County Board Chair Takis Karantonis attempted to fend off criticism of the county’s Democratic political monopoly during the first debate of the general-election season.
“Challenging times require experience and leadership — without having to compromise our values,” Karantonis said at a Tuesday campaign forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation.
Karantonis, who won a special election in 2020 and a full four-year term in 2021, secured the Democratic nomination by defeating James DeVita in June. He is being challenged by Republican Bob Cambridge and independents Audrey Clement, Jeramy Olmack and Carlos De Castro “D.C.” Pretelt.
Olmack argued that Karantonis’ emphasis on experience misses the bigger picture.
“We need not just experienced leaders, but good leaders,” Olmack said.
Olmack, the only candidate running largely to the left of Karantonis, said county leaders have talked about the Trump administration’s impacts on budgets and other issues like immigration. But, the challenger contends, they have failed to address the “unprecedented challenges we haven’t seen the full impact of at this point.”
Pretelt, meanwhile, said discussions about the county’s $1.7 billion budget, which typically dominate candidate forums, often turn into arguments over whether to cut spending or raise taxes.
“I would like to see things outside those two choices,” he said. “Increase the size of the pie rather than fight for the crumbs.”
Karantonis said efforts have been made to ensure the community’s skilled workforce is not driven out by government cutbacks. The county is well-positioned to recruit new businesses, he said.
“Arlington is an attractive destination,” he said. “[Economic development] is my focus all the way.”
Clement criticized the all-Democratic County Board, which she contends “rolls over” for “gimme-groups” focused on special interests.
“The real solution is to fund essential services,” Clement said, saying Karantonis buys into the “tax-and-spend agenda” of local Democratic leadership.
Cambridge, who garnered the Republican nomination without opposition, said stabilizing the budget must be the first priority of future Board members.
“It takes getting in there and looking at the details,” he said.
Cambridge also was critical of the county’s capital spending, much of it financed through bond sales. The accumulated debt is an effective tax on the public and puts the county’s credit-worthiness in peril, he argues.
The challengers also were critical of County Board responsiveness to community concerns.
“You’re not listened to,” Cambridge said. “That is a real problem.”
“The biggest challenge to communication is the illusion it has taken place,” Pretelt said.
Clement said the Board sometimes refuses to hold public hearings on topics of major concern. Olmack said limitations on the Board’s public-comment periods were “just wrong.”
Karantonis countered that there are plentiful opportunities for the public to engage with elected officials. He pointed to the Board’s Open-Door Mondays, when any resident can come and talk one-on-one with leaders.
“I am there, sitting for like three hours every time,” he said. “I really value person-to-person engagement.”
Candidate forums and other public settings have their place, the incumbent said, but rarely offer the opportunity for more intense discussion of issues.
“We are playing ping-pong with buzzwords and political stuff,” Karantonis said.
Olmack and Pretelt are making their first bids for elected office. Cambridge ran against Karantonis and Susan Cunningham in the 2020 special election called after the death of Board member Erik Gutshall. Clement has been running for office as a protest candidate for more than a dozen years.
The 2025 County Board race will be conducted under ranked-choice voting, while all other races on the county ballot will be run under winner-take-all rules.
In recent years, the number of fall candidate forums held by community groups across Arlington has dwindled. The Civic Federation forum, traditionally held the day after Labor Day, is one of the few remaining.
Having an informed electorate is key for Arlingtonians to get the government responsiveness they deserve, said Nicholas Giacobbe, the Civic Federation president and moderator of the debate.
“As they say, all politics is local,” he said.
