Party Pledge
“All legal and qualified voters of the Magisterial District of Dranesville, regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, or sex, under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who are in accord with the principles of the Republican Party and who express in open meeting either orally or in writing, if requested, or as may be required, their intent to support all of its nominees for public office in the ensuing election, may participate as members of the Fairfax County Republican Party in the party canvass ….”
Two Dranesville District Republicans, Joan DuBois of McLean and Bob McConahy of Great Falls, will go before a party canvass at the McLean Government Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 10, to decide which of them will stand as the Republican nominee for supervisor on Nov. 4.
Any person who is a registered Virginia voter may participate, although the party might require them to sign a pledge of support. In Virginia, voters do not register by political parties.
DuBois, 61, is Dranesville District planning commissioner and an associate for Travesky & Associates Ltd., a consulting firm that specialized in government and community relations.
McConahy, 70, is the parish administrator for St. Timonthy’s Episcopal Church in Herndon.
Dranesville, traditionally a predominately Republican District, includes Great Falls, Herndon and McLean. It has been represented on the Board of Supervisors for two terms by Stuart Mendelsohn of Great Falls, who is not seeking re-election to a third term.
The last time a Democrat held the office was Lilla Richards of McLean in 1989-92.
From 1993-96, Dranesville District was represented by Republican Ernest Berger, who lost a primary race for chairman of the Board of Supervisors to Elaine McConnell (R-Springfield).
She lost to incumbent Board chairman Kate Hanley, then the Providence District Supervisor. Hanley was elected mid-term to succeed U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-10), who resigned as Fairfax Board chairman to run for Congress.