Thread: County races turn on views on illegals

County races turn on views on illegals


November 7, 2007


By David C. Lipscomb - Prince William County voters yesterday re-elected Corey A. Stewart, a Republican, as chairman of the Board of County Supervisors, sending a message that residents back his efforts to resolve the problem of illegal aliens.

"The commonwealth supports the crackdown on illegal immigration that tonight puts to rest any other idea," he said.

Mr. Stewart had 21,238 votes and challenger Sharon E. Pandak, a Democrat, had 16,896 votes with 69 percent of the precincts reporting.

The county supervisors race was just one of several in Northern Virginia that will largely decide how communities will deal with illegal immigration issues.

In Fairfax County, voters re-elected Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly, a Democrat.

Mr. Connolly had 87,284 votes, with 53,033 for challengers Gary H. Baise, Republican, and 6,742 for Glenda Gail Parker, independent Green Party member, with 80 percent of precincts reporting.

"With sharp clarity, our voters rejected the politics of division," Mr. Connolly said at his post-election party in McLean. "Instead, they overwhelmingly said yes to results oriented leadership that is getting things done. ...We will focus on illegal behavior and not somebody's status."

Mr. Stewart led the eight-member Prince William board last month to one of the country's most aggressive crackdowns on illegal aliens.

The lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution — after a public-comment session that ran past 2 a.m. and drew nearly 400 witnesses — that denies eight taxpayer-funded services to illegal aliens. The resolution also allows county police to check the immigration status of anybody arrested if there is probable cause to think the person is in the country illegally. The board also denied business licenses to people who cannot prove their legal status.

"Conventional wisdom tells you that you don't do anything controversial before an election," Mr. Stewart, an international-trade lawyer for the D.C. firm Foley & Lardner, said before the race. "But there is no question that it was the right thing to do."

Pamela Berliner, 28, of Woodbridge voted for Mr. Stewart.

"I have friends that have come into the country legally," she said. "It's not fair for someone who comes here illegally to get the same rights and privileges as someone who went through the process."

Mr. Stewart mostly paced the floor at his post-election party at Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge, then hugged his children — one in each arm — as he talked on a cell phone and looked at the poll numbers on a large screen.

"You can see they're clearing out Republicans in Virginia," he said as party members lost at least three Senate races. "But Prince William is bucking that trend, and its all because of illegal immigration."

Mrs. Pandak throughout her campaign said the most important issue in Prince William, 40 miles south of the District, is alleviating traffic because it affects almost every resident. She said the resolution was "not well thought out" and enforcement measures, including police checking motorists' immigration status during routine stops, will drain county resources.

Mr. Connolly, an executive with the SAIC technical-solution company, has taken a less aggressive approach to cracking down on illegal aliens, compared to Prince William lawmakers.

Mr. Connolly said before during his campaign that Fairfax County would not "join the bandwagon" against illegal aliens, but he supports Virginia law that keeps illegals from receiving non-emergency, tax-funded benefits. He also supports federal immigration training for county deputies to screen suspects in custody.

"We're focused on effective action and getting results," he told The Washington Times before the election. "We are focused on illegal behavior. We're not into the kind of political posturing that sounds good but at the end at the day doesn't produce results."

His campaign focused more on transportation, the environment and education.

Six other Prince William supervisors also were up for re-elections. Woodbridge Supervisor Hilda M. Barg retired.

Vice Chairman Martin E. Nohe, Brentsville Supervisor Wally Covington and Dumfries Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan, all Republicans, won uncontested races. Neabsco Supervisor John D. Jenkins, a Democrat, also ran uncontested.

Occoquan District Supervisor Michael C. May, a Republican, was leading challenger John S. Gray, an independent — 2,356-1,148 — with 56 percent of precincts reporting. In the Gainesville District race, Supervisor John T. Stirrup Jr., a Republican, was leading challenger Corey R. Riley, a Democrat, 4,923-2,896, with 75 percent of precincts reporting.

In the Woodbridge district race, Frank J. Principi, a Democrat, had 880 votes, leading his closest challenger, Chris A. Royse, a Republican, with 762 votes, with 44 percent of precincts reporting.

Loudoun County passed similar legislation, and several other Virginia jurisdictions have passed or considered immigration-related resolutions, including Chesterfield, Culpeper, James City, Page, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties and the city of Manassas. However, lawmakers in the District, Arlington and Alexandria recently passed resolutions against enforcing immigration laws on the local level.

There were no results last night in the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors race, which included incumbent Chairman Scott York, an independent and business executive and challenger Michael Firetti, a Republican and business entrepreneur.

http://washingtontimes.com

Prince William County voters yesterday re-elected Corey A. Stewart, a Republican, as chairman of the Board of County Supervisors, sending a message that residents back his efforts to resolve the problem of illegal aliens.

"The commonwealth supports the crackdown on illegal immigration that tonight puts to rest any other idea," he said.

Good news.