Candidates Forum in McLean Tonight, Y'All Come

Tonight is your only chance to hear and question the candidates running for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chair, Dranesville supervisor and Dranesville School Board, all together here in McLean.

They will all appear at 7 p.m. at McLean High School. The Nov. 8 election is an important election because control of the Fairfax County School Board* is at stake and two McLean neighbors headline one of the hottest races.

The McLean Citizens Association and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce joined together to bring all the candidates to you in a convenient location for an airing of issues important to you.

The candidates scheduled to appear and they offices they seek:

Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors: Sharon Bulova, Democrat, incumbent. Spike Williams, Republican, challenger.

Dranesville Supervisor to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors: John Foust, Democrat, incumbent. Dennis Husch, Republican, challenger.

Dranesville School Board Member: Jane Strauss, endorsed by the Democratic Party, incumbent. Louise Epstein, endorsed by the Republican Party, incumbent.

"Let’s get a big turnout to hear Bulova, Williams, Foust, Husch, Strauss and Epstein explain why we should vote for them to serve us in local government," said MCA president Rob Jackson, in a note to MCA members. "These are good people who stand ready to answer our questions as well. Let’s not disappoint them," Jackson said.

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton will also attend.

Candidates Forum: 7 p.m. at McLean High School. 

*Only about a third of McLean residents have children in the public schools so here's why you care about this race if you have no school-age children: You pay for them. The current Fairfax County schools budget is $2.2 billion. Fifty-two percent of the county's budget goes to the schools.

McLean property values are higher than average partly because of the great reputation of McLean and Langley schools.