Herndon Mayor Keven LeBlanc will be joined by an almost entirely new town council next year, as voters handed all but one seat to first-time candidates in yesterday’s election.
Sabrina Bruce, a U.S. Space Force veteran forced out by the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members, led a crowded field of 12 candidates vying for six open seats with 12.8% of all votes cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Election Day is still a day away, but Fairfax County voters have already been surging to the polls as part of a statewide and nationwide upswing in early voting.
More than 227,000 county voters have already cast their ballots for the Nov. 3 election through early voting, which concluded at 5 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 31), according to data from the Virginia Department of Elections collected by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
When Herndon voters head to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday), they will have a dozen candidates to choose from for the next town council, including five incumbents and a diverse slate of challengers.
Justin Britt is hopeful that his multi-faceted connection to the town as a longtime resident and community volunteer who also owns a small business will distinguish him in a crowded field of contenders.
As he campaigns for a third term, Herndon Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick is well aware that an electoral victory would come with some daunting responsibilities.
Among the tasks awaiting the next Herndon Town Council are the hiring of a new town manager, a resolution of the ongoing legal battle over Comstock Companies’ downtown property, the development of an affordable housing policy and the completion of a comprehensive plan update that will guide the town’s evolution over the next quarter-century.
While still fighting to regain control of 5 acres ceded to Comstock Companies in 2020, Herndon officials aren’t waiting on the private developer to bring new life to their historic downtown.
The Herndon Town Council authorized staff on Tuesday (Oct. 27) to submit downtown Herndon for inclusion in Virginia Main Street, a state-led program that provides resources for communities seeking to revitalize and promote their downtowns and commercial districts.
Though he hasn’t won elected office before, Stevan Porter is likely a familiar face to many Herndon voters.
In addition to serving as vice chair of the town’s Board of Zoning Appeals, Porter has three campaigns for Herndon Town Council under his belt. After falling just 34 votes shy of winning election in 2024, he’s hopeful that his fourth bid for a seat could put him over the top.
If he’s reelected to the Herndon Town Council, Kelvin Garcia has no intention of becoming complacent.
The former law enforcement officer is proud of his accomplishments from his first two years on the council, including the creation of a youth advisory committee and his support of collective bargaining for the town’s police department. But he believes he still has more work to do.
Josif Ezekilov originally arrived in Herndon about two years ago as a community organizer for the New Virginia Majority, tasked by the civic engagement group with amplifying the voices of the town’s Latino residents.
After falling in love with the small town and moving there with his wife, Ezekilov now hopes to bring that same activist energy and focus on the needs of immigrants and the working class to the Herndon Town Council.
The Town of Herndon has parted ways with its top executive less than a year into his tenure.
The Herndon Town Council voted in a closed meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 29) to “end the employment of Town Manager Dan Hoffman, effective immediately,” the town announced on its Facebook page yesterday afternoon (Thursday).
As Democrats attempt to flip control of Congress from the current Republican majority, all eyes will be on national races, but the Nov. 3 election will also give Fairfax County voters a number of questions with local and state implications to consider.
Early in-person voting will kick off countywide tomorrow (Sept. 18) for seats in the House and Senate as well as local issues regarding funding for parks and health and human services projects. In addition, voters will be asked to vote on three constitutional amendments addressing abortion, gay marriage, and voting rights.
