(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) Arlington School Board Chair Cristina Diaz-Torres will not be seeking re-election.
Diaz-Torres, who became chair this July, announced the decision last night (Wednesday) at the Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting, to a chorus of dismay from some meeting attendees.
Her term on the School Board ends on Dec. 31, 2024. She is the second sitting member to announce this year a decision not to seek reelection, following Reid Goldstein, whose term ends this month.
Diaz-Torres ran in 2020, securing the endorsement of Arlington Democrats in June and a place on the School Board that November.
She was sworn in on Jan. 1, 2021, amid “truly wild uncertainty,” when schools were still shut down and a vaccine was not yet widely available, she told local Democrats.
“Just three years later, our world looks a lot brighter,” she said, per a recording of her speech she posted on social media.
“As a part of this job, I spend a lot of time talking to staff, especially school leaders, and the sentiment I hear over and over again is how different this year feels,” she continued. “It’s not a return to the before times we were all longing for, but to the after times: something new, something different, something that we were longing for all those months.”
Diaz-Torres reflected on several changes APS made during her tenure — many of which garnered applause from meeting attendees — and credited staff, Superintendent Francisco Durán and his cabinet and the School Board for this work.
The school system changed its approach to reading instruction, one she says has narrowed Arlington’s achievement gap and identified more students for extra help, she said.
She added that the School Board removed School Resource Officers from school grounds, reintroduced collective bargaining for employees and increased teacher compensation across pay scales.
“I am proud of the initiatives we have undertaken, I am proud of the policies we have implemented, and I am proud of the positive changes we have brought to our schools,” she said on social media. “We have strived to create an APS that serves ALL students by name, strength, and need.”
That work must continue, her statement continued, but under new leadership.
“This chapter will forever hold a special place in my heart and will be among the most significant and impactful work I’ve ever done,” she said. “This next chapter will look a little different but I look forward to bearing witness to the continued success of @APSVirginia.”
Her next chapter includes taking on the role of being “mom to a future APS grad in the class of 2042,” she told Democrats. The outgoing School Board chair announced her pregnancy on social media last month.
Happy Thanksgiving, from our growing family to yours! 🍁👶🏾 pic.twitter.com/pfFevKeH1c
— Cristina Diaz-Torres (@cdiaztorres240) November 23, 2023
Two women have already announced they are vying for the Arlington County Board seat currently occupied by Vice-Chair Libby Garvey, who faces re-election next year.
First-time candidate Julie Farnam and second-time candidate Natalie Roy announced today (Monday) that they have joined the Democratic primary race, set to culminate next June.
Meanwhile, both Garvey and former County Board candidate Julius “JD” Spain, Sr. tell ARLnow they are biding their time before making a decision about whether to run next year.
Farnam and Roy’s announcements come less than a month after voters picked Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey to replace outgoing Board Chair Christian Dorsey and former member Katie Cristol.
Farnam, a current Arlington Ridge Civic Association board member, is campaigning on a platform of improving public safety and taking what she calls a “smart” approach to planning and growth.
“I am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board,” Farnam said in a statement. “I believe in a community where residents feel safe, where the needs of our community are placed above the desires of developers, and where no resident must wonder if they are being heard.”
Farnam has held leadership positions in both the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and the U.S. Capitol Police and has a forthcoming book on her account of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“As a woman who has spent her career in security and law enforcement, I know what it takes to address the unique safety challenges Arlington faces in years and decades ahead,” she said.
On social media, she has decried the Arlington County Board’s “dreadful” handling of the Missing Middle zoning ordinances, calling for more targeted policies to address affordability and racial inequities.
She has also waded into the local discourse about whether crime is rising, pointing to carjacking stats for proof it is on the rise. Farnam also criticized the County Board for spending money on new Metro entrances, saying it should instead direct more to police.
More from her statement:
I am a small business owner and a single mother of students in Arlington. I know just how difficult it is to afford to live and support a family in Arlington, and what needs to be done to ensure Arlington is a place where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. I am running to ensure our community flourishes into the future for my daughters and for generations to come.
Reprising similar campaign messaging from this year, Roy and Farnam highlight transparency as a key campaign issue.
“I strongly believe that the Arlington County Board needs a voice like mine advocating for more transparency and responsiveness,” Roy said in a statement.
