Democrat Lawhorne Wins Alexandria Sheriff's Race

Alexandria Police Detective and Democratic candidate Dana A. Lawhorne was elected the city's sheriff today and immediately promised to forge closer ties between the Sheriff's Office and his longtime police colleagues.

Lawhorne defeated another experienced law enforcement officer, former Alexandria vice mayor William C. Cleveland, a Republican who had been endorsed by Democratic Sheriff James H. Dunning.

In early returns, Fairfax County voters appeared to enthusiastically endorse a $246 million financing package for school renovation and construction.

And in heavily Democratic Arlington, voters chose a new school board member, Edward J. Fendley.

In Loudoun, voters faced an unusually long list of ballot questions on school projects, but results were slow to emerge.

Lawhorne, Alexandria's sheriff-elect, said his "top priority is going to be to improve the relationship with the police department," adding that he wants the Sheriff's Office to be more involved in emergency preparedness. The flubbed response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrates the dangers of a lack of coordination, he said. "New Orleans reminds us of how important it is for all the agencies to work together."

The support for school bonds in Fairfax County, is "an acknowledgment from voters that if we're going to educate children for the 21st century, they need 21st century learning space," said county school board member Stuart B. Gibson (D-Hunter Mills). "It means flexible space . . . It means up-to-date buildings that have the capacity to support technology. It means energy efficiency."

Beverly George, 71, a retired Fairfax County teacher, voted for the bonds today at Mosby Woods Elementary School. "It's very important that the schools have the money just to keep up with what they have," George said.

The race for Alexandria sheriff blurred party lines. Longtime Sheriff James H. Dunning, a Democrat who has held the post since 1985, endorsed Cleveland, saying he did not consider the sheriff's job a partisan office. Mayor William D. Euille (D) and S. Randolph Sengel, the city's top prosecutor, both endorsed Lawhorne.

The sheriff's office has more than 200 employees and manages the city jail, which has held numerous high-profile detainees in recent years, including terrorism suspects and New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who was detained for 85 days on contempt charges in the CIA leak investigation.

Each of the candidates said during the campaign that he was better equipped to work with young people and prevent gang violence.

Loudoun's breakneck population growth has required vast resources for building new schools, and that has in turn tested county taxpayers and politicians.