Pr. William Growth Irks Candidate

In the race for the top position in Virginia's second-largest county, Stewart's anti-development absolutism is attracting the support of Democrats who say they're looking for a bulwark against the bulldozers.

"Corey is conservative, and I am not," said Liz Cronauer, a member of one of the local conservation groups that are backing Stewart over Democrat Sharon E. Pandak, a former county attorney. "But I believe Sharon Pandak will represent business as usual, and she will be a continuation of the things Sean Connaughton did."

Connaughton (R) resigned last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration, and the special election winner will serve the final 13 months of his term. He and Stewart clashed frequently.

"At times you have to go to battle, and it's going to get a little bloody," Stewart said. "I think it's fair to say I'm a little stubborn and headstrong, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Some of Stewart's colleagues disagree and question Stewart's ability to reach a consensus. "He's burned some bridges with others on the board, so he's going to have to make some significant concessions to those people to get them back on his side," said Neabsco Supervisor John D. Jenkins (D), who backs Pandak.

Stewart has been criticized for being overly ambitious and accused of wanting to use the chairmanship as a launch to higher office, a charge he doesn't entirely reject. "I can't say I'm never going to run for governor," he said. "It's not even something I'm thinking about right now."

Stewart's anti-development stance has also drawn the ire of many in the building industry. Roy Beckner, director of business development at S.W. Rodgers Co. Inc., circulated an e-mail last week telling others in the industry that he was "doing anything" to get Pandak elected and claimed that Stewart had "attacked" the industry by trying to raise the amount of money builders would pay for each home they construct.

"He LIED to us & at every turn he has Criticized, Condemned & Complained publicly that our industry doesn't pay its way," Beckner wrote.

"Corey Stewart is a Revengeful, Untrustworthy, & an Unbelievably Contradictory person."

Stewart is unfazed by such charges. "I'm trying to control growth for quality-of-life purposes," he said. "If developers do not pay for the costs of development, residents do."

A profile of Sharon E. Pandak will run in tomorrow's Metro section.