During the 2023 Democratic primary, Roy ran a targeted County Board campaign focused on criticizing the Missing Middle ordinances, which allowed 2-6 unit homes to be built in districts once zoned exclusively for single-family homes.
The ordinances gave rise to community and candidate discussions about transparency this election cycle, whether candidates relitigated the zoning changes or criticized how the county fulfills Freedom of Information Act requests and publishes information.
As for potential competition Farnam and Roy face, ARLnow asked Vice-Chair Garvey and former County Board candidate Spain about their plans.
Garvey said she is “planning to decide by January or early February whether I will run again.”
Spain told ARLnow that he is undecided at this time.
Farnam will be holding a campaign kick-off event next Monday at The Freshman (2011 Crystal Drive) at 6:30 p.m. Other forthcoming events, including one held in English and Arabic, are posted on her website.
Roy will host a pre-holiday campaign launch the day before, on Sunday, from 4-6 p.m., with more details forthcoming.
Photo 1 via Julie Farnam/Facebook
Arlington’s two state Senators have landed key leadership roles after Democrats won control of the General Assembly last week.
State Sen. Barbara Favola will continue as Majority Whip, sharing her duties with Richmond’s Sen. Lamont Bagby, according to a Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus press release. Sen. Scott Surovell, who will represent southeastern Fairfax County, is set to become the majority leader.
“I am looking forward to working with the Democratic Leadership team and all of my colleagues on issues important to the Commonwealth,” Favola said in the release. “We have a diverse and talented team of newly elected Senators who will bring fresh perspectives to the challenges facing the Commonwealth. I am confident that our Democratic team will deliver common-sense solutions that actually improves people’s lives.”
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, meanwhile, will take on the role of Vice Chair, previously held by Surovell.
“I look forward to working with my Senate Democratic colleagues to find solutions for the betterment of all Virginians. I am ready and excited to get to work,” he said in a statement.
Favola and Ebbin secured resounding victories in their districts, the new 40th and 39th districts, respectively, each earning more than 75% of the vote against their Republican opponents. Arlington Democratic candidates to the House of Delegates — incumbents Alfonso Lopez and Patrick Hope and first-time candidate Adele McClure — also won their races handily.
Not only were Democrats able to hold their majority in the 40-member Senate, securing 21 seats, but they also flipped the 100-member House of Delegates with a narrow majority, taking 51 seats.
Local political experts and officials say that the party’s victory and high voter turnout were driven in part by concerns about Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his Republican party’s support for a 15-week abortion ban, while races were more competitive due to redistricting.
The updated Democratic leadership list is below.
- Sen. Scott Surovell, majority leader
- Sen. Mamie Locke, caucus chair
- Sen. Adam Ebbin, vice chair
- Sen. Aaron Rouse, secretary
- Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, treasurer
- Sen. Barbara Favola, whip
- Sen. Lamont Bagby, whip
Last week’s election may have had few surprises locally but it shook up the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates.
Virginia elections analyst Sam Shirazi caught up with ARLnow’s Jo DeVoe to talk about how Democrats won majorities in both legislative chambers and why Arlingtonians should look outside the county’s deep blue bubble and pay attention to state politics.
Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Tight races for the state legislature and proposed restrictions on abortion motivated Virginians to the polls on Election Day.
This was despite the lack of statewide and federal elections, which typically drive turnout. The races for local office and the Virginia General Assembly played out against the backdrop of Republicans vying for a trifecta — control of the governor’s office as well as the lower and upper legislature chambers — and Democrats trying to stop them.
At stake were abortion rights, as Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) floated trying to pass a 15-week ban if Republicans took the Senate and kept the House.
Arlington had two state Senate and several House of Delegates seats on the ballot. Only three races had challengers, however, and among them Democratic incumbents Sen. Adam Ebbin, Sen. Barbara Favola and Del. Alfonso Lopez all won last night. While their road to victory was easier, the competition was stiff elsewhere in Virginia, commanding their attention and that of other politically minded Arlingtonians.
“It’s a little strange in Arlington because we’re in this blue bubble in what’s essentially a purple state leaning slightly toward Democrats,” says Sam Shirazi, an East Falls Church resident and Virginia elections analyst. “Virginia is just one of those states where, especially in these state elections, as opposed to federal elections, it’s almost always going to be close. ”
Shirazi had predicted Democrats would secure slim majorities in the Senate and House of Delegates, which he says is coming to pass. Democrats flipped the House and retained the Senate, not in a sweep but by securing key seats in suburban counties such as Loudoun and Henrico.
