Another Democrat is entering the race for one of Arlington’s House of Delegates seats.
Sean Epstein formally kicked off his bid to unseat Del. Patrick Hope (D-1) on Wednesday. He will join Hope and Arjoon Srikanth on the ballot for the June 17 primary.
In remarks at the monthly Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting, Epstein did not mention the incumbent by name, but said that “toxic” and “shortsighted” political discourse demanded candidates with “a fresh set of ideas.”
“I believe that we can do better,” said Epstein, who first became active in political circles in Florida before moving to Northern Virginia.
If elected, “I will tirelessly address the issues facing our community,” said Epstein, a first-time candidate.
“I am brand new at this,” he said during a five-minute kickoff speech in front of about 100 Democrats attending the meeting.
Among Epstein’s priorities: Shoring up state finances, using AI opportunities in support of education, and creating public-private partnerships for small- and medium-sized businesses.
The first district consists exclusively of northern and central portions of Arlington.
Epstein’s announcement came just ahead of the Thursday deadline for primary candidates to submit paperwork to their political parties and the Virginia Department of Elections.
Arjoon Srikanth, a Ballston resident and software engineer, in early February announced plans to run. Hope’s re-election announcement came in early March.
Hope has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2010. Currently, he chairs the House Courts of Justice Committee.
While Hope has been a champion of ranked-choice voting, Virginia’s legislative elections are conducted under the winner-take-all format.
Dels. McClure, Lopez unopposed in primary: The April 2 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting came and went with no Democratic challengers emerging against Dels. Adele McClure (D-2) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3).
McClure’s district is entirely within Arlington, primarily its eastern and central sections. About 78% of Lopez’s district is in Arlington’s southern portion, with the remainder in the city of Alexandria.
All three districts are seen as Democratic strongholds.
Republicans and independents have until mid-June to file paperwork needed to get on the Nov. 4 ballot.
County Board field set at two candidates: There were no last-minute bids for the Democratic nomination for County Board.
That means the field in the June 17 primary will be two — incumbent Takis Karantonis and challenger James DeVita — for the lone Board seat on the 2024 ballot.
As with the legislative races, Republicans and independents have until mid-June to file for the Nov. 4 general election.
