Examiner endorsements: Fairfax County

The 40-year, tough-on-crime reputation of retired Fairfax County prosecutor Robert Horan and chief deputy Ray Morrogh, who is running to succeed him, is under siege by Republican Patrick McDade, who cites a Virginia Supreme Court study that found only 28 percent of felonies in Fairfax County are prosecuted – the worst rate in the commonwealth. Morrough was also tarnished by recent scandals involving reduced charges in a violent rape case and a Fairfax prosecutor found guilty of erasing a drunken driving conviction. McDade is right: it’s time for a change.

Clerk of the Court: John Frey

School Board: Despite a $2.2 billion budget, 68 Fairfax County schools failed to make the grade under No Child Left Behind, up from 32 last year. The board desperately needs fresh thinking. The Examiner’s choices for At large positions are:

Paul Costantino, a counselor at the Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center, will remind School Board members what happens when public schools fail in their primary mission.

Steve Hunt, a former Navy pilot, is one of the few incumbents who advocates for parents and is not afraid to ask hard questions and challenge school system bureaucrats.

Chris Braunlich, a former board member and persistent critic of teaching fads that don’t focus on mastery of basic skills, has been vindicated: Despite vast income disparities, Richmond 5th graders do as well in Reading as their Fairfax County counterparts.

Other School Board endorsements:

Braddock: Tessie Wilson

Hunter Mill: Christine Arakelian

Springfield: Liz Bradsher

Sully: John Litzenberger