Debate over housing and urbanization once again took center stage as candidates for the Democratic County Board nomination squared off at a forum last week.
Current County Board Chair Takis Karantonis met his sole challenger, James DeVita, at an Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting that attracted about 150 people on Wednesday.
“This election offers a stark choice,” said DeVita, who also ran for County Board last year.
A total of five candidates competed for the Democratic nod in 2024, when there was one open spot on the Board. Housing was also a central issue in that race, just as it was in the 2023 Democratic primary.
Karantonis says increased housing options represent the only way to address the twin challenges of availability and affordability.
“It’s just too damn expensive,” he said of housing costs.
Pointing to an ARLnow article noting that the median rent for Arlington two-bedroom apartments was in the $3,000 range, Karantonis said costs are “absolutely insane” and need to be addressed.
DeVita countered that the current Board champions overdevelopment and is in the thrall of developers. He pointed to impacts on parking, stormwater and trees and “irrevocable change” to the character of single-family neighborhoods.
DeVita believes the current Board is fixated on upzoning despite community opposition and, he maintains, the county leadership’s grudging acknowledgment that more housing may not lower prices.
“The County Board is not listening to us,” he said. “Did they admit a mistake? No. They doubled down.”
Board members in 2023 adopted a policy known variously as Missing Middle and Expanded Housing Options, which effectively eliminated single-family zoning in much of the county. A circuit court judge struck down the policy following litigation last year, but the county has appealed.
Karantonis is an economist and urban planner who formerly led the Columbia Pike Partnership. He came to office in 2020 via a special election caused by the death of Board member Erik Gutshall, and won a full four-year term in 2021.
DeVita, a trial lawyer, in 2023 unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) in the Democratic primary. Last year, he ran in the County Board primary, finishing fourth out of five.
The two candidates touched on a range of issues in the 60-minute debate, which former Board member Jay Fisette moderated. Other matters included the local government’s response to the Trump administration, development challenges, tax rates, the environment, public safety and the size and composition of the County Board.
Early voting for the primary has started. Given Arlington’s political composition, the Democratic nominee becomes the odds-on favorite in the Nov. 4 general election.
Upcoming candidate forums are being sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation (May 13), Arlington Young Democrats (May 21) and Arlington NAACP (May 27). The last day to register to vote in the primary is May 27, after which same-day registration begins.
