PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Alexandria, VA Alexandria Permit #482 Gazette Packet Attention Postmaster: Time-sensitive material. Address Service Requested To: 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 25 Cents Vol. CCXXIV, No. 45 Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper November 6, 2008 Senator from Old Town Mark Warner sweeps every precinct in the city with a decisive victory over Jim Gilmore. by Photo By Michael Lee Pope listen. “Marian Van Landingham is going to Gazette Packet get more votes today than during any pre- vious election.” Robbie Hammer light drizzle of rain began to drip Inside the building, Warner was casting through the clouds as United his ballot for an “elector” in support of AStates Senate hopeful Mark Barack Obama. That individual is none Warner arrived to cast his ballot other than Van Landingham, the longtime at his home precinct in Old Town Alexan- Alexandria representative in the House of /Gazette Packet dria Tuesday morning. A throng of televi- Delegates. She will be representing Warner sion cameras and media types trailed the and all the other Democratic voters who candidate as he found his way into the doors were casting ballots inside the elementary of the school where Alexandria Mayor Bill school building. Although the State Board Euille once learned the alphabet. They of Elections currently plans to hold the Elec- waited patiently as the sidewalk in front of toral College session in the historic cham- the precinct became a tailgating party for ber of the House of Delegates — a museum- Senator-elect Mark Warner, Governor Tim Kaine and Senator Jim Webb the Alexandria Democratic Committee. like part in the core of a building designed watch early results while attending the Democrat watch party in McLean “I have a prediction,” announced Chair- by Thomas Jefferson — Kellom and Van on Tuesday night. Warner defeated former Virginia Governor Jim woman Susan Kellom to anyone who would See Warner, Page 39 Gilmore for the Senate seat. Signed, Sealed, Delivered because of what we’ve been through and Obama’s largest margin of victory, where he Alexandria Obama what we’ve seen,” said Dorothy Turner, a took more than 80 percent of the vote. Re- supporters celebrate 1946 graduate of segregated Parker Gray publican candidate John McCain had his High School. “At the same time, it’s remark- strongest showing at the Cameron Commu- victory after a rigor- able that all the young people have been so nity Center precinct, where he had 853 votes. interested in this campaign.” The Republican candidate’s largest margins ous ground effort. of support were at the City Hall precinct, BARACK OBAMA won every precinct in where he won 43 percent of the voters, and By Michael Lee Pope Alexandria, snagging the highest number of Lyles-Crouch Elementary School precinct, Gazette Packet voters at Cora Kelly Elementary School, where where McCain took 40 percent of the returns. the Democratic candidate added 2,343 votes “If McCain was a wine, he would be a 2005 he call and response of “yes we can” to his citywide tally. Cora Kelly was also See Obama, Page 42 Tbecame increasingly more exuber- ant as P.J. Palmer-Johnson raised her hands toward the ceiling Tuesday night. Her late husband had been an early sup- porter of Democratic presidential candidate Lee Pope/Gazette Packet by Michael Photos Barack Obama, and since losing him dur- ing the campaign she had taken up the Dorothy Turner, who graduated mantle of volunteering for an Obama vic- from the segregated Parker Gray tory in Virginia. For months she has been High School in 1946, said she making telephone calls and knocking on the viewed Obama’s victory as a the doors of strangers. Now after cajoling and culmination of her generation’s praying and waiting and endlessly hoping, struggle for racial equality. the moment had finally arrived. Obama won with its colorful lights bounding around the Virginia and with it the White House. room as volunteers danced to Stevie “I was working for two people,” she said Wonder’s hit song “Signed, Sealed, Deliv- through tears of joy after hearing Obama’s ered.” Waiters and waitresses hugged victory speech, which was broadcast live Obama volunteers, making resolutions from Grant Park in Chicago. “My husband about how their lives would change under is up in heaven now saying ‘well done.’” an Obama administration. For many of Palmer-Johnson and a capacity crowd of those attracted to the campaign, the poten- well-worn campaign volunteers packed the tial for a breakthrough in race relations was District of Columbia resident Aki Roberge and Arlington resident Steve Carlyle Club Tuesday night to watch elec- a driving motivation that kept them work- Rogovin, who both volunteered for the Obama campaign in Alexandria, tion returns on CNN. The triumph of vic- ing feverishly over the last few weeks. dance in celebration after Obama was announced winner of the presi- tory was palpable in the Art Deco nightclub, “I think this means more to older people dential election Tuesday night. