Democrat Has Slim Lead In 46th House District

Democrat Charniele Herring held a minuscule lead over Republican opponent Joe Murray in a special House election yesterday in the Alexandria area, according to unofficial results.

Herring, a lawyer, led Murray by 16 votes, with all precincts reporting, and election officials were meeting last night to review the tallies. Murray, a Republican congressional aide, said he had not decided whether to seek a recount. "We're not conceding," he said.

The surprisingly close race in the heavily Democratic 46th House District capped a harried month of campaigning for a seat left open when Brian Moran stepped down to run full time for governor. It was seen by some as an embarrassing stumble by Alexandria Democrats. President-elect Barack Obama won the city with 72 percent of the vote.

"Not a ringing endorsement of me? I don't think that that's the case," Herring said. "I think it's just the nature of the special election. . . . This can happen. Voter turnout is low."

Just 2,679, or less then 6 percent, of the district's 48,023 voters cast ballots yesterday, according to unofficial results. The district is made up of western Alexandria and a sliver of Fairfax County in the Skyline area.

Murray's backers lent and donated thousands of dollars to his campaign in the contest's final days to compete with Herring's aggressive fundraising.

At Alexandria's Beth El Hebrew Congregation, some die-hard voters, including partisans on both sides, said they cast ballots more out of civic duty or party loyalty than to support either of these particular candidates, whom they didn't know well, if at all.

"I didn't investigate. It didn't matter who the Democrat was. I was going to vote for her," said James King, a teacher who said he was voting in a special election for the first time. "I'm just so fed up with Republicans at this point."

Republican voter Yvonne Hillings said she received three calls from Murray supporters. "I was amazed," she said. "They're really doing good work for him."

Herring, 39, said she planned to set out for Richmond before sunrise to prepare for the session's opening today.

The State Board of Elections will determine when the results are official.

Herring became homeless as a teenager after her mother lost her job, an experience that supporters said will shape her priorities. "Her life story is the American dream in action," said Del. Kristen J. Amundson (D-Fairfax). "She's going to be worried about people who are struggling in this economy."

Herring outflanked more-senior Democrats in her bid for the open seat. Former Alexandria mayor Kerry J. Donley, for instance, was considering running but decided to seek a City Council seat instead.

"Politics is a game of opportunity," Donley said. "This worked out well for her, and I wish her good luck."