The resignation of Sandra Duckworth in August 1984 to follow her husband to Hawaii, where he had been named director of the Bishop Museum, cleared the way for a different majority to take over the Board of Supervisors. In the November 1984 special election, Republican T. Ferrell Egge capitalized on independent Gerald A. Fill's acting as a spoiler to Democrat Gerald W. Hyland, giving the Republicans a 5-4 majority on the Board. This was the first time in the 20th century that the Republicans held a majority of the seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.