All three Democratic candidates for County Board say they support at least some district-based representation on the governing body.
While the five seats on the Board are all currently at-large, some advocates have called for creating voting districts as part of potential future governance changes. Current County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti and challengers James DeVita and Julie Farnam endorse the concept, at least to some extent.
The clock continues ticking as Arlington Republicans work to find contenders for County Board and School Board races.
Chris Wright, who heads candidate recruitment for the local GOP, said that so far, efforts have not paid off.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) has come close to achieving a clean sweep of re-election endorsements from Arlington’s local elected officials.
Among those formally supporting his bid for a seventh two-year term, according to a release from the Beyer campaign:
As she mulls over her own political future, Arlington’s senior state senator is seeking to help Democrats pick up seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Despite the Democratic redistricting map being overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court, Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) believes her party has a chance in November to flip several of the five Virginia congressional seats currently held by Republicans.
The three Democratic candidates for County Board are all in favor of extensive community input on a proposal for a new behavioral health facility in Glencarlyn.
“You need to listen — it needs to be community-first,” challenger Julie Farnam said at a debate hosted by the Arlington County Civic Federation on Tuesday.
Arlington voters next year will be able to select up to 10 candidates in ranked-choice elections, more than triple the number currently available.
New ballot scanners set to arrive in Arlington before this year’s Aug. 4 state primary allow for ranking up to 10 contenders. But existing ballot markers, used to assist voters with disabilities, will not be replaced until next year.
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.”
Arlington will remain in a single congressional district after the Virginia Supreme Court on May 8 invalidated redistricting approved by Virginia voters just weeks before.
Unless the U.S. Supreme Court decides to intervene or Democrats can conceive another end-around to overturn the decision, district boundaries revert to where they had been. For Arlington voters, this means all of the county remains in the 8th District, where Rep. Don Beyer will attempt to fend off several primary challengers in August.
The latest Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) says the incumbent deserves credit for a storied political career, but should now exit the political stage to let others step up.
Jason Knapp is one of several challengers taking on the six-term incumbent in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary. A retired U.S. Navy pilot, Knapp kicked off his campaign at Wednesday’s Arlington Democratic Committee meeting, where he said it’s time for Beyer’s long-held congressional seat to change hands.
Arlington’s third and final Democratic contender for County Board launched her campaign May 6 with criticism of county political leadership.
“I’m a serious person, and this is a serious job. I’m not just challenging an incumbent — I’m challenging a system,” Julie Farnam said during kickoff remarks Wednesday night (May 6) in front of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.
More candidates may kick off campaigns for Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District at this week’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.
A host of aspirants already announced their candidacies at the party’s March and April meetings. But some contenders — including Dorothy McAuliffe and Elizabeth Guzman — have yet to stand in front of the party rank-and-file.
Local Republicans might end up endorsing an independent for County Board if the party can’t come up with its own nominee.
The Arlington County Republican Committee “has not made a decision” on a slate of candidates, party chair Matthew Hurtt said at the April 27 committee meeting.