Arlington played a supporting role in these races, says Arlington County Democratic Chair Steve Baker. Volunteers spent 40 days canvassing, making thousands of phone calls and sending out 18,000 postcards and targeted seven districts of which Democrats won in six.
“Grassroots organizing works,” said Kip Malinosky, chair of the initiative dubbed Beyond Arlington. “Democrats win when we’re talking about issues that matter: abortion rights, voting rights, and gun safety. I’m proud that we played a role in helping Democrats win across the state.”
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who was re-elected in the 39th District, said Virginians sent their governor a strong message last night.
That message would be that you can work with people across the aisle to get things done for the betterment of the Commonwealth rather than dividing them in a cynical and twisted manner. And I believe that Virginians don’t want, and will express by the end of tonight, that we don’t want the government banning books. We don’t want people interfering with our personal freedoms, whether it’s reproductive rights, your right to breathe clean air, or the safety of our communities from gun violence.
Shirazi says the state races were closer due to Virginia’s 2021 redistricting effort, in which he participated.
“Previously the maps were drawn by the legislatures themselves and obviously they had an incentive to try and protect themselves, to maybe protect their party,” he said. “This time… a lot of the incumbents, either in the primary or the general election, lost, so we had a lot of turnover in the General Assembly, and then, both chambers were competitive because they weren’t drawn to favor either party.”
“That’s why there was a lot of suspense going into the election,” he continued.
(Updated at 11:15 p.m.) It is another good election night for Arlington Democrats.
While some might have hoped for a Missing Middle-inspired upset in the two-seat Arlington County Board race, Democrats Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham have commanding leads over Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and independent Audrey Clement.
All but one Arlington precinct have reported results as of 10 p.m.
There is some evidence of a relatively minor Missing Middle backlash at the ballot box on Election Day: Cunningham — who advocates for “closely monitoring and revising” the policy, also known as “Expanded Housing Options” — is running just shy of three points ahead of Coffey, who generally supports it.
Clement, the most outspoken Missing Middle critic among the four candidates, has nearly 13% of the vote, about the same as Fierro. That compares to about 35% and 38% for Coffey and Cunningham, respectively.
Elsewhere down the ballot, it’s a sea of blue votes.
Among competitive races, GOP state Senate candidate Sophia Moshasha kept it closest, with about 24% of the vote to 75% for incumbent Sen. Adam Ebbin. Republican David Henshaw has 21% of the vote to 79% for incumbent Sen. Barbara Favola. And incumbent Del. Alfonso Lopez is defeating independent Major Mike Webb 81% to 18%.
The remaining races have no active second candidates, resulting in the election of incumbent Del. Patrick Hope in the 1st House District, Adele McClure in the 2nd House District, incumbent Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson, incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Sheriff Jose Quiroz, Commissioner of Revenue Kim Klingler, incumbent Treasurer Carla de la Pava, and School Board member Miranda Turner.
“We’re really excited,” Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker told ARLnow. “It seems like the voter turnout was really high all day long… We had a lot of local issues this year that brought people out in the primary. I think that helped Democrats.”
“With respect to the General Assembly, it was every bit about protecting the progress Democrats made after the 2019 election on voting rights, on education, on common sense gun safety, on protecting reproductive rights,” Baker continued. “Arlington voters were motivated to go to the polls.”
On the County Board race, Baker said he expects “difficult conversations” to continue while Board members “find the right approach and combination of policy to solve the issue of housing.”
Local Democrats potentially have another reason to celebrate tonight: election watchers project the party has won control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.
8:59 P.M. PROJECTION- DEMOCRATS HAVE WON THE VIRGINIA SENATE. Aaron Rouse (D) wins seat 21 and the majority.
Current Count: 21 DEM, 15 GOP, 4 UND
— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) November 8, 2023
I've seen enough: Democrats win control of the Virginia House of Delegates, flipping the GOP majority and giving them control of both chambers.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) November 8, 2023
While the Arlington GOP came up well short in the vote tally, it did notch a national news story today.
