Arlington and Falls Church residents went to the polls today to vote for president, local offices and everything in between.

As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, the results show — unsurprisingly — strong support for Democratic candidates across the ballot.

Arlington County Board

In the big local Arlington race for County Board, JD Spain, Sr. will win the seat being vacated by three-term Democrat Libby Garvey.

With early votes now in and breaking 60% for the Democratic nominee, Spain has 58% of the vote to 16% for Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and 12% for independent Audrey Clement. Madison Granger, who is associated with the Forward Party, has 13% of the vote.

In 2020, Garvey defeated a lone challenger — Clement — with 71% of the vote.

Voting in the Arlington County Board general election is being conducted this year, for the first time, via ranked choice voting. But if a candidate gets over 50% of the “first choice” votes — as Spain appears poised to do with only mail-in ballots outstanding — they will be declared the winner and ranked choice tabulation will not be used.

Arlington School Board

In the Arlington School Board race, Democratic-endorsed candidates Kathleen Clark and Zuraya Tapia-Hadley will cruise to victory.

Clark and Tapia-Hadley have 35.6% and 32.8% of the vote, respectively, so far. James Vell Rives, endorsed by the Forward Party, has 14.2% of the vote while independent Paul Weiss has 16.0%.

Arlington Bond Referenda

All five proposed local bonds, including school and Metro bonds, will pass — currently leading by 3-to-1 or 4-to-1.

Falls Church City Council

In the special election for Falls Church City Council Laura Downs has won with 58% of the vote to 41% for John Murphy, and all precincts reporting.

U.S. President

The Democratic Harris/Walz presidential ticket has a substantial lead over the Trump/Vance GOP ticket: 76.2% to 20.7% in Arlington — with all precincts reporting but mail-in ballots outstanding — and 79.5% to 17.9% in Falls Church.

By comparison, Trump received 17.1% of the vote in Arlington in 2020.

Third party candidates — including Jill Stein (G), Chase Oliver (L) and Cornel West (I) — have roughly 2% of the Arlington vote, while 1% of voters wrote someone in for president.

Statewide, Harris currently has 50.4% to 47.4% for Trump. Local political consultant Ben Tribbett, who often projects election night results in Virginia, says he believes Harris has won the Commonwealth.

U.S. Senate

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine currently leads statewide with 53.1% of the vote to 46.7% for Republican challenger Hung Cao.

The Associated Press called the race for Kaine around 11:20 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine won reelection in Virginia for his third term Tuesday, beating Republican challenger Hung Cao. Kaine was widely expected to keep his role as the Commonwealth’s junior senator. Political scientists said there was only a narrow path to victory for Cao given Virginia’s moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in 2020 and Kaine’s salience with voters. Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who had former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. But the most recent Republican to hold a Senate seat from Virginia was the late John Warner, a centrist who last won in 2002. The Associated Press declared Kaine the winner at 11:22 p.m.

U.S. Representative

Across Virginia’s 8th Congressional District — which includes Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County — incumbent Rep. Don Beyer (D) has 70.9% of the vote to 25.6% for Republican challenger Jerry Torres and just over 3% collectively for independents David Kennedy and Bentley Hensel.

The Associated Press called the race for Beyer shortly before 8:15 p.m.

Democratic Rep. Don Beyer won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Virginia on Tuesday. Beyer won his sixth term after defeating Republican Jerry Torres and two independent candidates. Beyer, a former lieutenant governor and ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, won each of his five previous congressional elections with at least 63% of the vote. The 8th District includes the inner suburbs of the nation’s capital, including Arlington County and Alexandria, and is one of Virginia’s most reliably Democratic districts. The Associated Press declared Beyer the winner at 8:13 p.m.

Turnout

Overall turnout in Arlington was above 70% as of 5 p.m., according to the county elections office. The final turnout may reach around 80%, but is not expected to set a local record.

Despite significant interest in the presidential race, voting in Arlington mostly went smoothly today, with most reports suggesting minimal wait times. Among the issues reported today are some confusion about ranked choice voting and an evening fire alarm at the Crystal Plaza polling location.

