The Election by the Numbers: How the Candidates Won

Highlights of Tuesday's races that involved McLean:

John Foust became the first supervisor in years to carry all 30 precincts in the Dranesville district and to win re-election. His opponent, Dennis Husch, a former Herndon city council member, didn't carry one Herndon precinct, not even his own.

"I think he got more votes than any Dranesville supervisor," said former Republican Dranesville Supervisor Stu Mendelsohn.

Barbara Comstock was the only Republican to win in Dranesville.

In the 31st Senate District race, Democrat Barbara Favola beat Caren Merrick with nearly 60 percent of the vote. Favola won more than 70 percent of the vote in Arlington, but Merrick won the Fairfax and Loudoun precincts.

School board candidate Jane Strauss carried two-thirds of Dranesville's 30 precincts, including all the precincts in and around Herndon and in southern McLean.

Turnout: An estimated 32 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the county but Dranesville turnout was higher -- about 36 percent.

Now for closer look:

31st Senate District

Until this year, the 31st Senate District was solely in heavily Democratic Arlington County. The Senate Democrats reconfigured it in redistricting, leaving the base in Arlington then elongating it by adding 18 precincts in Fairfax, largely in Dranesville, and seven precincts in Loudoun County.

Favola won 71 percent of the Arlington vote but Merrick won the Fairfax precincts by 1,000 votes.

32nd Senate District

Democrat Janet Howell won re-election to her sixth term in the Virginia State Senate with 60 percent of the vote over her Republican opponent attorney Patrick Forrest.

This district now stretches from Arlington to Reston and Chantilly and includes eight McLean precincts. Howell won 70 percent of the Arlington vote and nearly 60 percent of the Fairfax vote.

Overall in Fairfax, the Democratic incumbents won and Democrats held on to two open seat candidates. Barbara Favola and Adam Ebbin won to replace the retiring Mary Margaret Whipple and Patricia Ticer.

34th House District

Republican Barbara Comstock won this seat two years ago by defeating the Democratic incumbent by 561 votes. The Republicans redistricted the seat to make it safer for Republicans by lopping off Democratic precincts. 

Tuesday, Comstock defeated McLean attorney Pamela Danner by slightly more than 2,000 votes. Comstock won with 55 percent of the vote in both the Fairfax and Loudoun precincts that make up the district.

Dranesville Supervisor

John Foust won all 30 precincts in the very diverse Dranesville district, which includes working class neighborhoods in Herndon, baronial estates and hugely Republican precincts in Great Falls and McLean, which is a combination of the two.

Husch failed to carry a single precinct, including his own in Herndon.

Foust won with 60 percent of the vote and is only the third supervisor to be elected to a second term in 30 years, Mendelsohn said.

Mendelsohn said he also won 60 percent of the Dranesville vote in 1999, but he lost four precincts.

"I think John's numbers are more well-rounded. He's clearly following my footsteps," Mendelsohn said with a smile.

Dranesville School Board

Incumbent Jane Strauss won the fiercest Dranesville race by defeating school advocate Louise Epstein by nearly 1,000 votes.

Strauss won two-thirds of the Dranesville precincts including all the precincts in and around Herndon and in the precincts generally south of Dolley Madison Boulevard. Epstein won generally the Republican strongholds around Great Falls.

Just FYI, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova won in the Dranesville district. In fact, Bulova won all nine supervisor districts in Fairfax.

Reaction to the Dranesville returns:

When asked to comment on her win, Comstock sent along the statement  she had sent to her volunteers thanking them for "a great grassroots victory once again."

Ron Bleecker, chair of the Dranesville District Democrats, said: "I think the results show that Dranesville remains a very competitive district, with Democrats, independent voters and moderate Republicans who are willing to split their ballots. It was gratifying to see that the voters showed their continued support for dedicated and thoughtful public officials, such as John Foust, Jane Strauss, Ilryong Moon and Stan Barry."

Anthony Bedell, chairman of the Fairfax GOP did not respond to our request to comment on the election.