A voter’s expletive-filled rant against local party chair Matthew Hurtt, who was handing out sample ballots — as previously noted by ARLnow — ended up on the homepage of Fox News, Townhall and other media outlets.
James Jarvis contributed to this report
Election Day got off to a busier-than-expected start this morning.
As of this morning, some 9,200 voters turned out to vote today, according to the Arlington County’s Dept. of Elections.
“So far, the pace today has been slightly busier than June,” observed Tania Griffin, the communications director for the elections department.
This year is an off-off-year, or one with neither gubernatorial nor presidential offices on the ballot. In Arlington, voters are selecting candidates for local offices as well as representatives to the state Senate and House of Delegates.
Mallory McPherson, who is chief of precinct 146, told ARLnow that the flow of voters has been stronger than she expected.
“Usually the state elections are a little quieter but it’s been steady all day,” she said, noting a mix of voters so far. Before 9 a.m., it was mostly people voting on their way to work and since then, more families have stopped by.
9am turnout estimates show ~6 % of Arlington has voted today. This does not include the ~12% who voted early or by mail. 🗳️#ArlingtonVotes #Election2023
— Arlington Elections (@ArlingtonVotes) November 7, 2023
Griffin says early voting, which ended Saturday, “definitely picked up in the last week.”
Early voting kicked off in September to a muted start, with only one poll open. After additional locations opened, the pace ramped up and on the last two days of early voting, more than 800 people cast ballots.
Overall, early voting far outpaced numbers in the last comparable election year, 2019. This year, 7% voted early and in-person while another 9% requested mail-in ballots.
In 2019, 9% of voters voted absentee, both in person and mail, Griffin said. Total turnout in 2019 was 37%.
“The difference between in-person absentee voting today vs. 2019 is in 2019 voters were required to provide an excuse to vote early,” Griffin said.
The morning kicked off with a confrontation outside one of the polling places involving Matthew Hurtt, the chairman of the Arlington GOP, which he recorded and posted on social media.
Hurtt was near the Dawson Terrace Community Center, offering people sample Republican ballots, when an unidentified voter confronted him, making liberal use of expletives.
“You might as well have been walking up to my head and… putting a gun to my head and telling me not to vote and you expect me not to take that [expletive] personally?” the man said.
Unhinged progressive confronts Republican poll greeter in Arlington, Election Day 2023. pic.twitter.com/fgRfNxVS7X
— Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) November 7, 2023
He's me. The guy started before he went in, and I assumed he would keep it going when he came out… so I hit record.
— Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) November 7, 2023
The scene appeared notably calmer at Arlington Central Library, where Democratic Arlington County Board candidate Maureen Coffey observed a lot of activity this morning.
Central library is POPPING! So many voters already today and our great delegate @HopeforVirginia 💙💙 pic.twitter.com/H6OfoOsk8I
— Maureen Coffey (she/her) (@maureencoffeyva) November 7, 2023
Coffey is one of four candidates vying for two seats on the Arlington County Board, along with Democrat Susan Cunningham, Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and independent Audrey Clement.
The victorious candidates will replace a seat Katie Cristol vacated this summer and a seat that Board Chair Christian Dorsey will leave behind this December.
Two Virginia State Senate races are also competitive: incumbent Democrat Sen. Adam Ebbin is going up against Republican Sophia Moshasha for the 39th District and incumbent Democrat Sen. Barbara Favola is going up against Republican David Henshaw for the 40th District.
Races are less competitive for local delegates to the lower chamber of Virginia’s state legislature.
(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) While Arlington has tended to be a Democratic stronghold, two of its incumbent state Senators who are up for re-election are still feeling the urgency of this election where abortion is concerned.
Sen. Barbara Favola is up against Republican David Henshaw for the newly redrawn 39th District and Sen. Adam Ebbin is up against Republican Sophia Moshasha for the 40th District.
With the election season coming to a close, ARLnow asked about their top priorities. For Favola and Ebbin, that starts with blocking GOP attempts to limit abortion access and raising wages for teachers. Henshaw and Moshasha both zeroed in on enshrining parental rights in schools and crime and safety, with Henshaw also supportive of lowering the cost of living through lower taxes.
Favola says her first priority is ensuring that access to abortion care under the Roe v. Wade framework “remains safe and legal.”
