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Connolly pulls strong showing against Byrne
The dust has settled in the primary race between two well-known political figures in Fairfax County and it is the county chairman who will take a swing at capturing a coveted seat on Capitol Hill for Democrats.Gerry Connolly soundly beat Leslie Byrne in Tuesday's Democratic primary race for the 11th District Democratic nomination, chasing a seat that has belonged to a Republican for more than a decade.
Connolly said he was always confident of his victory based on his campaign's polling. “Our positive message made a big difference, that's what the voters needed to hear.”
According to unofficial results from the Virginia Board of Elections, Connolly picked up 58 percent of the vote against Byrne's 33 percent, with all but absentee ballots counted.
“We all thought this race would be closer,” George Burke, chairman of the 11th District Democratic Committee, said, calling Connolly a “proven vote-getter.”
Connolly narrowly lost in Prince William County, where about a third of the 11th District voters reside, but won by a landslide in Fairfax County, where he was resoundingly re-elected as chairman of the county Board of Supervisors last year.
Doug Denneny, an Iraq war veteran, captured about 6 percent of the vote while Lori Alexander, a physical therapist, received about 3 percent.
Lori Pizzo, a Centreville voter, cast her vote for Connolly because she likes what he stands for on the issues, especially education reform. “He more closely matches what I think,” Pizzo said.
Byrne declined to comment on election night but her campaign manager Joe Fox blamed the results on the low turnout. “There were a lot of people who chose not to vote today, and that hurt us,” he said.
According to Fox, Byrne called Connolly after her defeat to say she will back him in the general election this fall.
Connolly will now fight Republican Keith Fimian, an accountant and founder of an inspection company who has already raised about $1 million for his race and did not face a primary challenger. Republican Tom Davis announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election.
The race for the 11th District will be “a hard fought fight” and not a push-over like some people think, Burke said.
“We got the opponent we wanted,” Fimian said of Connolly. “He is more about who you know and not about the issues. There is nothing that exemplifies change about him, and voters want change.”
Byrne and Connolly sparred over conflicts of interest, violations of campaign laws, and how long they have each supported the Iraq war during the campaign, and each of them attracted a unique set of supporters.
Byrne was supported by popular political bloggers, nearly 40 organizations, and nine members of Congress, including Democratic Sen. Jim Webb.
Connolly's supporters included a long list of Northern Virginia elected officials, several state officials and Gov. Tim Kaine (D). The chairman ran on the record he has built during his 16 years on the Fairfax County County Board of Supervisors, touting successes the county has made under his leadership.
“Gerry is a tireless public servant, and I know he will bring the same passion and commitment to Congress that he has brought to Fairfax County,” Kaine said of Connolly's victory in a statement.
His re-election as chairman in November was an affirmation that his initiatives improving the environment, lowering crime rates, and bolstering affordable housing work, Connolly told voters of the 11th District throughout his campaign.
Connolly said he plans to run a coordinated campaign with presidential candidate Barak Obama and Senate candidate Mark Warner, both Democrats.
Byrne was the first woman in Virginia to be elected to Congress and she lost her seat after her first term to Davis during the 1990s, when the GOP won a majority of seats in Congress. Byrne also served in the Virginia House of Delegates for seven years and lost a race for lieutenant governor to Republican Bill Bolling.
“I like what I hear from her,” Dan Settles, a Vienna voter, said of Byrne. “I'd rather see a woman in office.”
Times Staff Writers Monty Tayloe and James Cullum contributed to this report.
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