Battle Over Experience Plays Out in Race for Sheriff

By Bill Brubaker (Contact)

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Their Web sites offer a glimpse into their campaigning styles — and why the race for Loudoun County sheriff has become one of the liveliest in Northern Virginia.

Three-term incumbent Stephen O. Simpson (I) allows his record to speak for itself, offering a three-page résumé that details 34 years of law enforcement experience. The site also displays photos of the sheriff with such luminaries as first lady Laura Bush and former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

Democrat Michael E. George, a former narcotics detective who founded and supervised Fairfax County's anti-gang unit, trumpets his law enforcement experience and takes some gentle jabs at opponents — noting, for example, that he is the only candidate in the race who is a college graduate.

Republican Greg Ahlemann, a former Loudoun deputy sheriff, is ever on the attack, labeling Simpson an "out of touch politician" who has ignored the county's "law enforcement needs" and George "a former Fairfax patrol officer" who hasn't been in the force for almost a decade.

This race began in January when Ahlemann left the sheriff's department after 10 years as a deputy, complaining about low morale under Simpson's leadership. But the race picked up steam in June when Ahlemann won the Republican nomination over Simpson at the party's convention in Ashburn.

The result was a surprise to many, and Simpson quickly announced he would run as an independent.

Ahlemann accused Simpson of abandoning the written pledge all Loudoun Republican candidates had taken — to support their party's nominee.

Simpson was unmoved by the criticism. "I cannot in good conscience walk away from this job and see it taken over by someone who lacks any administrative experience," he said.

Ahlemann has turned this race largely into a referendum on Simpson's 12 years in office, asserting that he is the right man to lead a department that has lost its way, even though he has no managerial experience.

His most frequent criticism of Simpson has been that the sheriff has not tackled the issue of illegal immigration aggressively.

"The Sheriff's passive attitude is contributing to the rapid rise in illegal immigrant gang activity in Loudoun County," Ahlemann wrote in a letter to prospective voters in April. "This type of law enforcement is unacceptable."

Ahlemann said in a recent interview he does not know how many illegal immigrants live — or have committed crimes — in the county. At a fall debate in Leesburg, he said he assumed there are illegal immigrants in the county because of the large number of Sterling Park residents who do not speak English.

Ahlemann said that if he is elected, he will forge closer ties with federal officials to deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the county.

Simpson said gang activity, terrorism and increasing traffic on Loudoun roads are the top issues facing voters. And he said only one in 20 gang members arrested in Loudoun over the past year was an illegal immigrant.

"I do think it's wrong to assume — like some people do — that everyone who is in Sterling that's Hispanic is, first of all, illegal, and, second of all, a gang member," Simpson said at that debate. "That's just not true . . . . So you have to be very careful when you start pointing fingers in a political campaign."

George said preparing for a terrorist attack should be the top priority of the Sheriff's Office, especially with Dulles International Airport and several federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, in Loudoun.

"To fight terrorism takes a whole community. We are not prepared right now," said George, who has been battling CD and DVD piracy for eight years as director of investigative services for the Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group.

George said he has stayed close to law enforcement by providing training on intellectual property issues to more than 1,800 officers in more than 30 states.

The race has had its controversial moments.

Ahlemann alleged in January that a western Loudoun man — charged with driving while intoxicated and eluding police — was allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges because he was a friend of a high-ranking sheriff's official. Simpson said the motorist was not a friend of the official. In a recent interview, Ahlemann disclosed that as a deputy he fixed many tickets for friends — and friends of fellow officers — for minor offenses such as speeding. Simpson called his opponent hypocritical. Ahlemann defended the practice of fixing tickets, saying officers should be given broad discretion.

Simpson and George predict that, in the end, many Republicans will cross over to vote for them because of their experience. But Ahlemann seems confident of victory as well. "So far, it's gone pretty well," he said of his campaign. "You know, I defeated the incumbent [in the Republican convention]. But who knows what will happen in a three-way race."

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