For her years-long effort leading precinct operations, Carol Fontein on has been inducted into the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s “Distinguished Democrat” ranks.
“All these lovely people are here because of you,” former party chair Kip Malinosky told Fontein during the celebration, held at the home of Treasurer Carla de la Pava.
About 100 prominent county Democrats attended, including some who previously had received the honor. It is typically bestowed on one or two individuals each fall.
As precinct-operations chair, Fontein — an Arlington native — was responsible for overseeing party captains across the county’s 54 voting precincts. Those captains, two or three to a precinct, in turn are responsible for recruiting volunteers to promote the party at polling places on Election Day.
As the head of the operation, Fontein represented “the heart and soul of the Democratic Party” in Arlington, said former party chair Mike Lieberman.
The work of precinct-operations personnel is a key reason Arlington Democrats have been “the most incredible and impactful and efficient political organization I think there is in the country,” Lieberman said.
Although she was atop a precinct-operations pyramid of hundreds of people, Fontein took the time to know every volunteer individually, party activist and veteran precinct captain Charley Conrad said.
“She really loves what she did and what she does,” he said. “She’s a hard worker. She never asked any of us precinct workers to do anything she hadn’t done herself.”
Over the years, Fontein was fond of noting that President Harry Truman said being a Democratic precinct captain was the most important job he’d ever held in politics. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) added that a successful precinct-operations effort is often a prerequisite to victory.
Even a strong, well-funded candidate may not find success “if you don’t have that incredible army behind you,” Beyer said at the event.
Fontein was leading precinct operations in 2016 when the stunned local party regrouped after the 2016 election and used the Trump victory to intensify its turn-out-the-local-vote effort and further its lock on local elected offices.
At the Sept. 21 gathering, former School Board and County Board member Mary Hynes, a veteran Democratic campaigner, came up with traits that describe the five letters of Fontein’s first name:
- C: Compassionate, collaborative
- A: Authentic Arlingtonian
- R: Reliable, resourceful
- O: Open, organized
- L: Loyal
“She is loyal to a fault,” Hynes said. “She will go the extra mile to help you.”
Former School Board, County Board and Virginia Senate member Mary Margaret Whipple said that in talking with those in the precinct-operations trenches during Fontein’s leadership, “the first word was ‘effective’ — they all said she was really effective.”
Like Conrad, Whipple said Fontein’s special touch was her down-to-earth, friendly demeanor and willingness to get the job done.
“She worked right alongside” the precinct workers, Whipple said. “It made her precinct people so devoted to her.”
In remarks after all the accolades were bestowed, Fontein said she appreciated the recognition.
“This is great. I’m so overwhelmed and grateful to you all,” she said, singling out her husband, David, for his support.
The Distinguished Democrat award has been presented for about a decade. It effectively serves as a lifetime-achievement honor.
Beyer said the local party’s acknowledgment of those who had brought it to the dominance it holds today helps to inspire others coming up the ranks.
“It’s a very wise thing to do,” he said.
In addition to the in-person tribute, county Democrats put together a video retrospective of Fontein’s work, with additional remarks from those in the party.
Several years ago, Fontein was succeeded as the party’s precinct-operations chair by Sarah Lanford. On the other side of the political aisle, county Republicans this year began efforts to rebuild their own precinct-operations infrastructure, an effort being led by Frederick Tarantino.
