Republican Prince William County Supervisor John Stirrup’s illegal-immigration resolution is at the heart of his re-election campaign against Democratic challenger Corey Riley — and both sides like their chances in the booming Gainesville district south of Manassas.
The resolution, which aims to deny services to illegal immigrants and make it easier to deport those who break the law, established Stirrup as someone who would address an issue when no one else would come forward, he said.
Recommended Stories
But instead of treating the vexing matter with the careful consideration it demanded, Riley said, Stirrup thrust the controversial measure on the county staff and fellow supervisors in a last-minute manner that fostered division and anger.
“To build a coalition aimed at resolving this issue would have been the better way to go,” Riley said, comparing Stirrup’s approach to throwing a grenade in a room, blowing everything up and then trying to cobble it back together.
“I take exception to that,” Stirrup responded. “If anything it’s brought the community together. They are delighted that someone stepped forward and took a leadership on this illegal-immigration issue.”
Entering his first re-election campaign, Stirrup, a government relations adviser for a national trucking firm, has $17,300 cash on hand, a substantial advantage over the $3,800 held by Riley, an executive director for a nonprofit health care center for the working poor.
Showcasing the immigration resolution gives Stirrup a signature achievement that can set him apart on an eight-person board and demonstrate how he responded to concerns in the district.
“A re-election is generally a referendum on the incumbent and I’m happy to stand by my record,” he said.
But the division created by the resolution also helps Riley, who has made repairing relations, whether between longtime residents and immigrants or the school board and the county supervisors, the theme of his campaign.
“I am focusing on bringing a new energy and a new dynamic to the Gainesville district,” Riley said.
