Deshundra Jefferson stunned the Prince William County political landscape Tuesday by defeating well-financed incumbent Ann Wheeler in the Democratic primary for chair of the Board of County Supervisors.
Jefferson's victory marked voters’ rejection of Wheeler and, in particular, a rebuke of her support for the county’s booming data center industry.
On the primary trail, Jefferson challenged what she believes to be rampant and unchecked development, particularly within the Wheeler-backed data center industry. Jefferson carried by wide margins the western end of the county most threatened by impending or ongoing data center developments.
A Montclair resident who has never held public office, Jefferson declared herself “the more progressive candidate” in the primary. She also ran on concerns of rising crime, rents and taxes – including the county’s new tax on meals.
The newly crowned Democratic nominee will face Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, a fellow data center critic, in the November general election...