In 1788, having served three years in the Virginia House of Delegates, Richard Bland Lee decided to stand for election to the new federal congress established under the recently ratified constitution. Though political parties had yet to form, ideological schisms were already developing by time of the first federal election. In general, those who were the strongest supporters of the constitution in the form adopted by the constitutional convention, including its provision for a strong executive with power tilted toward the federal government were identified as federalists, and those who were less supportive of a strong federal government, and who believed a bill of rights should have been included with the document prior to ratification, anti-federalists. Lee was identified with the former camp. He had strongly supported ratification of the constitution, opposed efforts to force a second constitutional convention for the purpose of adding a bill of rights, and was a strong supporter of George Washington. His district which included his estate Sully, then part of Loudoun County (now Fairfax County), and included Fairfax County, was the home of both Washington as well as future Anti-Federalist leader, George Mason.