Democrats Gather at "Friendraiser" to Introduce New Legislators

Del. Bob Brink came to McLean Sunday afternoon to meet his new voters/neighbors. Much of McLean is now part of the 48th House District that he represents in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Also attending the "friendraiser":  Pamela Danner, who hopes to represent the rest of McLean in the 34th House District  after the November elections. She's running for the delegate seat now held by Republican Barbara Comstock.

On hand to underscore the importance of  these two delegate races for Democrats were Virginia state Democratic Party Chairman Brian Moran and chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the House of Delegates Ken Plum,

Former Del. Margi Vanderhye organized the "friendraiser" for Brink and Danner. More than 50 neighbors, candidates and Democratic party workers  jammed her home in Langley.

Why you should care: The Comstock-Danner race is a high-profile race for both parties. McLean is considered a swing district – located between overwhelming Democratic Arlington and Republican-rich Great Falls.

Secondly, in redistricting this year, Republicans in the House of Delegates and Democrats in the Virginia Senate split up (aka gerrymandered) McLean among three delegate districts and two Senate districts. You probably now live in a new district and have new representatives.

"I'm here to demonstrate these races . . . will be among the top races in Virginia," Moran told the Sunday gathering. "This is our opportunity to return some of those Democratic values to Richmond," he said. He then went on to call Comstock "an extremist ideologue" who does not represent McLean values.

"It's an aberration what's gone on in the last two years and it will come to an end this November," he said.

The 34th District was long a Republican stronghold represented by Vince Callahan, who retired in 2007. Vanderhye then won the seat only to be defeated in 2009 by Comstock by a very slim margin.

Brink, who lives in North Arlington, said he welcomed the friendraiser because "There are 20,000 in McLean who were recently added to the 48th. I want to meet them and tell them what my priorities are and where Northern Virginia should be headed."

Danner said she liked the friendraiser because "People will come and they don't feel pressured to contribute to the candidate. We think volunteers and support is just as important as money."

Why were big-name Democrats there? she was asked. "They see this race as winnable. Barbara (Comstock) is not in tune with the district. She's too far right," Danner said.

Also attending:

Rob Jackson, president of the McLean Citizens Association. 

Jeffrey Barnett, a retired Air Force officer and McLean resident who ran unsuccessfully against Republican Frank Wolf  in 2010.

Del. Charniele L. Herring, who was elected from the 46th district in 2009. Moran held this seat until he left to run for governor in 2009 and lost in a three-way Democratic primary.

Arlington County board member Barbara Favola and Jaime Areizaga-Soto, a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), who are running for the 31st district state Senate seat. Favola and Areizaga-Soto will face each other in the August Democratic primary.