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 Madison Granger, who is running for Arlington County Board as an Independent.
I’m running because I believe I can improve our County Board and the policies it passes by bringing a new perspective, outside of our current one-party echo chamber, and by advocating for common ground in a time when one-sided policies like Expanded Housing Options (EHO) have divided the community.
The values of service and entrepreneurship run deep for me. I define entrepreneurship as the ability to see opportunities to provide value and the initiative to pursue them. I come by these values honestly. I grew up moving across America as my father served our county in the Marine Corps, then watched my parents build a small business out of our home after he retired. I’ve found opportunities to serve and elevate my community throughout my life. When I worked in corporate wellness, I noticed my company’s internal wellness program was severely overlooked and volunteered to take on rebuilding it, in addition to managing my other Fortune 500 clients. Thanks to my efforts, our internal program was much better equipped to offer needed support to my colleagues when the pandemic hit. Earlier this year I pitched the idea of a weekly fitness class to a local home for disadvantaged girls, got them onboard, and started volunteering my time leading it.
I’m a bridge-builder with strong legislative experience. While I was on the Div. I track team at Duke University, I served as a representative in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legislative process. This role involved grappling with tricky, divisive issues like early recruiting, time demands, and transfer rules. I facilitated discussions to help diverse stakeholders find common ground and, guided by the insights from these discussions, I shaped and voted on policy that still impacts student-athletes today. I represented over 10,000 student-athletes from across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which included 15 universities and 35+ sports at that time.
I’m running as a candidate for the Forward Party. The Forward Party is a national political movement that aims to model civility in politics, pass reforms that give more voice to the people, and prioritize collaborative problem-solving over party rhetoric.
It was co-founded by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and former Republican governor Christine Todd Whitman.
As a County Board member, my top priorities will be:
- Helping the community find more common ground solutions for increasing housing. I agree we need more housing in Arlington, but I oppose the county’s likely decision to appeal the Court’s recent overturn of EHO. The Court pointed out many missteps in the county’s process for enacting this policy. Instead of using tax payer dollars to defend this flawed and divisive policy, I’d like to see the county use this as an opportunity to re-do an update to our zoning with more buy-in across the community.
- Push back against escalating taxes. The tax burden is only making it more difficult for many to afford living here. I will strive for more rigorous efforts to reduce spending during the budgeting process to prevent further tax increases. I will prioritize core services like schools and law enforcement.
- Champion reforms that bring healthy competition to our elections and increase government accountability. I’m a big proponent of ranked choice voting (RCV) and have advocated for it here in Arlington as well as in Richmond. In addition to continued use of RCV, I support moving to multi-seat elections every other year for County Board members and electing members by district.
Arlington is a great place to live. My husband and I are fortunate to own our home in a charming condominium neighborhood in Green Valley. We love Arlington’s unique balance of natural and urban spaces, its bike-ability, and its vibrant community of passionate people. I want to ensure Arlington continues to be a great place to live, a place that can evolve to meet the challenges of our time (like housing) in a way that is rooted in engagement with diverse voices across the community. A place that doesn’t push out long-time residents with escalating taxes. A place that continues to lead our state and our nation in applying good governance reforms like RCV.
Please rank me, Madison Granger, #1 for County Board and I will work with you to shape Arlington’s future together. Learn more about me at Madison4CountyBoard.com.
