The race for the next chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee has gotten off to an early start.
Tony Weaver, who previously sought the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board in 2023, announced his candidacy earlier this month. He plans to host a formal kickoff event in the early summer.
Current Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker was elected to the position in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. Party chairs serve two-year terms and typically are re-elected to a second two-year term if they desire, but do not serve any longer.
Such an early start in campaigning for a party chair post is unusual in Arlington, several former chairs of Arlington’s Democratic and Republican committees told ARLnow.
The party is likely to set rules for electing a chair toward the end of the year and hold a vote in January 2026.
Several others may be considering runs but have not been as public about it as Weaver.
“I’m running for Arlington County Democratic Committee chair to lead our party forward — defending our neighbors, growing our movement and delivering victories,” Weaver said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
Weaver has set up a website and released an initial list of endorsements. These include Del. Patrick Hope (D-1st), Arlington School Board Chair Mary Kadera, School Board members Zuraya Tapia-Hadley and Kathleen Clark, former County Board member J. Walter Tejada and former School Board member Emma Violand-Sánchez.
Weaver has served as the committee’s finance chair and was campaign manager for Tapia-Hadley’s School Board bid. He chairs the Arlington Rotary Educational Foundation and is on the board of directors of Aspire! Afterschool Learning.
Baker succeeded Jill Caiazzo, besting Matt Royer in January 2022.
That race hinged on Baker’s more centrist approach versus Royer’s more progressive stance. Baker pledged to keep the Arlington Democrats a big-tent organization, welcoming a variety of viewpoints.
In other local political/election news:
Voting machine progress continues: The Arlington Electoral Board and election-office staff continue to vet vendors for replacing county voting equipment.
Electoral Board members held informal discussions with vendors at the Virginia Electoral Board Association meeting in March. Demonstration meetings from vendors, expected to last at least a half-day, are next on the agenda.
“I do not know when the new equipment will be in place. We hope to announce a final decision and timeline this summer,” county elections director Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow.
Five firms are certified to provide voting equipment to Virginia localities. In Arlington, equipment is typically swapped out approximately every 10 years.
Chamber opens registration for candidate forum: The Arlington Chamber of Commerce has opened registration for its Thursday, May 29 County Board candidate forum.
The event will be held at 6 p.m. at the Hazel Conference Center at VHC Health. The public is invited, but registration is required.
Democratic incumbent Takis Karantonis and challenger James DeVita, who are facing off in the June 17 primary, have been invited. So, too, have independents Audrey Clement and Jeramy Olmack, who have qualified for the general-election ballot.
County Republicans have not yet nominated a candidate for the general election.
The forum will focus on topics deemed relevant to the Arlington business community. It will be moderated by Scott Pedowitz of the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington.
