Only a few weeks ago, Democrats swept all five of Virginia's statewide offices — largely with the help of organizations from Northern Virginia. Now Alexandria Democratic Committee Chairman Dak Hardwick is stepping down and making room for new blood. Hardwick has led the organization for the last two years, a time when the party had the largest field of City Council candidates in the city's history and unseated two Republican incumbents on the council."I believe this is the first time in Alexandria's history that, at all levels of government, we are represented by only Democrats," Hardwick said in a letter to committee members. "I am proud of that accomplishment and you should be proud as well."This week, members of the committee met and elected a new slate of leaders. At the top of the organization is the new chairman, Clarence Tong, who was elected to a two-year term Monday night. Tong is a founder of the Asian American Civic Project and a member of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee. He's a former member of the Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board and a former legislative director for U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). He currently serves in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We know that when Obama coalition voters turn out, Democrats win," said Tong. "The ADC is a strong political organization that will stay focused on keeping Democrats energized across Alexandria."