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Election Day in Virginia — Voters are going to the polls in Virginia today to vote in a rare mid-August primary. In addition to the date, which was pushed back thanks to this year’s redistricting process, this year’s election is unique because it features “more Latino candidates on the ballot than ever before in General Assembly races… running for both Democratic and Republican nominations.” Arlington’s 51 polling places will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today. [NBC Washington, Arlington County]

O’Leary Predicts High Turnout — Arlington County Treasurer and amateur election prognosticator Frank O’Leary believes that about 11,850 votes will be cast today, seven times the turnout of the 2007 primary. O’Leary based his projection on the number of absentee votes cast this year, which is higher than usual. [Sun Gazette]


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Here is the unedited response from Jaime Areizaga-Soto:

I am Jaime Areizaga Soto and I’m running to represent the 31st district in the Virginia Senate.  I graduated from Georgetown and got a masters and law degree from Stanford.  I’ve served our country as an Army officer for over twenty years and am currently a JAG Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard.  I am an attorney with over 12 years of infrastructure experience, a former White House Fellow, a member of the Arlington County Transportation Commission, and a lifelong Democrat.  Over the past two General Assembly sessions in Richmond, I served as Policy Advisor to Senator Whipple supporting and advising her on legislation and caucus-related matters.  The Obama Administration appointed me to the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development – I stepped down from that position in order to be a candidate to represent you in Richmond.


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Here is the unedited response from David Deane:

My name is David Deane and I am seeking the Democratic nomination for Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. As Commonwealth’s Attorney I will make the office more accountable and accessible to the citizens of this community. While the office has been well run under the current leadership, I believe that we should always be striving for better. I am committed to starting a Drug Court Program, working in collaboration with Arlington’s judges and community services agencies to treat and intensively supervise non-violent addicts rather than abandon them in jail. I am committed to hiring Spanish speaking prosecutors and educating the Hispanic community so that all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity, heritage, or immigration status feel safe. I am staunchly opposed to the death penalty. I believe that the citizens of this community understand that this draconian means of punishment is expensive, ineffective, and inhumane. As both a former prosecutor and a practicing defense attorney I have the breadth of experience to achieve these goals and to improve the level of service provided to the members of our community. I would be honored to have your vote on August 23rd, 2011.


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Here is the unedited response from Theo Stamos:

My name is Theo Stamos and I am running for Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. For the past 25 years I have been on the front lines of the criminal justice system, beginning as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1987 and serving as Chief Deputy since 2002. I have prosecuted and supervised the prosecution of thousands of cases, always guided by the truth that the role of a prosecutor is to seek justice for victims and fairness for all.


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Here is the unedited response from Rob Krupicka:

My name is Rob Krupicka, and I started this campaign with the simple idea that we need new ideas in Richmond. I’m tired of the politics of blame that we see everyday in Washington D.C. I’m tired of the same old finger pointing and partisan bickering that takes us backwards. I’m running for Senate because Northern Virginia deserves a leader who will reject the politics of blame, and work tirelessly to produce results.


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Here is the unedited response from Adam Ebbin (typo corrected at 6:20 p.m. upon request of the campaign):

The question before voters in the August 23 Democratic primary for the 30th Senate District isn’t about policy or politics. With three solid Democrats running, there’s very little difference between our positions on major issues. Instead, the question voters must answer is, “who can best get the job done in the Senate?”


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Here is the unedited response from Stephanie Clifford:

I have lived in Virginia’s 49th District for nearly a decade and am a proud member of this community. I am a mother, small business owner, and a proud Democrat. I am running for the House of Delegates because I care deeply about our community, and I want to ensure that our shared community values continue to be heard in Richmond.


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Police Searching For Serial Groper — Arlington Police are on the lookout for a man who has been assaulting women and girls by grabbing their breasts as they walk down the street. Among the victims are Eastern European women working as lifeguards and a 13-year-old girl. The attacks started in June. [WUSA9]

Virginia NOW Endorsements — The Virginia National Organization for Women PAC has endorsed four Arlington candidates for state office. Virginia NOW endorsed both Adam Ebbin and Libby Garvey in the three-way race for the 30th state Senate District (skipping over Rob Krupicka). The group also endorsed both Stephanie Clifford and Alfonso Lopez in the two-way race for the 49th House of Delegates District. [Virginia NOW]


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In the latest round of mudslinging, Barbara Favola is being accused of making “racist comments” regarding the electability of her Democratic primary opponent, Jaime Areizaga-Soto — a charge she is calling “flat out untrue.”

Local Democratic blogger and Areizaga-Soto supporter Lowell Feld says he received a call from Favola last week in which Favola — thinking she was talking to a potential voter and not a vocal online critic — implied that Areizaga-Soto was unelectable because few Latinos live in the 31st District. Favola reportedly also noted that many of the donations to the Areizaga-Soto campaign have come from the candidate’s friends and family in Puerto Rico.


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