

* Incumbent

dgenz@dcexaminer.com

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