A large contingent of City of Falls Church political activists filled the public meeting space at The Spectrum this afternoon to honor retiring Rep. Jim Moran and to express appreciation for his two dozen years representing the 8th District of Northern Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives with courage and distinction. Hosted by the Falls Church City Democratic Committee, the event drew, in addition to Moran, his likely successor, the winner of the June Democratic primary, former lieutenant governor of Virginia and Falls Church businessman Don Beyer.

Beyer said his roots in Falls Church have been a vital grounding for him and his family as he’s pursued his wider political challenges. Both hailed the fact that Falls Church has routinely produced not only the highest voter turnout in the state but the highest vote for Beyer in the seven-way primary in June with over 70 percent.