Local Republicans might end up endorsing an independent for County Board if the party can’t come up with its own nominee.
The Arlington County Republican Committee “has not made a decision” on a slate of candidates, party chair Matthew Hurtt said at the April 27 committee meeting.
The nomination deadline is still several months away, but to date, no Republicans have expressed significant interest in seeking the County Board seat currently held by Democrat Matt de Ferranti.
If no Republican emerges, the GOP could look to Crystal City Sports Pub co-owner William Bayne, perennial protest candidate Audrey Clement, a candidate recruited by the fledgling Forward Party or someone else.
Bayne made an appearance at the March Republican meeting, promoting himself as a pro-business candidate.
Last year’s Republican County Board nominee, Bob Cambridge, has indicated to party leaders he might be willing to run for County Board — or School Board — if needed, Hurtt said at the April 27 meeting.
But in a follow-up conversation that evening, Cambridge indicated some reservations. Asked by ARLnow if he’d run, his most definitive answer was “maybe.”
Cambridge finished third in last year’s five-way County Board race, taking 12% of the vote to 65% for Democrat Takis Karantonis and 15% for Clement.
County elections director Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow that Republicans, having opted against selecting their nominee via the state-run Aug. 4 primary, have until June 22 to nominate their candidate for County Board. Independents have until June 16 at 7 p.m. to complete filing requirements for ballot access.
Republicans occasionally have endorsed independents for County Board. The last successful effort came in 2014, when both the GOP and the Arlington Green Party lined up behind independent John Vihstadt, who defeated Democrat Alan Howze in both a springtime special election and the subsequent general election.
Vihstadt was defeated in 2018 by Democrat Matt de Ferranti, who this year is seeking his third four-year term. De Ferranti is being challenged by James DeVita and Julie Farnam in the Democratic primary in August.
The April 27 meeting was the Republican Committee’s first since voters on April 21 adopted a congressional redistricting referendum. The committee had opposed passage.
Although the measure passed by a narrow margin statewide, in Arlington, support for the referendum was about 80%. Still, the county’s Republican leadership said they had used the election to make inroads with voters.
“We hit the goal we wanted to hit in Arlington,” Hurtt said.
The GOP was able to station election officers and pollwatchers at 30 of the county’s 54 precincts on Election Day.
“We could do better, but we’re pretty satisfied,” said Frank Lusby, who leads election-integrity efforts for the local GOP.
Hurtt called that a “good” response from party volunteers.
“It’s important to have a constant presence” in front of voters, he said.
The party raised more money in the first quarter since electronic campaign-finance records came to state election record-keeping in 2012, Hurtt said. Republicans had about $16,750 on hand in April, “which is unprecedented,” he said.