“This important healthcare decision must remain between a woman and her doctor,” Favola said. “The government should have no part in this personal decision and recent proposals by Governor Youngkin to criminale providers should an abortion ban be adopted are not acceptable. Arlington voters overwhelmingly believe that bodily autonomy should be a protected right. I will work to bring a state constitutional amendment before the voters regarding the right to bodily autonomy.”
But Henshaw says Democrats are pushing for abortion policies that go beyond what the average Virginia voter thinks is reasonable.
“I think they’re out of touch with most Virginians,” he said.
He pointed to a 2021 poll showing that 65% of Americans surveyed say abortions should be illegal in most or all cases. The same survey found Republicans and Democrats alike support abortions if the mother’s life is endangered, if the pregnancy results from rape or incest, or if the child has a life-threatening illness.
“They’re still pushing for full abortion all the way up to 40 weeks,” he said, referencing a 2019 attempt to loosen restrictions on third-trimester abortions.
At the time, then-Gov. Ralph Northam tried to explain why third-trimester abortions typically occur, such as when the baby has a severe deformity or is not going to survive. In these cases, he said a mother would deliver the child and the child would be “kept comfortable” while a “discussion ensues between the physicians and the mother.” Some Republicans later interpreted his comments as supporting infanticide.
Ebbin says abortion is one of many issues threatened if Republicans take the Senate and enact a “full-on MAGA agenda.”
“If Republicans were to take control of the legislature, they would criminalize abortion, that’s been clear,” he said. “They would roll back the progress we’ve made on gun safety — getting rid of red flag laws and background checks — based on what they’ve introduced in years past and passed in the House.”
He says it is important for Arlingtonians to elect Democrats to prevent Gov. Glenn Youngkin from “running amok” and “weaponizing his incompetence,” pointing to $201 million less in public school aid that was lost due to a state error.
By contrast, Ebbin says, Democrats led an initiative to give teachers a 12% raise.
“We have to commit more money for teacher and law enforcement salaries to fill the gaps in both public service sectors,” he said.
The end of the election is drawing nearer: early voting ends on Saturday and Tuesday is Election Day.
At this point, the roughly 12,000 early votes cast are almost evenly split between in-person and mailed-in ballots, per the Arlington County election turnout dashboard. Some 44,000 ballots need to be returned between now and the close of the polls on Tuesday to surpass turnout in 2019, the last similar election year.
With few days left to vote, candidates for the two open Arlington County Board seats are making their last public pitches for support at the polls.
They maintain the reasons that motivated them to run — economic stability, crime rates, Missing Middle, outcomes for youth and better planning — remain relevant in the home stretch.
“One of the reasons I’m running for the Arlington County Board is my concern for the rising crime rate,” Republican candidate Juan Carlos Fierro said in a statement Monday.
“As a husband and a father, I am deeply concerned about the safety of my wife and daughters,” Fierro continued. “I am increasingly hearing about concern about Arlington’s rising crime from my fellow Arlingtonians — talking with friends and neighbors, following postings on social media, and reading articles in the local media.”
He referenced the Arlington County Police Department’s 2022 annual report, released this year, in which the department reports a nearly 18% increase over 2021 in crimes against persons, property and society, ranging from murder and manslaughter to drug offenses. Crimes against people increased 16.4% — primarily driven by assault — and property crimes increased by 23%, driven by motor vehicle thefts, larcenies and fraud.
While total offenses have risen since 2018, total arrests only ticked up between 2021 and 2022 and still have not recovered from a decline going back to 2013, according to annual reports by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
ACPD reports do not include arrests for these offenses and previously told ARLnow it would have to be requested by the Freedom of Information Act, though they can also be found on the Virginia State Police data dashboard.
“While Arlington is generally a safe community, residents must be aware of the rising crime, and our leaders must prioritize the safety of our residents,” Fierro added. “Crime and community safety are not partisan issues. Voters deserve elected leaders who will prioritize community safety and address the rising crime across Arlington.”
Fierro attributed the uptick in part to police staffing issues and pledged to “fully” invest in ACPD’s recruitment and retention efforts. Part of the reason fewer people are becoming officers, he said, is “because police officers are being vilified.”
“Community leaders must rebuke the pro-criminal elements in our justice system that are contributing to the culture of increased crime and reduced public safety in Arlington,” he said. “Some in our own community have joined the nationwide effort to undermine police morale while refusing to prosecute certain offenses.”
