Report From Herndon

From reporter Nikita Stewart, in Herndon:

At Herndon Elementary School at about 11:45 a.m., there was a steady stream of voters of all races and from diverse backgrounds. Taxes, immigration and negative campaigning shaped the voters' decisions in the community rocked recently by the town council's decision to fund a center for day laborers to ease loitering at a busy intersection. Voting generally went along party lines.

Rosa Flores, 62, said she voted for Kaine because she is an immigrant. Although she moved to the United States from Peru 22 years ago, she said Kilgore's stance on immigrants and the center would hurt Hispanic immigrants' ability to work and thrive. "I want more opportunities for my immigrant people," said Flores, who works on a hotel service staff. "Maybe government can help them find jobs."

On the other side, Graham and Renee Inge took the day off and brought along their 8-year-old daughter, Sarah, to cast their ballots for Kilgore. They said they were both against the day laborers center and so was Kilgore. Funding a center is "kind of like, sure, be illegal," said Graham Inge, 32, who manages a furniture store.

They said were also concerned about taxes although they voted in favor of the local school bond referendum.

"Kaine, he likes to raise taxes a lot," Graham Inge said.

"We'd like a tax break as a young family," said Renee Inge, 32, a supervisor of a gym.
Calvin Spratley, an insurance salesman, said he has recently voted Republican after breaking from a family tradition of always voting Democratic no matter what.

"In the last few years, I began to evaluate things based on my faith, what God would have me to do," he said.

The GOP's record on family, marriage and abortion complied with his Christian beliefs, Spratley said.
However, Spratley said he voted for Kaine. He said he was turned off by Kilgore's campaign and as a fan of Gov. Mark R. Warner (D), he was swayed by the governor's endorsement of Kaine.

"On a lot of the ads, [Kilgore] was more attack than substance," Spratley said.

He said he also was put off by Kilgore's anti-illegal immigrant platform. "It's a little shortsighted," Spratley said. "It's just fear when people see people moving into their neighborhoods. It wasn't too long ago that their grandfathers were moving here and starting corner stores."

By Robert Thomson |  November 8, 2005; 4:18 PM ET  | Category:  Misc.
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