As the saying goes: In Virginia, every year is an election year. And every election year is replete with straw polls. The first such event leading up to the June 9 Democratic primary was a Mardi Gras-themed dinner party held March 7 at Don Beyer Volvo in Alexandria.

Pre-voters chose from announced candidates for Mount Vernon District Supervisor and the 36th District State Senate seat.

At the end of the night, current Del. Scott Surovell (D-44) was the decisive winner in the senate race over his opponent, small businessman Mark Cannady. Surovell took 134 votes to Cannady’s 87.

“This victory clearly shows that our community wants strong, progressive leadership that is going to shake things up in Richmond and fight for our area,” Surovell said in a statement.

In the supervisor poll, Fairfax County planning commission member Tim Sargeant captured nearly half of the 227 votes (47.5 percent) over opponents Jack Dobbyn (27 percent) a Mount Vernon District appointee of Supervisor Gerry Hyland and co-chair the Board of Supervisors’ and School Board’s joint working committee; Mount Vernon School Board representative Dan Storck (16 percent); and Lorton-based marketing research firm owner Candace Bennett (9 percent).

“For over 20 years, I have devoted myself to providing community leadership and public service to the Mount Vernon District and Fairfax County,” said Sargeant in a statement. “Now I want to continue my service as the next Mount Vernon supervisor.”

With two months still to go before the primary, Dobbyn made an undeterred, emphatic mission statement for “our turn” to move forward with the kind of redevelopment already taking place around the county.

“Now our sights are set on the June 9 primary. I believe in my forward-looking vision, and now must take that vision to the voters of Mt. Vernon,” Dobbyn said.

Non-incumbent, non-contested Democratic candidates for state delegates Joana Garcia (42nd District) and Paul Krizek (44th District) and Fairfax County Mount Vernon School Board member Karen Corbett Sanders were scheduled to give short speeches as well.