Fairfax Democrats Gather to Cheer Kaine, Raise $$

A who's who of Fairfax County Democrats gathered Sunday evening to hear a former governor who's running for the U.S. Senate, raise money, see each other and for the upcoming November state and county elections.

Fairfax County is key to whether the Democrats can maintain control of both the U.S. Senate in 2012 and the Virginia Senate in 2011. Virginia, once a yellow-dog Democratic state, turned Republican like much of the South in the 1970s. Democrats returned to the governor's seat until the 2009 loss.

Democrats need to run up huge margins in Fairfax, the city of Richmond and the Tidewater to win the state. The rest of the state is usually a sea of red Republican territory.

U.S. Senate candidate and former Gov. Tim Kaine, who headlined the Jefferson Jackson* dinner, talked of Virginia's importance in national politics, calling it "a battleground state."

"People are talking about Virginia like Ohio," he said.

The crowd of more than 400 that gathered at the Tysons Hilton included U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, state Sen. Janet Howell and state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, who is retiring; Del. Jim Scott, who formerly represented part of McLean; and McLean's new delegates, Bob Brink and Mark Keam.

Also in attendance: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and most of her fellow Democrats, including Dranesville Supervisor John Foust, school board member Jane Strauss and Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond Morrough.

Then there were the candidates running for office: Barbara Favola, who is running for the new House of Delegates seat; Pamela Danner, who will announce her candidacy for Barbara Comstock's 34th District seat May 16; and school board aspirant Greg Brandon.

Also unsuccessful candidates: Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe, who ran against each other for Virginia governor in 2009.

The crowd included donors, some of whom paid up to $3,500 and rank-and-file party members.

"This is the infrastructure for our political activities," Foust said. "Every year we have this event . . . that does a lot for the candidates," he said. The money pays for "putting together the back-to-school packets (for voters), expanding databases for recruiting volunteers. They have phone banks, things that are essential to running a campaign," he said.

The tickets ranged in price from $150 for $3,500, which included dinner for 10, two bottles of wine with dinner and 10 VIP reception tickets.

"This is the premier fundraiser (for Fairfax Democrats) and one of the largest in Virginia," said Rex Simmons, chair of the Fairfax County Democrats. The money will be spent to help Democratic candidates running for all state offices, he said.

When asked whose decision it was to hold the dinner on the evening of Mother's Day, Simmons said the event had been booked a long time ago because it was difficult to get the Tysons Hilton.

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*The Jefferson Jackson dinner is named for Virginian Thomas Jefferson, third president of the U.S., and Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the U.S. They are considered the fathers of the Democratic party.

Andrew Jackson was born in the Carolinas according to his White House biography. As an adult he moved to Tennessee.