County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti formally announced his reelection campaign this week, and he has already picked up a challenger in the June primary.
Both de Ferranti and returning candidate James DeVita announced their bids for County Board at a Wednesday meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.
De Ferranti is hoping to win a third four-year term. For the past seven years, he said, he “wakes up every day working to make Arlington a better place — a more inclusive, better place.”
“Our values, peace of mind and so many of our residents are under attack,” said de Ferranti, just days after his colleagues selected him on Monday to chair the Board for 2026.
DeVita has become a familiar name on the ballot in recent years. The 2026 campaign marks his fourth consecutive run for office.
As he has in the past, DeVita said he would oppose Arlington’s Missing Middle housing efforts, saying that increasing urbanization has a place in the community but should not supplant the county’s traditional range of housing options.
“Arlington has the best mix. We need to [retain] single-family neighborhoods,” DeVita said.
He also proposed providing housing for Arlington public safety personnel as a way to reduce recruiting challenges.
Both contenders are attorneys.
The County Board primary is expected to be held on June 16 in conjunction with other primary elections statewide. However, they could be pushed to later in the year depending on General Assembly action in the upcoming session.
The winner of the primary moves on to the general election, where Democrats are always favored in Arlington.
April 2 is the deadline for candidates to file paperwork to run in the Democratic County Board primary. If more than two candidates file for the race, voting will be conducted under ranked-choice rules.
Will others jump into the primary? “I’m thinking about it,” one prospective candidate told ARLnow in passing at the Jan. 7 meeting.
De Ferranti won about 61% of the vote in the Democratic primary in 2018, defeating Chanda Choun. He defeated independent incumbent John Vihstadt in the general election, garnering 53% of the vote.
In 2022, de Ferranti did not face a primary opponent. He received about 61% of the general-election vote against independents Audrey Clement (28%) and Adam Theo (10%).
DeVita has made three previous bids for office in Democratic primaries:
- In 2023, he earned 16.3% of the vote in a two-way race against Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40)
- In 2024, he finished fifth of six candidates and received 9.6% of the vote in the Democratic primary won by Julius “J.D.” Spain, Sr.
- In 2025, he challenged incumbent County Board member Takis Karantonis, winning three of 54 precincts and picking up 35.8% of the total vote
In his kickoff remarks, DeVita acknowledged some might be asking if he was becoming a perennial candidate, and called it “a good question.”
DeVita promised that he is serious about winning.
“I enjoy a good fight,” he said. “Nobody will work harder and nobody will fight harder.”
Beyer challenger makes pitch to Democrats: The Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting also included remarks from Mohamed “Mo” Seifeldein, who is seeking to unseat Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) in the Democratic primary.
Seifeldein said his agenda would focus on addressing the cost of living and providing universal healthcare.
He also pledged to support the impeachment of President Donald Trump and those in his inner circle.
A former Alexandria City Council member, Seifeldein launched his bid last summer. Other candidates taking on Beyer in the primary include Daniel Gray and Michael Duffin.
Supporters of Seifeldein and Beyer were busy at the Jan. 7 meeting circulating petitions to get their candidates on the ballot. Congressional candidates must submit 1,000 valid voter signatures to win ballot access.
With the primary being conducted under winner-take-all rules, a field of more than one challenger likely helps Beyer, who was first elected to Congress in 2014.
The primary is expected to be held in mid-June, but could be pushed back to late summer if voters approve a redistricting constitutional amendment this spring.
Approval of redistricting could also significantly alter the boundaries of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. Currently, the 8th District includes all of Arlington and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, plus a portion of Fairfax County.
As currently configured, the 8th District is a Democratic fortress. Kamala Harris received more than 73% of the vote against Donald Trump in 2024, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
