Posted on 02/03/2009 10:17:59 PM PST by freespirited
Residents in Fairfax county went to the polls today to vote in a special election. Although unofficial vote totals are in, final results may take some time.
On her website, Democrat Sharon Bulova declares victory, thanking voters for electing her Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. But Republican Pat Herrity has yet to concede. A campaign spokesperson for Herrity tells WTOP the candidate plans to challenge the results.
With all precincts reporting, unofficial returns show Bulova defeated Herrity by just over 1,200 votes. She received 51,949 votes to Herrity's 50,732. Two independents Carey Campbell and Christopher F. DeCarlo were also on the ballot.
WTOP Political analyst Mark Plotkin says support for Herrity was impressive considering the county's political demographics.
"This is a much closer election than people expected," Plotkin says. "Fairfax County is now considered really a blue area. It has gone democratic in the last five elections."
If the results stand, Bulova - who has served on the county board for 21 years - will replace former Board Chair Gerry Connolly.
He resigned in November after winning a seat in Congress.
Voter turnout in today's race was just over 16 percent.
You've got to watch her.
Yup, pretty close race for a county that Obama won by 20%+.
Some good news is that Republicans picked up a house seat in Maine today.
In the Minnesota senate race, or any race in which the dim is on the side with fewer votes, the term 'defeated' would not even be mentioned.
As a resident of neighboring Loudoun County, it's nice to see that all hope for sanity is not lost in Fairfax.
I followed the state elections site all night. Took hours to get up ANY of the precincts, and most were quite predictable. The more affluent, the better Herrity did. The precincts bordering Arlington and Alexandria were heavily for Bulova. He carried the “absentee precinct.”
Herrity got more votes in Bulova’s district (5849)than she got in his (5758); her district had a higher % turnout (only one in the county to go over 20%) but fewer voters. She got 8750 in her district, he got 9155 in his.
It IS hopeful.
Ping
Rats narrowly hang on to the Fairfax (VA) County Board Chairman’s office in special election. Low turnout. Good sign. But so close it’s sad.
In Maine the GOP wins by 2 to 1 a state house seat special election. But the winning Republican bizarrely they said he “owns a lot to (the rat who left the seat to be state AG)”. Yeah if she hadn’t had left you wouldn’t be there.
Wife and I voted for Pat Herrity yesterday. Very light turnout in our corner of the county.
I have the impression that Loudoun is changing into Fairfax Lite. People who are unhappy with Fairfax move to Loudoun and then vote in the same types that changed Fairfax into a high tax, high regulation county. Same thing happening with Californians moving to Arizona, Idaho and Colorado and voting in California-style government.
Jack
Yeah, this is a good sign, but sad that Herrity came so close to winning and fell short. This is the second race in NoVa in the last few months where Republicans have overperformed greatly. Hopefully this lays some good groundwork for the governor’s race in 2009.
“This is the second race in NoVa in the last few months where Republicans have overperformed greatly.”
What was the earlier race?
There was a special election for a state house or state senate seat that the GOP lost by 16 votes, in a 70/30 Dem district. I don’t have a link handy, sorry, however the guys over at www.thenextright.com chronicled it.
These cheats must not have confidence they can win legitimately. Where there are Democrats--there's voter fraud.
Brian Moran of Alexandria, Va vacated his state house seat to run for Governor this year. The GOP challenger almost won the special election.
Thanks.
If it was just 16 votes....drat.
Any close race is suspect.
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