Scott McCaffrey contributed to this report


News

Arlington County police are looking for a pair of suspects who robbed the 7-Eleven in Bluemont Saturday night.

The suspects went behind the store’s counter, threatened to kill an employee unless they opened the registers, and then ran off with cigarettes and cash, according to an ACPD crime report and scanner traffic.


It’s Election Day, voting is underway, and the culmination of a seemingly endless presidential campaign is upon us.

Given how momentous this day is, we’re wondering how Arlingtonians are feeling.

As our community heads to the polls and awaits results that will shape our nation’s future, what best describes your emotions in this moment?


“Vote here” sign at the Fairlington Community Center polling place (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Rosslyn Development Proposal — “D.C. developer Penzance Cos. has filed fresh redevelopment plans for Rosslyn Gateway, a two-tower office complex fronting Gateway Park it bought late last year from JBG Smith Properties for $52 million. One Rosslyn, as it’s been rebranded… will combine roughly 860 residential units and ground-floor, neighborhood-serving retail.” [WBJ]

Voting Reminder — It’s Election Day and polling locations in Arlington will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must cast their ballot at their assigned polling place. Learn more about the local candidates. [Arlington County]

Most Walkable Local Neighborhoods — “Here’s a look at Arlington’s 10 most-walkable neighborhoods, according to Walk Score. For each neighborhood, we’ve also included Transit and Bike Scores.” [Arlington Magazine]

Arlington Rents Among Highest in U.S. — Arlington’s median apartment-rental rate in October was $2,593, up 4.1% year-over-year and fifth highest of the 100 largest urban areas nationally tracked by Apartment List. Nationally, median rents ranged from $1,000 in Wichita (Kan.) to $3,084 in Irvine (Calif.). [Apartment List]

ACPD Donation Drive Update — From Arlington County police: “Thank you, Arlington! This weekend, public safety personnel and Paul Davis Restoration transported your generous donations from our Hurricane Relief Donation Drive to North Carolina to support those affected by Hurricane Helene.” [Facebook, Twitter]

Arlington NAACP Presents Annual Awards — Craig Syphax was honored with the Henry L. Holmes Meritorious Service Award and Joan Trumpauer Mulholland with the Esther Georgia Irving Cooper Civil Rights Activist of the Year Award at the Arlington NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund banquet. Also honored were Hilary Chapman and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Devanshi Patel, and Nadia Conyers. [Arlington NAACP]

Falls Church Unemployment Rate Steady — The unemployment rate for Falls Church residents in September was 2.5%, unchanged from xa year before. There were 8,541 city residents employed in the civilian workforce and 259 looking for work in newly released data. [VEC]

N. Va. Clergy Election Message — “On the eve of the close national election, a wide variety of clergy from various faiths, including Christian, Jewish, and Muslim, today released a video emphasizing that Americans have much more in common than what divides them.” [Press Release]

Va. AG Condemns Political Violence — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined a bipartisan coalition of 50 other attorneys general calling for law and order and condemning political violence ahead of tomorrow’s presidential election.” [Press Release]

It’s Tuesday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. As for Tuesday night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. [NWS]


Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 4, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of about 73°F. There will be south winds ranging from 5 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. As for Tuesday night, expect partly cloudy skies with lows around 60°F and a consistent south wind at approximately 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Obituary

Tom Flournoy died in his sleep the morning of October 27, 2024. He was 69.

Tom was born in Washington, DC. After graduating from Woodbridge Senior High School and Old Dominion University, he launched a successful career as a Professional Engineer, specializing in transportation projects from planning to final design. Projects he worked on included roadways, highways, bridges, transit facilities, commuter rail, and bike and pedestrian facilities. Many, if not most, were in the Washington, DC area, including Arlington County, which became Tom’s home in 1989. In his last position as VP at STV Inc., Tom was instrumental in starting and growing STV’s DC office, which is still thriving.


Around Town

It took almost a year to find the perfect match for the dog having stayed the longest this year at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

But all worked out. Nekoosa — a mixed-breed dog “with the perfect mix of of laid-back and fun-loving energy” — recently went home with her new family on her 362nd day in the pet shelter’s care.


