LEESBURG, Va. — Incumbent Buta Biberaj, one in every of three prosecutors in northern Virginia who confronted powerful challenges after being elected 4 years in the past on a progressive reform agenda, received her Democratic major Tuesday over challenger Elizabeth Lancaster.
Biberaj, the commonwealth’s lawyer in Loudoun County, raised considerably more cash, however Lancaster had earned the endorsement of The Washington Post. Biberaj confronted criticism, together with some inside her personal celebration, over her day-to-day administration of the workplace and as Loudoun discovered itself within the nationwide highlight over points like faculty security. She additionally confronted criticism in her dealing with of two intercourse assaults at two completely different excessive colleges in 2021.
In November, Biberaj will face Republican Bob Anderson, who held the commonwealth lawyer’s put up in Loudoun greater than 20 years in the past.
In a cellphone interview, Biberaj stated the final election race “will be about Loudoun County going forward or going backward 20 or 30 years.”
Biberaj’s race was one in every of three in northern Virginia the place candidates elected as reformers in 2019 confronted major challenges.
In Arlington County, incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, a former public defender, confronted Josh Katcher, who had been one in every of Dehghani-Tafti’s deputies earlier than leaving the workplace.
In Fairfax County, incumbent Steve Descano confronted Ed Nuttall, a former prosecutor and trial lawyer who’s greatest identified for representing cops accused of misconduct.
Political analysts usually look to Virginia’s odd-year elections for insights on voter sentiment heading into midterm and presidential years. This 12 months, the prosecutor races in northern Virginia would possibly make clear whether or not suburban voters are nonetheless dedicated to prison justice reform after years of Republican criticism that reformers are mushy on crime.
Lancaster, a former public defender, confronted skepticism from some Democrats as a result of she at the moment works for a regulation agency led by a outstanding native Republican. But Lancaster stated her profession as a public defender highlighted her dedication to reform, significantly her longstanding efforts to revamp the county’s juvenile justice system.
Biberaj stated Tuesday evening that she believes lots of her opponent’s votes got here from GOP efforts to assist Lancaster within the major, which is open to all voters since Virginia voters don’t register by celebration affiliation.
In their campaigns, the challengers have questioned the incumbents’ day-to-day administration of their workplaces and have, to various levels, endorsed the necessity for prison justice reform.
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