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?