The Town of Herndon has elected a new mayor and town council.
Councilmember Keven LeBlanc will be Herndon’s first openly gay mayor after defeating fellow Councilmember Pradip Dhakal with 55.3% of the vote to his opponent’s 43.5%, according to unofficial returns from the Virginia Department of Elections.
In a town with 24,935 residents, per Census estimates, just 1,014 votes separated the two mayoral candidates. LeBlanc received 4,760 votes, while Dhakal got 3,746 with a total of 8,605 ballots cast in the race, including 99 write-in votes.
Currently in his first term on the town council, LeBlanc will succeed Mayor Sheila Olem, who endorsed his candidacy after deciding not to seek reelection.
“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be elected as Herndon’s first openly LGBTQ+ Mayor,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “This victory represents our town’s commitment to inclusivity, progress, and preserving our unique charm as we move toward a bright future together. I look forward to serving our residents and supporting our local businesses as we walk forward, hand in hand.”
He told FFXnow he hopes to continue furthering the goals in the 2024-2029 strategic plan adopted by the current town council, proposing to introduce roundtables and a mayor’s advisory group to increase communication with the public.
Other priorities include evaluating options for affordable and workforce housing, promoting “a vibrant local economy,” reviewing the budget and funding sources, managing growth around the Herndon Metro station, preserving green spaces, and addressing police and staff compensation to support worker recruitment and retention.
Thanking his supporters and congratulating LeBlanc on his victory, Dhakal expressed hope that the new mayor will support policies that recognize diversity as one of Herndon’s “greatest strengths,” including ones that streamline bureaucratic processes for starting new businesses and building homes.
“I wish him every success in his new role and hope he serves all parts of our town, from historic downtown to every neighborhood,” Dhakal said in a statement to FFXnow. “My hope is that he will focus not only on appearances but on the well-being of our workforce, ensuring Herndon remains a place where those who keep our community running can afford to live and thrive.”
Over in the town council race, which saw nine candidates vying for six seats, Arts Herndon Treasurer Michael Lloyd led the way with 4,821 votes, according to the unofficial results. He will be joined by two incumbents — Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick, who received 4,259 votes, and Councilmember Cesar del Aguila, who got 3,931 votes — as well as three other newcomers:
- Teacher and former Army Reserves soldier Alex Reyes (4,195)
- Herndon High School football coach and one-time sheriff candidate Kelvin Garcia (4,087)
- Herndon Board of Zoning Appeals Vice Chair Stevan Michael Porter (3,857)
Incumbent Councilmember Naila Alam secured 3,847 votes — just 11 votes short of reelection after facing a late-season attack by Rep. Gerry Connolly, who questioned her attendance record. Alam characterized his criticism as retaliation against the local Muslim American community after they ran a primary challenger against him in June.
Reelected to a ninth term in Congress last night, Connolly also accused Hedrick of being a “professional Republican” and highlighted Porter’s past campaign against him as a Libertarian. Shortly after polls opened on Election Day, he argued that “real” Democrats are supporting Dhakal.
The role of political parties in Herndon’s officially nonpartisan election became a source of controversy after the Fairfax County Democratic Committee endorsed Dhakal and five town council candidates — Alam, del Aguila, Lloyd, Garcia and Herndon Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee Vice Chair Soma Ramesh — in an August caucus.
LeBlanc argued that the FCDC weighing in would “unfairly and unduly influence” the election but campaigned for an endorsement because he didn’t want it to back his opponent “without any challenge at all.”
In his statement, Dhakal reflected on the hard-fought battle for mayor by calling for future candidates to focus on ideas, “not on personal attacks or misinformation.”
While he didn’t specify a specific issue from this election cycle, the Fairfax County Times ran stories on Oct. 22 and Nov. 1 alleging ethics violations related to his support for community events like Juneteenth and a planned charity golf tournament organized by the Stars & Stripes NOVA Committee.
“Upholding truth and integrity should be the standard for all who seek to serve,” Dhakal said. “Herndon doesn’t want to set negative campaigns and misrepresentation as the precedence for winning election. We can do better. Let’s change that course going forward.”
Herndon’s mayor and town council members serve two-year terms, though there was a briefly entertained discussion in recent years of advocating for an increase in term lengths.
The change in leadership comes as Herndon considers its future identity, debating how to approach development, affordable housing and the town’s role in supporting local businesses and community events in the wake of the Herndon Festival’s dissolution after 43 years.
