Confirming a Democratic trend in the DC Suburb, voters elected Democrat Mark Herring in a special election to fill the 33rd District seat vacated by Republican Bill Mims, who resigned to become second in command in the state attorney general's office. According to early reports, the victory was lopsidded. The formerly deep red county voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004, but voted for Democratic Governor Tim Kaine in November and ousted a rightwing state representative. This portends good things for Democratics in Northern Virginia's outer suburbs.
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Leesburg lawyer Mark Herring, a Democrat, is on his way to the state Senate after scoring a lopsided triumph over Sugarland Run Republican Supervisor Mick Staton in a special election Tuesday.
Herring won every precinct, but the final count is not yet available.
Herring will fill the 33rd District seat vacated by Republican Bill Mims, who resigned to become second in command in the state attorney general's office. No swearing-in date was set.
Herring's victory builds on a Democratic resurgence in Loudoun. In the November elections, Gov. Tim Kaine carried the county and two Democrats - David Poisson and Chuck Caputo - were elected to the state House of Delegates.
Kaine came here last week to campaign for Herring, a former county supervisor who was a staunch advocate of slowing growth in the county.
Herring got strong financial support from Democrats across the state trying to reduce the GOP edge in the General Assembly.
Staton, in his second year as a supervisor, was hoping to revive the political fortunes of his family, led by father-in-law Dick Black, who lost to Poisson in November but tried to crank up support for Staton.
To make the race, Herring established a residence in the district that stretches from western Leesburg across eastern Loudoun into Fairfax.