The new Democratic majority in the state Senate will drastically increase Northern Virginia’s legislative clout, politicians and analysts said, giving some relief to residents who frequently complain rural lawmakers shortchange the region.
As the state’s economic powerhouse, Northern Virginia regularly sends much more tax revenue to Richmond than the state spends in the area. Even as the region’s population and wealth have increased during the past 20 years, rural lawmakers devised funding formulas that discriminated against it in areas such as education and transportation.
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Northern Virginia elected two new Democratic senators Tuesday night, and one area race is in limbo. Democrat Janet Oleszek trailed Republican incumbent Ken Cuccinelli by about 90 votes (0.20 percent) in their western Fairfax County district. The race is close enough to trigger an automatic recount when results are finalized today.
Among the area lawmakers gaining power in the new Senate will be Fairfax County’s Richard Saslaw, who will become majority leader, and Prince William’s Charles Colgan, who will take over as chairman of the chamber’s budget committee.
The Democratic takeover also gives the region a strong chance to increase its power in 2010, when the legislative districts will be redrawn to reflect the latest census. Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, will be chairwoman of the committee that determines new Senate boundaries, meaning the region could gain seats to account for population growth.
“The needs of Northern Virginia will no longer be ignored in the Senate,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly.
Though Northern Virginia Democrats will be eager to reverse years of perceived mistreatment, a political observer warned, they have to remember their duty to look out for all parts of the state.
“For a long time, rural and agricultural issues have dominated the Virginia legislature,” said Sean O’Brien, director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. “Northern Virginians would love to see technology and other suburban industries getting more attention, which is dangerous for other parts of the state where their political power and economic base are eroding. It would be a disaster for the Democrats to ignore those needs.”
