This week, we invited the candidates running for local office in the Nov. 5 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from JD Spain, Sr., who is running for Arlington County Board as a Democrat.
Fellow Arlingtonians – I am honored to be the Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board, and I humbly request your #1 vote on Tuesday, November 5. Building on a lifetime of public service, I have dedicated myself to contributing to the success of our community for the past 15 years. If elected, I will draw upon the valuable insights gained from our residents to prioritize:
- Increasing housing opportunities across our county for people from all walks of life
- Advocating for improved behavioral and mental health services
- Growing our local economy, helping small businesses, and reducing our commercial vacancy rate
- Investing in our students, teachers, and public schools
- Improving our neighborhoods and infrastructure to advance sustainability and enhance the safety of our community
- Protecting and expanding our tree canopy, public parks, and open spaces
- Supporting progressive Democrats and vehemently opposing extremists who would ban abortion and contraception
With your support and input, I will use my 30+ years of leadership experience and relationships to help make these priorities a reality. Having served as an appointed Arlington Civil Service Commissioner, an appointed community representative on two large-scale County-led working groups, a two-term president of the NAACP Arlington Branch, a George Mason President’s Innovation and Inclusive Excellence Councilmember, a Dream Project Board member, and a volunteer for numerous community organizations, I’ve learned a great deal about the challenges and opportunities for our wonderful county.
One thing that makes our community so unique is our diversity, which my multicultural family represents. My wife of 32 years and I chose to raise our three children in Arlington because of the exceptional schools and diverse population. Paired with a wide range of impactful leadership and community engagement experience, I would be proud to bring this unique perspective to the County Board. In a county with a significant minority population, I believe my representation will strengthen the Board, enhancing its capability to effectively and equitably represent and serve our entire community.
My Inspiration
My mother’s work as a missionary and my father’s dedication as a master electrician, helping neighbors in need, instilled in my brother and me a deep sense of service and duty. This led us to enlist in the military. I served in the Marine Corps for nearly three decades, fulfilled a diplomatic assignment for the U.S. Delegation to NATO in Belgium, completed a fellowship in the U.S. Senate, worked as a federal investigator, rose to the highest enlisted rank, and was awarded the Legion of Merit for meritorious and exceptional service to our nation. I bring this same standard of dedication, excellence, and integrity to my family, career, nonprofit work, and, if elected, to serving the community of Arlington.
We are One Arlington
I am committed to transparency and empathy, asking the right questions, and bringing innovative solutions. No matter what I’m working on, you can count on me to work collaboratively and listen first. As a disabled combat Veteran, I understand how disabilities influence livelihoods yet are not always visible. Given this perspective, I am committed to improving programming and resources for people with disabilities and helping Arlington better accommodate and design for people with disabilities so no one in our community gets left behind. I believe that seeking understanding, unifying, and taking decisive action yields the most effective outcomes for the greater good of our community. I am fully prepared to lead and deliver on day one.
Every Vote Matters
This is a consequential election for our country, state, and county. We have already seen what a Trump administration looks like, and we aren’t going back. National and state-wide issues cause local impacts, and I am deeply aware of how these issues affect us in Arlington. Inspired by inclusive leadership, track record of results, and visionary policy ideas, I am proud to be the candidate to have earned the most endorsements from dozens of trusted community leaders, unions, and other progressive organizations, every member of the Arlington Delegation to the General Assembly, and Congressman Don Beyer (visit my website for more details: https://jdforarlington.com/endorsements-main). While I greatly appreciate their trust and confidence, your vote matters the most. I ask for your #1 vote for Arlington County Board in the General Election on Tuesday, November 5, and urge you to join me in voting for Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President, Tim Kaine for Senate, Don Beyer for the House of Representatives, and our Democratic-endorsed school board candidates Zuraya Tapia-Hadley and Kathleen Clark. To learn more, visit https://www.jdforarlington.com. Thank you