Ground floor of the Bozman Government Center in Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

APS Nixing ‘Grandfather In’ — Arlington Public Schools’ leadership is eliminating use of the phrase “grandfathered in” to describe students allowed to remain at a school after redistricting takes place. To some, the phrase is connected to the Jim Crow era. In its place will be “short-term exemptions.” –Scott McCaffrey

Street Race on Key Bridge — “A video of a street race in D.C. is going viral just days after Elon Musk reshared a similar video in Virginia. The video is less than 30 seconds and shows what appears to be a black Lamborghini racing a black Tesla with a Trump flag hanging out of the window on the Key Bridge.” [Fox 5, Twitter]

Yet Another Gun Caught at DCA — “An Annandale, Va., woman was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted a firearm among her carry-on items at one of the airport checkpoints on Thursday (October 31). The 9mm handgun was loaded with 12 bullets and was the fifth firearm that TSA officers detected at the airport during October.” [Press Release]

Rosslyn Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “This was a crash last night at the intersection of EB Langston Blvd and N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn (at the I-66E on-ramp). The car on Lynn clearly went through a red light at slow speed. But there’s more to this crash than just a red light runner that should be a warning for everyone driving here.” [Twitter]

Bar Foundation to Bestow Honor — Local attorney Mark Cummings will receive the 2024 William Winston Award, the highest accolade of the Arlington County Bar Foundation, for his professional achievements and civic service. The event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19 at Washington Golf & Country Club; luncheon tickets are $60. [ACBF]

Check Your Smoke Alarms — “A working smoke detector reduces the risk of a deadly fire in your home by 50%, according to national studies and local departments. With daylight saving time ending Sunday, homeowners are being reminded to do their twice-yearly checks to ensure their smoke alarms are working.” [WTOP]

Safe Driving Reminder — “Shorter daylight hours in the fall and winter mean reduced visibility on many parts of our roads. With the end of daylight saving time this Sunday, Nov. 3, it’s especially important to be extra vigilant while driving in dark conditions. Arlington’s Vision Zero traffic safety team notes that pedestrian crashes in the dark are twice as likely to happen between the months of October-February.” [Arlington County]

Preparing for Winter Weather — “As the brightly colored leaves drop off trees, that means snowy weather is not far away. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is stocked and ready for the winter ahead, and motorists are partners in making this season a safe one. VDOT has equipment, materials and staffing in place for the first wintery weather forecast so that it can provide roadway treatment and plowing as weather requires.” [Press Release]

It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high near 63, and a light southeast wind between 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Monday night brings patchy fog between 1 am and 4 am, but it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and a southeast wind at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.


Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 1, 2024.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Two hospitalized after ‘mob’ assault outside of high school (31008 views)
  2. ‘Intruder’ arrested at Yorktown High School (13779 views)
  3. Another mild winter of ice and rain predicted for Northern Virginia (12239 views)
  4. UPDATED: Two teens still in critical condition after Halloween shooting along Columbia Pike (10233 views)
  5. Arlington County staff get involved in campaign sign removal (10104 views)
  6. Some quick facts about trick-or-treating in Arlington in 2024 (8999 views)
  7. More than 200 cars have been towed from a stretch of road in Arlington this year (7693 views)
  8. Overturned vehicle blocks part of N. Carlin Springs Road (5898 views)
  9. Morning Poll: Which presidential candidate do you think is going to win in Virginia? (4362 views)
  10. Sen. Tim Kaine greets voters in Arlington in final turnout push (2890 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect a sunny day with a high temperature near 63 and a north wind of 6 to 10 mph. The clear weather will continue into Saturday night, with a low around 42 and a light north wind. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
– John Lennon

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋


News

A woman was carjacked in Pentagon City last night.

It happened shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday — on Halloween — in a parking garage on the 1200 block of S. Fern Street, near Costco. A male suspect, accompanied by a female suspect, pulled a gun and demanded the keys to the woman’s Audi A4, according to police.


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