In his nearly three decades in office, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) had never faced such an aggressive and well-funded challenger as Democrat Judy Feder.
Yet Wolf garnered a solid victory over Feder in Tuesday's election, collecting 57 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election returns. Feder brought in 40 percent of the total 212,475 votes cast, with 93 percent of precincts reporting.
Libertarian Wilbur Wood and independent Neeraj Nigam each polled at under one percent.
Supporters chanted his name as Wolf climbed to the stage at his victory party at the Holiday Inn in Dulles. Smiling through the balloons that filled the room, Wolf thanked his supporters and volunteers.
"I am very grateful," said the 26-year incumbent said. "I do not take this for granted."
Wolf continued saying he was proud of his campaign. "I ran my race based on what I have done," Wolf said. "Equally important, if not more important, is how I have done it. Not by polarizing, not by condemning, but with my record of honesty."
When Wolf was first elected, he was a member of the minority party in the House of Representatives. Now, after 12 years in the majority, he will be in the minority once again, according to preliminary national election returns.
"I plan to be the same member of congress in the future as I have been in the past," Wolf said.
Despite her loss Tuesday, Feder Ñ who is Dean of the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University Ñ gave Wolf the fight of his political career. Wolf typically coasts to re-election, but Feder matched Wolf in fundraising and pulled closer to him in the polls than ever before.
It was in drawing a large number of supporters to polls, Feder said, that sent the biggest message to area voters and politicians.
"We are all about change and we are going to continue the work that we started with this campaign," Feder said to a cheering crowd of supporters after formally conceding the election to Wolf a little before 9:30 p.m.
With a large smile, Feder thanked her campaign staffers and her family, including her son who had been her press secretary throughout the race. Following her concession she joined with staffers as she raised her hands in triumph to the flash of camera bulbs and the cheers of fellow democrats.
THE 10TH CONGRESSIONAL District includes Loudoun County, Oakton, McLean, Great Falls, Centreville, Chantilly and Herndon. Though it was once considered a GOP stronghold, the district has experienced an influx of thousands of new voters, many voting Democratic.
Last year, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) carried the district with 50.3 percent of the vote and the district's voters overwhelmingly favored Del. David Poisson (D-32) in 2005 and Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) in January.
Feder had hoped to ride the district's new Democratic leanings Ñ as well as a national wave of Democratic support Ñ on Tuesday, but she failed to convince voters that Wolf had overstayed his welcome.
During the campaign, Feder sought to highlight Wolf's opposition to stem cell research, his acceptance of $71,000 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry and his 90 percent support of President George W. Bush.
Feder's bid for a seat marked a change in area voter mentality and a growing discontent over "rubber stamp" Republican congressional behavior said Jennifer Boysko, a Feder volunteer and polling place official.
"When Judy originally got into this race it was to have someone running against Wolf," Boysko said. "The fact that she was able to generate this much interest has really worked to show Frank Wolf that people aren't happy with what's going on in congress."
For his part, Wolf emphasized his leadership on local issues, including the Dulles Rail Project and the threat of violent gangs in Northern Virginia. He also pointed to his ability to bring home funds for transportation projects, such as the widening of I-66 and traffic light synchronization along Leesburg Pike.
Wolf also has been a leader in congress in his advocacy against the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and of human rights abuses in China and elsewhere.
"Frank Wolf is the conscience of the Virginia delegation," said Virginia Attorney Bob McDonnell, one of the top Republicans in the state.