All three incumbents vying for seats on Herndon’s town council this year are on track for reelection after all.
Councilmember Naila Alam secured a spot on the council based on the final tally of votes from this year’s Nov. 5 general election, pushing out Herndon Board of Zoning Appeals Vice Chair Stevan Michael Porter, who had an edge in preliminary election night results.
The Town of Herndon announced yesterday (Tuesday) that its election results are now official after getting certified by the Fairfax County Electoral Board.
The certified results confirm that Councilmember Keven LeBlanc has been elected as Herndon’s next mayor after he received 4,975 votes, defeating fellow Councilmember Pradip Dhakal by 1,034 votes.
In addition, five seats in the town council race were unchanged, going to incumbent Councilmember Cesar del Aguila, current Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick, former D.C. police officer Kelvin Garcia, Arts Herndon treasurer Michael Lloyd and teacher Alexis “Alex” Reyes. Lloyd got the most votes at 4,981 — over 500 more than Hedrick, the second-highest finisher.
However, the battle for the council’s sixth open seat was a close call. The day after the election, unofficial returns gave Porter a 10-vote edge with 3,857 ballots to Alam’s 3,847, but their positions reversed after a canvass added provisional ballots and absentee ballots that arrived at the Fairfax County Office of Elections by mail before noon on Friday, Nov. 8 to the count.
According to the final results, Alam received a total of 4,026 votes, while Porter received 3,992 — a 34-vote difference.
Vote recount requested
Porter shared yesterday that he filed a petition with the Fairfax County Circuit Court on Monday, Nov. 18 requesting a recount. The decision was made “after careful consideration and discussion with advisors, my campaign team, and a number of supporters,” he said in a Facebook post.
“The next step is that a Recount Court will be established and a preliminary hearing will be scheduled within 7 days,” he wrote. “That hearing will set the dates, location, and other specifics for the actual ballot recount.”
Porter told FFXnow that he requested a recount due to the closeness of the race, but he’s not challenging the validity of any ballots or voters.
“I have full faith that the safeguards executed by the Fairfax County Office of Elections in regards to those types of concerns were appropriate,” Porter said by email.
Alam shares priorities for third term
Alam, who is currently serving her second term on the council after first taking office in 2020, encountered opposition from an unexpected source when Rep. Gerry Connolly attacked her attendance record. One of five council candidates to get endorsed by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, she characterized the congressman’s comments as retaliation against the local Muslim American community for its role in organizing a primary challenge against him.
Now preparing for a third two-year term, assuming any recount upholds the certified election results, Alam says her top priorities will include finishing Herndon’s downtown redevelopment, supporting the development of affordable housing, and funding multicultural festivals.
“This is a must for future growth and new revenue streams,” Alam said of developer Comstock’s long-delayed mixed-use project.
The Town of Herndon established a Community Cultural Festival Donation Program that lets nonprofit organizations request public fund donations to support new events. As of Oct. 30, the town council had approved spending $59,300 of the $120,000 allocated to the program in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, according to quarterly memos from town staff.
Beneficiaries have included the town’s first-ever Herndon Pride celebration, a Juneteenth event hosted by Arts Herndon and the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival held in September to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month.
“We need to be more deliberate with funding items that broaden our inclusion of our diverse communities,” Alam said.
Alam says she also hopes to raise awareness of scams that target elderly and vulnerable residents, get a permanent Department of Motor Vehicles facility established in the town, bring more electric vehicle charging stations, improve green spaces and the accessibility of sidewalks, and host an annual senior day and a health fair.
LeBlanc and the new 2025-2026 town council will assume office on Jan. 1, 2025. Before their first work session, they will be greeted with a swearing-in ceremony at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in the Herndon Council Chambers (765 Lynn Street).
Photo via Town of Herndon
