Ben Tribbett | ARLnow.com

Published November 5, 2015 at 2:00PM

Local Republicans see a silver lining in the lopsided defeat of Mike McMenamin in Tuesday’s Arlington County Board. But one local political watcher says it signals that the narrow window of opportunity to elect conservatives to local office in Arlington has passed.

McMenamin, an independent candidate with the endorsement of the local GOP, garnered 19 percent of the vote to 36 and 34 percent respectively for Democrats Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol. Perennial candidate Audrey Clement, who ran as an independent after several elections under the Green Party banner, received 10 percent of the vote.

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Video: Tribbett Analyzes County Board Election

By ARLnow.com

Published November 20, 2014 at 11:00AM | Updated November 20, 2014 at 11:22AM

Local political blogger and Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett, who correctly predicted that the election of John Vihstadt would doom Arlington’s streetcar project, recently analyzed the Nov. 4 County Board election on the public access program Inside Scoop Virginia.

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Vihstadt Victory Could Signal Sea Change in Arlington Politics

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 5, 2014 at 3:05PM | Updated November 5, 2014 at 3:27PM

“The streetcar is dead,” local political blogger and strategist Ben Tribbett told ARLnow.com last night at the Democrats’ election party in Crystal City. “The voters spoke so overwhelmingly tonight. There’s absolutely no way that [County Board members] Mary [Hynes] and Walter [Tejada] can win re-election if they’re running as pro-streetcar candidates next year. The voters have spoken on this now. It’s over.”

The growing chorus that the majority of the County Board — Chair Jay Fisette, as well as Hynes and Tejada — are out of touch with the voters was bolstered by Vihstadt’s margin of victory. The Republican-endorsed independent won 55.76 percent of the vote to Democrat Alan Howze’s 43.8 percent — less than his margin of victory in the April special election but still a big surprise to many who follow Arlington politics, who haven’t seen a non-Democrat win a County Board general election since 1983.

Around Town

Photos: Arlington Democrats Chili Cook-Off

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2013 at 11:45AM

Arlington County Democrats were joined by Sen. Mark Warner at their annual Labor Day Chili Cook-off in Lyon Park on Monday.

Between chatting with local Democratic elected officials and activists, Virginia’s senior U.S. senator cheered on contestants during the event’s popular no-hands-allowed pie eating contest. Finishing first in the contest was Ben Tribbett, of the Not Larry Sabato blog.

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Favola Campaign Defends ‘Clerical Error’ in Poll

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2011 at 9:47AM

Barbara Favola’s state Senate campaign is defending a telephone poll that erroneously identified Democratic primary opponent Jaime Areizaga-Soto as a Republican.

The poll, conducted on behalf of the Favola campaign, asked residents negative questions about both candidates. In a statement, the Favola campaign said calling Areizaga a Republican was a “clerical error.”

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Tribbett Decides Against State Senate Run

By ARLnow.com

Published May 3, 2011 at 11:03AM

Tribbett had been considering running for the seat vacated by the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple. He would have faced a tough primary battle between County Board member Barbara Favola, who Whipple has endorsed, and Lt. Col. Jaime Areizaga-Soto, who is expected to officially announce his candidacy at tomorrow’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.

“We have two capable candidates,” Tribbett told ARLnow.com this morning, adding that he was not planning on endorsing either candidate quite yet.

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Del. Hope Decides Against State Senate Run

By ARLnow.com

Published April 13, 2011 at 9:26AM

“Having stated in the early weeks of March that I would only make a decision after having an opportunity to actually see the newly drawn 31st Senate District lines, I have reluctantly decided, at this time, not to run for the open Senate seat,” Hope said in a statement. “I intend to seek re-election to the House. Running an effective campaign with the geographical diversity of the new district would take me away from spending quality time with my young family.”

“I’m humbled by the literally hundreds of voters living in the new 31st District who pledged support and encouraged me to run, but my first obligation must be to my family,” he continued. “Spending the time it would take to be victorious in a competitive primary and general election is too high a price for me to have to pay; however, I will not rule out a run for higher office at a future date.”