Democrats in Arlington County Board and School Board races emerged victorious last night by wide margins.
Democratic nominee JD Spain, Sr. claimed 58% of the vote in the race for County Board, according to unofficial election results. This happened in the first round of tabulation, avoiding the need for further tallying under ranked-choice voting.
A Walgreens near Lyon Village is closing today (Wednesday) to make way for redevelopment plans.
The convenience store at 3130 Langston Blvd is on track to be replaced with a 12-story tower with retail on the ground floor and apartments above.
Welcome to the new column, Kami’s Korner, where we will take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.
Where have all the cowboys gone? Um… I mean condominiums.
For new condominiums, this last cycle has been a bit sleepy. For those wanting to own a piece of Arlington, it has been block after block of attractive new rentals, but no chance to own. If you are in the market for a new condominium, there isn’t a single new one on the market today to consider, either in presale or recently delivered with a model to tour. And it’s not for lack of demand. (more…)
By BEN FINLEY Associated Press
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia won reelection to his third term Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Hung Cao.
Experience the difference between tap and bottled water with our free water testing service. Say goodbye to plastic bottles and hello to peace of mind with our tankless in-home filters. Contact us today for your complimentary in-home test and ensure clean drinking water!
Fake Arlington Dems Sample Ballot — “Men claiming to be volunteers for Republican 8th District candidate Jerry Torres distributed fake sample ballots with the Arlington County Democratic Committee logo at at least one Alexandria polling location today. The sample ballots — distributed outside of John Adams Elementary School — have all Democratic candidates marked except for Torres.” [ALXnow]
Local Holiday Races — “‘Tis the season for running races. From early November through the end of 2024, you can meet your step goals while honoring veterans, wearing a turkey onesie or laughing all the way. Options run the gamut—ahem—from 5K flat courses to half-marathons on, well, still pretty flat courses.” [Arlington Magazine]
La Coop Opens New D.C. Cafe — After La Coop Coffee closed in D.C. in February, its only brick-and-mortar location was here in Arlington Forest. The café’s shuttered D.C. location has since moved to 500 Kennedy Street NW and opened for business last week. [PoPville]
Rainless Record Likely — “D.C.’s rainless streak — nearing five weeks — will tie a record Tuesday. The day is set to mark the 34th day in a row without measurable rain in Washington, equal to the previous longest streak set in 2007. Weather records in Washington date to 1872. The record is poised to be broken Wednesday, assuming there’s not a stray rain shower, which is just a slight possibility.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 79 degrees and southwest winds at 10 to 13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 63 degrees. The southwest wind of 6 mph will become calm after midnight. [NWS]
Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at the BlackRock Center for the Arts as Cruise Planners Beth & Rod present a special travel-inspired matinee featuring the beloved film Under the Tuscan Sun.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 31 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
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.
8:45 PM PROJECTION: KAMALA HARRIS (D) HAS WON VIRGINIA AND 13 ELECTORAL VOTES.
— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) November 6, 2024
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
As election results roll in tonight, ARLnow will be tracking the outcome of races in Arlington, Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth.
Voters are casting ballots in all 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts this year, with majority control of both chambers of Congress hanging in the balance.
Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 5, 2024.
It might not be a record-breaker, but Arlington ballots are adding up as the last three hours of voting approach.
And when all is said and done, turnout may be around 80% of the county’s 161,000 active registered voters.
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.
The League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City, in partnership with Arlington County Public Library, invites you to an open discussion on managing local government in a changing environment.
Join Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz and Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon for a conversation about how local governments are adapting to shifts in federal funding and changes at the state level. The discussion will explore how these evolving conditions may impact local priorities, services, and decision-making in our communities.
