Fairfax Democrats Gather to Cheer Kaine, Raise Cash

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 rev up the troops for the upcoming November state and county elections.

Fairfax County Democrats are key to whether the Democrats can maintain control of both the U.S. Senate  in 2012and the Virginia State Senate in 2011. Virginia, once a yellow-dog Democratic state, turned Republican like much of the South in the 1970's. 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 Tom Kaine, a former govern0r, 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, Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, who is retiring, and Del. Jim Scott.

Also attending were Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and most of her fellow Democrats including Dranesville Supervisor John Foust, and  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 also 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, 2 bottles of wine with dinner, 10 VIP reception tickets.

"This is the premier fund-raiser (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 Soil and Conservation District commissioners to sheriff to state senate, 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, it was difficult to get the Tysons Hilton, etc.

-----------------------------------------

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