Democrat Maureen Coffey distilled her platform into two fundamental issues: affordability and economic stability.
“Our residents need to see a path forward where we can meet their needs,” she said. “Whether it’s housing, taxes, child care, or food security, people are struggling. Arlington needs to find both the short- and long-term solutions that help us serve everyone in the community and create stability while maintaining our core services.”
Meanwhile, perennial independent candidate Audrey Clement — who presciently made Missing Middle central to her campaign three years ago — is doubling down on her choice to make it a focus in 2023, after the passage of the ordinances in March.
She says “the issue will live on,” no matter how the Arlington County Circuit Court rules on challenge by 10 Arlington homeowners to the Expanded Housing Options ordinance the Arlington County Board “rammed through earlier this year.”
In Arlington, for local races, the primary is usually where the action is.
As a heavily Democratic county, general election races in November are less competitive than intra-party primary races earlier in the year. The upcoming Nov. 7 election will feature a dozen races for which Arlington residents can cast their votes, though seven are uncontested.
The most watched local race, arguably, is that of Arlington County Board, with the Missing Middle zoning acting as a bit of a wildcard in what will likely be a low-turnout election.
But statewide, the real one to watch is the balance of power in the Virginia General Assembly. That’s why Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was in Arlington and Falls Church earlier this week, reaching out to Hispanic and Asian-American voters and hoping to gain a Republican majority in both the House of Delegates and state Senate.
So there are dual dynamics here — Missing Middle and General Assembly control will be closely watched, but also Arlington’s electoral history suggests the results of the local election will likely not be a surprise.
Given all that, how closely would you say you’re paying attention to the upcoming election?
Early voting is picking up speed in Arlington while Arlington County Board candidates focus on Missing Middle and taxes.
The general election on Nov. 7 is less than two weeks away and at this point, far more people are voting early in person this year compared to 2019, the last election year without gubernatorial or presidential races.
More than 4,700 mailed ballots have been returned, leaving around 9,000 still outstanding, while some 3,000 people have already hit the polls, per Arlington’s voter turnout dashboard. Early in-person voting appears to have picked up this week with the election drawing nearer and after polling places opened Tuesday at Madison and Walter Reed community centers.
As Election Day looms nearer, Arlington County Board candidates have focused on few key local issues and the importance of voting, generally.
Republican Juan Carlos Fierro weighed in after a judge ruled residents have standing to sue the county for its Missing Middle ordinances.
“One of the reasons I entered this campaign for the County Board is because of my concern that the existing County Board was ramrodding Missing Middle without considering the views of most citizens, and for not conducting adequate development impact analysis,” Fierro said in a statement.
If elected, he said he will question all projects that increase density without considering negative impacts and respect that homeowners “do have in fact ‘standing’ to challenge the County’s development policies.”
Not enough study of potential impacts is one of the charges the residents who sued levied against the county. Arlington County did hear from many residents about a myriad concerns while deliberating the zoning changes and, after a three-phase study that included a financial analysis, the county determined impacts would be “manageable because the pace of change will be gradual and incremental.”
“While the Judge’s ruling is a positive step to either repeal or modify Missing Middle, it underscores the fact that the County’s public engagement process is not very democratic,” he continued. “The Judge admonished the County Attorney for stating that the lawsuit was a ‘subversion of our democratic process.’ The County Attorney’s comment illustrates the lack of understanding by the County on what is true public engagement.”
Repeat independent candidate Audrey Clement, meanwhile, is focused on lowering taxes and convincing residents not to vote for a straight Democratic ticket.
In a recent email newsletter, she noted Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey discussed a possible tax increase next year during this month’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.
“ACDC is confident that it can quell any taxpayer revolt by simply passing out the Democratic Party Blue Ballot at the polls on Election Day,” Clement said. “When voters refuse to hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box by blindly voting the Blue Ballot, excessive taxation is the result.”
She urged readers to “turn this situation around” by voting for fiscal conservatives such as herself and Fierro. Together, she says, they will also revisit Missing Middle ordinances, emphasize basic services and reduce the office vacancy rate.
The two appear to have formed an informal alternative joint ticket to Democratic nominees Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham, to fill the seats vacated by now-former Board member Katie Cristol and being vacated by Dorsey.
