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AAI in the News

Local Politics: Marwan Burgan

By Alec MacGillis
The Washington Post
Posted on Thursday March 23, 2006

No one was sure exactly how to explain the huge turnout at the St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser hosted by county Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D). The event drew an unprecedented crowd of nearly 500 to the spacious Kena Temple in Mantua.

Was it excitement about the apparent Democratic ascendancy in Northern Virginia? Enthusiasm for the congressional candidates who were in attendance – or perhaps anticipation of the much-rumored prospect that Connolly would mount his own congressional bid two years hence? Was it the corned beef? Or was it the hummus?

That’s right, hummus. Mixed in among the Irish standards on the buffet tables was a lonely bowl of the Middle Eastern chickpea specialty, brought to the party by Marwan Burgan , a staff member in the office of Supervisor Penelope A. Gross (D-Mason). Burgan has been bringing the hummus, from a local Middle Eastern eatery, to the party for several years, in a kind of symbolic nod to the county’s growing diversity – and because people seem to enjoy the stuff, no matter how out of place it might seem next to the heaps of cabbage.

“They called and told me, ‘Bring what you usually bring,’ ” said Burgan, who also pointed out that there is a near rhyme between “Guinness” and “hummus.”

Aside from the hummus, the evening’s theme was definitely green, both in the decor and the piles of cash accumulated for Connolly’s war chest – the fundraiser netted him $35 per guest for his 2007 reelection campaign. Still, that was nothing compared with the take from Connolly’s other fundraiser Friday, at the exclusive Tower Club in Tysons Corner, where about 150 corporate types paid at least $1,000 a plate. Together, the two events brought in about $200,000, more than he had ever raised in a day, Connolly said.
He said he was gratified by the support, which he took as validation of his performance in his first two years as chairman. He dismissed the notion that his supporters were looking to 2008, when many expect Connolly to run for the congressional seat held by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III , should the veteran Republican run for Senate that year.

“I’m the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and I love that job,” Connolly said.

He urged Fairfax Democrats instead to direct attention to candidates taking on Davis this fall, Ken Longmyer and Andrew Hurst , as well as those challenging Sen. George Allen – Harris Miller and James Webb . All four gave brief speeches Friday night, the highlight of which may have been Longmyer’s wavering rendition, on an Irish whistle he pulled from his pocket, of a tune he called “Gerry Boy.”

Longmyer said in an interview that he’d heard the rumors about Connolly taking on Davis in 2008 but that he didn’t think the Democrats could afford to wait that long to mount their challenge. The former diplomat from Falls Church predicted that, if the party united behind—and funded—his campaign, he could pose a real threat to Davis. In his challenge two years ago, he won close to 40 percent of the vote despite having little money.

“My attitude is, there is no perfect candidate, and you go with what you’ve got,” he said.

On this evening, at least, Longmyer was a winner. In a straw poll, he bested Hurst, a lawyer from Springfield, 53 percent to 47 percent, while Webb, a decorated Marine and writer from Falls Church who was Navy secretary in the Reagan administration, defeated Miller, a telecommunications lobbyist from Fairfax, 58 percent to 42 percent.

Those trumpeting results of the evening’s straw poll were eager to point out that Leslie L. Byrne’s successful bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor last year was presaged by her win at the St. Patrick’s straw poll.

Byrne went on to lose by a narrow decision in November.