Saturday, November 3, 2007; A18
WHEN COREY A. Stewart ran for chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in a special election a year ago, we called him a grandstander and an opportunist who would bring tumult down on the county. We understated the case.
In scarcely 12 months as the top elected official in Virginia's second most populous jurisdiction, Mr. Stewart has mostly ignored the issues on which he ran -- controlling growth, development and traffic -- and undertaken an ugly drive to fan and exploit concern about illegal immigration. Timed to coincide with his own reelection campaign, the immigrant-bashing measures he has pushed have saddled Prince William with a national reputation as Virginia's Capital of Intolerance while doing nothing to address citizens' legitimate concerns about crime, boardinghouses, unkempt lawns or the deterioration of property values and neighborhoods.
In a survey conducted in June by the University of Virginia, just 3.2 percent of Prince William residents named illegal immigration as the issue they most wanted addressed -- about the same as the number who hoped for easier access to grocery stores. That was just before Mr. Stewart got to work inflaming his constituents. Mr. Stewart, a Republican who has run for some political office in nearly each of his six years in Prince William, has diminished and divided the county of 350,000 people, sacrificing its relative social harmony on the altar of political ambition.
A far better candidate is Sharon E. Pandak, a Democrat who was for many years the chief legal adviser to the Board of Supervisors. (The names of all candidates endorsed by The Post appear in bold.) Ms. Pandak lacks Mr. Stewart's knack for backslapping and political maneuver. Rather, she is an honest, forthright and knowledgeable public servant who would do what Mr. Stewart promised and then dropped: chart a responsible course on growth and development for a county that has grown about 30 percent already this decade.
She would also deal more effectively with the valid concerns raised by the presence of illegal immigrants, particularly in the Route 1 corridor and around Manassas -- not by posturing but by being serious about enforcing zoning codes.
Here are our picks in other contested races on Tuesday:
Gainesville District: Republican incumbent John T. Stirrup Jr. was a nonentity on the board until he drafted the original, mean-spirited (and later watered-down) resolution on immigrants and became Mr. Stewart's main partner on the issue. He has beaten the drum to deny county services to illegal immigrants -- never mind the lack of evidence that they receive many such services. His opponent, Democrat Corey R. Riley, the bright, energetic young director of a public health center, would make a better supervisor, injecting a note of moderation and constructive dialogue into a debate in which such input is badly needed.
Occoquan District: Republican Michael C. "Mike" May, a lawyer who won a special election in January, voted for the ill-considered resolution on illegal immigration. His challenger, Independent John S. Gray, an accountant and 20-year
Occoquan resident, rightly calls the resolution a "sledgehammer" approach. Both candidates recognize a need to raise the property tax rate to meet budget demands, but Mr. Gray has been much more forthright on the fiscal details. His extensive experience in county public service is another asset.
Woodbridge District: Two capable candidates -- Democrat Frank J. Principi and Independent Steven Keen -- are running to replace retiring Supervisor Hilda M. Barg, who held the seat for 20 years. Mr. Principi, a small-business owner with broad knowledge of county affairs, is a pragmatist who has given serious thought to the growth and development challenges facing the district. Mr. Keen, a conscientious former School Board member, lacks that breadth of experience. The Republican candidate, Chris A. Royse, a security consultant, has tried to sell
voters the fairy tale that the county can be rid of every illegal immigrant who jaywalks, litters or loiters.
In races for the School Board, just two seats are contested. In Neabsco District, incumbent Julie C. Lucas is the clear choice over challengers Belkacem Hacene-Djaballah and Manes Pierre. Ms. Lucas demonstrated in her five years on the board an ability to work with principals on programs boosting student achievement.
For the open Brentsville District seat, we favor D.R. "Desi" Arnaiz over Gilbert A. "Gil" Trenum Jr. Mr. Arnaiz, a retired military officer and technology company owner, would bring a real-world sensibility to the schools, favoring, for instance, improvements in vocational education.
In the race for sheriff, incumbent Glen Hill (R) deserves to be reelected for restoring a sense of integrity and discipline to a department once beleaguered by scandal.
Other endorsements can be found athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/endorsements.
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