A congressional candidate from Falls Church says he will leave the race if the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision on redistricting stands.
“If there is no new 7th District, then I will not be running for anything this year,” Joe Schiarizzi told ARLnow. “I will not run in the 8th or anywhere else.”
Like most other contenders in the proposed new 7th District, Schiarizzi said he was awaiting a final outcome before formalizing any plans.
He intends to hold off until “we’re completely certain about which maps will be used.” However, if the 4-3 state Supreme Court ruling stands, “I plan to return 100% of the campaign contributions to all the friends, family and community members who supported my campaign these past few months.”
Schiarizzi was one of three prospective 7th House District candidates who, two days before the Virginia Supreme Court ruling was handed down, launched kickoff events before the Arlington County Democratic Committee.
A Falls Church resident and entrepreneur/inventor, Schiarizzi used the event to push his view that the top issue needing congressional attention is a lack of housing accessible to all.
“Housing is not just a talking point for me, it is the entire battle,” Schiarizzi said, citing his work with YIMBYs of Northern Virginia and calling housing issues a “national emergency.”
The candidate also noted his service chairing the Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council.
“We have to take climate seriously, and we’re not doing enough,” he told Democrats.
On his campaign website, Schiarizzi also promises to vote to “impeach President Trump on Day 1.”
He was the first of the three 7th District candidates to make pitches to Arlington Democrats on May 6.
Dorothy McAuliffe — an attorney, former U.S. Department of State official and the wife of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe — focused much of her remarks on the dangers of the Trump administration.
“I refuse to stand on the sidelines, and I know you do, too,” she said, calling Trump “the most dangerous and damaging president this country has ever seen.”
“I’ve tackled big challenges before,” McAuliffe said, referencing her work on childhood hunger while Virginia’s First Lady.
“We got it done,” she said of making improvements in that arena. “Virginia became a model for the country.”
Del. Elizabeth Guzman, who represents portions of Prince William County in the House of Delegates, pointed to her career as a social worker and her experience as an immigrant in her remarks.
After arriving in the United States with a child, “I juggled three jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment,” she said.
Among Guzman’s policy priorities: Abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, passing Medicare-for-all health coverage, and “holding accountable” the operators of data centers, which have become a controversial topic in the outer reaches of Northern Virginia.
“Enough is enough until we put in more guidelines,” Guzman said of more data centers.
Guzman said her party must stand up to the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress.
“We need Democrats with a backbone,” she said.
Their appearances in front of the Democratic rank-and-file were the latest among 7th District candidates. Others in the race who have appeared include Del. Dan Helmer, Del. Adele McClure, Sen. Sadam Azlan Salim, J.P. Cooney, David Kennedy and Adam Dunigan.
Those who have not appeared, but are included in a running candidate scorecard kept by the political website Blue Virginia, include Olivia Troye, Alex Thymmons and Jon Schmeelk.
Nearly all those campaigns are now in limbo, waiting to see the final outcome of the political battle playing out over redistricting.
