By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats who control both chambers of the Virginia legislature are hoping to make good on promises made on the campaign trail, including becoming the first Southern state to expand constitutional protections for abortion access.
A combination of venting, defiance, group therapy and gearing up for future battles.
That’s how Arlington Democrats were coping Wednesday night (Nov. 6), just 24 hours the night after the party’s devastating losses at the national level.
Reproductive rights, personal values and the economy were at the forefront of many Arlington voters’ minds as presidential election results came in last night.
A few short miles away from the White House, many voters in Courthouse, Ballston and Shirlington pulled from personal experiences as they discussed how a change in the nation’s leadership might affect their lives.
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.
The eyes of Virginia soon will be upon Arlington.
At least for those eager to know how the county’s first-in-the-Commonwealth ranked-choice-voting (RCV) general election transpired.
Cue Willie Nelson, as Arlington Democrats will be on the road again for the final weekends of campaign season.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee is dispatching volunteers to both North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two battleground states that remain tossups in the presidential race.
Arlington’s two main political parties are putting the finishing touches on their greet-the-voters strategies.
Democrats plan to staff all 54 county precincts from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and have had volunteers at early-voting locations since balloting began on Sept. 20.
Arlington’s Democrats and Republicans have squared off with diametrically opposing positions on the county’s package of bond referendums.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee earlier voted to support the five bonds on the Nov. 5 ballot, while the Arlington County Republican Committee more recently opted to oppose all five.
Early voting on national, regional and local candidates and issues begins this week in Arlington.
In addition to the presidential election, Arlington residents will vote on races for Arlington County Board, Arlington School Board, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate, as well as bond referenda and a proposed Constitutional amendment.
Both Arlington Democrats and the Arlington GOP plan to have a presence at the Hispanic Heritage Community Festival this weekend.
Members of the Trump campaign, which has been pushing for voter turnout in Northern Virginia, also reportedly plan to attend.
In the face of growing election doubts within the Democratic Party, Arlington progressives are planning a push for voter turnout in what is historically a Democratic stronghold.
Arlington tends to heavily favor Democrat in presidential elections. President Joe Biden received 80.7% of Arlington votes in 2020, while Hillary Clinton carried 75.8% of the county’s votes in 2016.
Arlington Democrats have nominated JD Spain, Sr. as the party’s candidate for County Board.
A preliminary tally of votes in the ranked-choice contest, conducted Friday evening, showed Spain with an insurmountable lead prior to the counting of provisional ballots.
