Immigration Major Issue In Herndon Mayoral Election

HERNDON, Va. -- Tuesday's mayoral election in Herndon is being viewed as a referendum on illegal immigration.

In 2006, Steve DiBenedittis won an emotional upset victory. The political novice drove out an incumbent mayor with a promise to close the town's controversial day labor center.

DiBenedittis and city council members kept their promise, shutting the center down.

Now clusters of workers have begun to gather outside businesses again, but DiBenedittis rejects criticism that the problem has shifted back to the streets.

"We're not back where we were before. First, we don't have a taxpayer-funded day labor site that helps people who can't legally find work, so that's an improvement," he said. "We're working with the businesses and no longer telling them they have to put up with an informal site existing on their property."

Councilman Harlon Reece is challenging DiBenedittis. Reese supported the day labor center. He said the fallout over the controversy is what motivated his run for mayor.

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"My primary motivation is to help the town regain our strong sense of community," Reece said. "That's really something that's helped make Herndon unique over the years."

Reece said the community has been divided over illegal immigration.

The third candidate, businessman and government analyst Jasbinder Singh, is more focused on making Herndon more business-friendly. He wants to examine Herndon's tax structure.

"I would like Herndon eventually to be very efficient and lean and cut the tax rates to be very competitive with the surrounding jurisdictions," he said.

Some voters are focusing on issues other than illegal immigration.

Making sure Metro is extended is Jeanine Heal's top priority.

"Whether Herndon protests it and lets it go through, where we stand with that," Heal said. "I think the second biggest issue is gang activities and immigration, still."

Salon owner Vanessa Rose said she wants more downtown development, but she worries about the impact of closing the day labor site.

"They moved into the day labor site, and then they closed the day labor site, and guess what?" she said. "Now those day laborers are right back at the Shell gas station, right back at the 7-Eleven hanging out right up the street from my business."

"It really hasn't solved the problem," Rose said. "They were much better off when the site was open."

There are also 10 candidates running for six council seat on Tuesday.