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ November 6-12, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ November 6-12, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Election 2008 At the Polls Moran Wins U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Republican challenger Mark Ellmore comes up short /Gazette after a vigorous campaign. by Photos By Michael Lee Pope and David Schultz Gazette Packet Louise Krafft Louise Krafft fter winning an overwhelming victory against two challengers on the ballot Photo by Photo Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) has /Gazette The lines were steady and long at Blessed Sacrament A an ambitious agenda for the next session Church polling station on Tuesday morning. of Congress — one in which the Democratic Party will be increasing its margins of power in Washing- Sample Ballot “Our ballot is easier to read for ton. On the campaign trail this year, Moran set a older people,” responded Demo- series of ambitious goals for the coming session of Sampling cratic volunteer Anne Fogle, stand- Congress. As a senior member of the Appropriations ing a few feet away on the side- Committee, the congressman has set his sights on Voters on their way into polling walk outside the precinct. “It’s dis- securing federal funding for a long list of priorities: precincts on Tuesday found them- tinctive, and — well — it’s blue.” blast-mitigation technology research, new types of selves confronted by two rival cancer research, environmental restoration, light-rail sample ballots — one Republican connectors and a new boathouse along the Arling- and one Democratic. But that Heavy Turnout ton shore of the Potomac River. wasn’t where the differences Early morning voters were con- “People are fed up with the direction we’ve been ended. fronted with two-hour waits as city going in,” Moran said during his standard stump Democratic names were printed voters clogged precincts all over speech. “We need to change our direction.” on full-size blue paper while the Alexandria as Election Day began Although Republican challenger Mark Ellmore was Republican slate appeared on Mark Ellmore makes his concession at 6 a.m. Lines snaked down side- able to snag almost 90,000 votes, their efforts were quarter-size green paper — a dis- speech at the Westwood Country Club in walks and around buildings as not enough to threaten an incumbent congressman tinctive difference between the Vienna where Republicans gathered. voters sipped coffee and chatted in a heavily Democratic district. Only one out documents that prompted a good with neighbors. Many parent- of seven voters who walked into the polls Tues- deal of discussion all over Alexan- teacher associations organized day cast a ballot against Moran. Ellmore tried Candidate Votes Percentage dria on Election Day. While hand- U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) 200,775 68 percent bake sales, taking advantage of a to cast his campaign as a good-government ing G.O.P. sample ballots out to captive audience waiting to enter Republican: Mark Ellmore 89,114 30 percent movement, advocating transportation invest- Independent Green: Ron Fisher 794 0.26 percent voters at the Lyles-Crouch pre- their precincts. A light drizzle fell ments and opposing ear- cinct, Republican volunteer on the city as temperatures ranged marks. After the results were Shellyn McCaffrey accused Demo- from a low of 51 degrees to a high in, Ellmore said he hasn’t yet “Since say that his position on the Ap- crats of producing wasteful litera- of 59. decided about a potential fu- propriations Committee is one of ture, producing more trash than Yet the threat of long lines and ture run for office. He also hiring Frank Shafroth the keys to his success in Wash- needed by using an entire sheet of inclement weather did not keep praised Moran for running a ington, securing federal funds for paper for an election in which only as his chief of staff, voters from heading to the polls. good campaign in the issues local projects. Last year alone, three names were on the ballot. City officials reported more than before voters this year. Moran successfully added 44 dif- Glancing over at the full-size blue Moran’s office has 70,000 Alexandria voters partici- “Jim Moran didn’t do any- ferent items to the budget sheet being distributed by the ri- pating in Tuesday’s election — a thing out of line, and I didn’t through earmark spending — val party, Mcaffrey held her green become much more large number of voters in any cir- do anything out of line,” said everything from $282,000 for a sample ballot toward the sky and cumstances.