Issue Vs. Expertise In Race For Board

Immigration Stand Hovering Over Pr. William Ballot

Corey A. Stewart had just downed a plate of sausage goulash at Cafe Mozart, his favorite District hangout, when illegal immigration got in the way of dessert. The chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors was thinking German chocolate cake, but his waiter, Alex Kemsky, a bearish Ukrainian, was worried about a friend in Dale City.

"Will he lose his house?" asked Kemsky, explaining that the friend, an illegal immigrant from Honduras with two jobs, two children and a lot of home equity, was now cowering in fear of Prince William's new anti-illegal immigrant policies.

Stewart gave a reassuring laugh and said that, no, the man's house would not be taken away. Then he flipped into campaign mode, telling Kemsky that his friend was more likely to be deported.

But the man worked hard and didn't cause trouble, Kemsky said.

"I don't want to sound cruel, but people should obey the rules," Stewart said flatly. Then he ordered cake.

If the issue of illegal immigration follows Stewart, a Republican, everywhere these days, it is largely by his own design. No other politician in the region has staked his political fortunes on the issue as much as Stewart, a 39-year-old trade lawyer who defeated Democrat Sharon E. Pandak in a special election last year for the county's top job. The two are facing off again this year with a four-year term up for grabs.

Last time, both candidates were relatively unknown quantities, each vying to replace chairman Sean T. Connaughton (R), who left to head the U.S. Maritime Administration. But this year's election is centered mainly on Stewart and his dramatic 10-month term. Although Stewart's support cuts across party lines, so does opposition to him, and at least one Republican board member has broken ranks to support Pandak.

Stewart began generating buzz and catching flak soon after taking office. He helped pass a one-year freeze on new applications for residential development and pressed to keep tax bills flat in a tight budget year by squeezing certain county services and trimming staff. Then came the county's proposal to target illegal immigrants.

Although the effort was started by Supervisor John T. Stirrup Jr. (R-Gainesville), Stewart quickly became the policy's biggest champion. In recent months, he has appeared on national television, testified before Congress and traded barbs with officials in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. "Corey Stewart Cracks Down on Illegal Immigration!" his campaign Web site trumpets.

Stewart's goal is to make his rematch against Pandak a referendum on illegal immigration, tapping into a groundswell of frustration over quality-of-life concerns, such as residential overcrowding, day laborers and gang activity. So when fellow Prince William supervisors deferred a vote on financing the county's plan to target illegal immigrants, Stewart didn't conceal his eagerness to get the measure approved before Election Day.

"I have insisted that the Board vote on this no later than October 16," he wrote to a constituent in an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "This is the last meeting before the election on November 6, and it is imperative that the Board vote before the election to avoid losing momentum."

Stewart later said in an interview that he would be "knocking heads and twisting arms" because he "didn't trust [other supervisors] to do the right thing."