A recent straw poll from the Arlington County Democratic Committee offered an early glimpse into the local party’s leanings in the 2028 presidential race, along with local races.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) received 33 votes at the event, held July 11 at Bon Air Park. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came out in second with 26 votes.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti were also ahead in polls for their upcoming primaries.
“It’s just a straw poll — it’s not scientific,” county Democratic chair Paul Ruiz said of the presidential beauty-contest balloting. He acknowledged there was a long way to go before the 2028 presidential election truly kicks off in earnest.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore (12 votes) and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (11) were the only other potential presidential contenders receiving a double-digit response from the voters, who paid $20 to attend. Members of the Democrats’ Roosevelt-Obama Society, which sponsored the picnic, could participate without charge.
Attendees could choose from a lengthy ballot list of potential presidential candidates, or write one in.
Beyond the top four, Ruiz announced the following vote totals:
- 9 votes: Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker
- 8 votes: Mark Kelly, Jon Ossoff
- 6 votes: Josh Shapiro
- 5 votes: Rahm Emanuel
- 3 votes: Kamala Harris
- 2 votes: Gretchen Whitmer, Raphael Warnock
- 1 vote: Chris Van Hollen, Cory Booker
For the 8th District U.S. House of Representatives race, Beyer received 93 votes, with Adam Dunigan earning 38, Mo Seifeldein six, Lorena Bruner three and Michael Duffin two.
Democrats will choose their 8th District nominee in the Aug. 4 primary. The same day, the party will select its candidate for County Board, while Virginia Republicans will selected their U.S. Senate nominee.
De Ferranti, who is seeking his third term, received 84 votes. Julie Farnam garnered 32 and James DeVita 14.
None of the prospective presidential aspirants was on hand, but all three Democratic contenders for County Board and the five seeking the 8th District seat turned up to deliver two-minute stump speeches beneath the park’s large pavilion.
Duffin rescinded his previous pledge to boycott the event, made after supporters of other candidates had heckled him during a July 1 campaign forum.
Rather than touting his candidacy, Duffin used his two minutes to talk about the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of State, where he once worked.
In the three-way County Board race, De Ferranti told attendees he had delivered “steady, competent” leadership while in office. His challengers, however, disagreed.
DeVita criticized the incumbent Board, including de Ferranti, for failing to address affordability issues and instead hitting the community with tax increases and service cuts.
“What has Matt de Ferranti done about all of this? I think the short answer, with all due respect, is nothing,” DeVita said. “He’s had eight years to come up with a solution — instead, Arlington has gone straight downhill under his leadership.”
Farnam hit on the same theme.
“Arlington is more unaffordable than ever,” she said. “You Millennials, Gen Zers, you’ve done everything right [but] that status quo is not working for you.”
“We need someone on the County Board who doesn’t phone it in,” Farnam said.
The County Board primary is being conducted under ranked-choice rules, while the congressional primary is being held under the more traditional format of the top vote-getter winning, no matter the margin.
The winner of the 8th District primary will face Republican Tony Sabio on Nov. 3. The County Board nominee will square off against independents Audrey Clement and David Sisson.
