You have to go back to the 1990s, maybe earlier, to remember a time when Fairfax County’s local governance was indeed a two-party system.
Just in Dranesville District alone, residents successively voted in (and often out) a Republican, then a Democrat, then a Republican, then a Democrat as their supervisor. Similar back-and-forth occurred in many other areas of the county, as well.
Those days are decidedly in the rear-view mirror, for a number of reasons. Among them is the decline of the moderate wing of the Republican Party nationally and statewide, coupled with the enmity many potential swing voters in affluent areas have for Donald Trump.
As a result, the 2023 Board of Supervisors’ general election is likely to be interesting for a single reason: Can Supervisor Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield), the lone GOPer left on the 10-member body, hang on, or will Democratic takeover of the dais be complete? We shall see.
But as noted in GazetteLeader coverage last week, there are a number of supervisor race that are seeing competition in the June 20 Democratic primary.
In addition to the chairman’s seat, where incumbent Jeff McKay is being challenged by Lisa Downing, incumbent Daniel Storck in Mount Vernon has a challenger, and there are multiple contenders vying in the open seats in Dranesville and Mason districts. Plus, two Democrats are seeking the nod to take on Herrity in the Springfield District.
(Added to the mix are primary races where the incumbent commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff are being challenged.)
It seems unlikely that any of the incumbents facing challengers will have much difficulty winning renomination (though hope springs eternal in the race for commonwealth’s attorney). That being said, voters should pay attention and, if the mood strikes, cast a ballot in the primary. Just make sure it is an informed choice, not a reflexive one.
The only way to hold the powerful accountable is to do so where and when it counts. And increasingly in Fairfax, where general elections are becoming mere formalities, that is in the Democratic primary.
Local leaders need to be reminded, again and again, that they work for the public, not the other way around, and that the public is taking the time to pay attention and act in its own best interests. To rework an old phrase and apply it to politicians: “When you’ve got ‘em by the ballot box, their hearts and minds will follow.”
