Former Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson defeated incumbent Buta Biberaj by just 300 votes to be the next Loudoun County commonwealth's attorney.
Anderson claimed victory last week, but Biberaj had not conceded. On Thursday, she released a statement saying she won't pursue a recount.
“This has been the closest commonwealth’s attorney’s race in Loudoun County history," she said. " "Even though this race is within the margin for a recount, I will not pursue one in order to conserve taxpayer funds and expand the transition period to better serve the people of Loudoun County."
Anderson previously served as Loudoun County's prosecutor for two terms decades ago. He raised just $70,000 for his campaign compared to Biberaj's $1.1 million.
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"I am honored to lead this office again as commonwealth’s attorney-elect for Loudoun County and deliver on my promise of restoring transparency and protecting our community from violent crime,” Anderson said in a news release.
In her last couple of months in office, Biberaj said she will open up an office for Anderson should he want to start familiarizing himself with active cases and the office that's changed a lot since he previously held the post from 1996 to 2003. His campaign hasn't said whether or not he'll take her up on that offer.
Despite Loudoun County voters supporting Democrats at the top of the ballot, Anderson was backed by Republicans.
Decision 2023
Coverage of the 2023 primary and general elections in Virginia
Biberaj — the first woman elected commonwealth's attorney in county — faced criticism for personally prosecuting the misdemeanor case against the father of a high school rape victim.
The concern seemed to stretch outside of conservative circles when in 2021, a husband charged with abduction, assault and strangulation was released on bond and then allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer a couple of months later.
News4 analysis shows some Democrats supported Bob Anderson. The Smart's Mill precinct in Leesburg tallied 644 votes for Russet Perry and 450 for Juan Pablo Segura in the District 31 Senate race. That same precinct voted much differently in the race for commonwealth's attorney, with Anderson getting 67 more votes than Biberaj. That happened in multiple precincts around the county.
Anderson said Biberaj's platform didn't land with some in the progressive base.
"It's not progressive,” he said. “I mean, basically, jail is there for a reason. It's there for a deterrent; it's there for punishment. And I will tell you, violent felons need to be in jail in many cases."
Anderson said he is committed to restoring transparency and protect Loudoun County from violent crime.
Biberaj hangs her hat on reducing the number of people her office sent to jail.
“We decreased the average daily population from 425 to less than 250, proving that we can reduce mass incarceration without increasing recidivism and creating potential savings in excess of $14 million per year," she said.
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