candidate essay

Jonathan Dromgoole: Why you should vote for me

By Opinion Contributor
Arlington County Board candidate Jonathan Dromgoole (courtesy photo)

Last week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the June 20 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Jonathan Dromgoole, candidate for Arlington County Board.

Hello, my name is Jonathan Dromgoole. I am a renter, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and an immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico. My family came to the United States with the hope of achieving the American Dream: buying a home, starting a small business, and ensuring the best education for their children. I am dedicated to making the American Dream a reality for all residents of Arlington.

As the first person in my family to attend college, I had the privilege of studying at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service for my undergraduate degree and later returning to the McCourt School of Public Policy for graduate school. During my time as an undergraduate, I met my now-husband, Juan. Both of us being immigrants—him from Venezuela—we have experienced living in different cities, but we chose to make Arlington our home over half a decade ago.

I am running to be your Democratic nominee for the county board in order to bring our diverse voices to the decision-making table and develop community-driven policies. It is striking that despite nearly 20% of Arlingtonians identifying as Latino, there is no Latino representation on the County Board. Additionally, the average age of Arlingtonians is 35, yet 40% of the population lacks representation. Currently, 60% of Arlingtonians, who are renters, do not have a voice on the five-person board. We cannot claim to make policies in the best interest of all residents if these perspectives are excluded from the decision-making process.

We need a transparent, efficient, and forward-thinking county board that prioritizes inclusivity, expands opportunities for small businesses, and places environmental sustainability and resilience at the forefront of its policies. It is crucial to have leadership that not only rebuilds trust in our civic engagement process, but also goes a step further by meeting communities where they are and engaging with a broader range of voices, beyond those who typically have access to the board.

In our 26 square miles, we have incredible opportunities. Opportunities to expand affordable housing while preserving green spaces. Opportunities to support small, diverse businesses that form the backbone of our community, instead of pushing out talent and innovation because we have made it too expensive to do business in the county. We can lead the way in adopting greener transportation methods, combating climate change by investing in electric buses, expanding the electric vehicle charging network, and ensuring accessible, safe, reliable, and efficient multimodal transportation for all.

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Tony Weaver: Why you should vote for me

By Opinion Contributor
County Board candidate Tony Weaver (courtesy photo)

Last week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the June 20 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Tony Weaver, candidate for Arlington County Board.

I’m running for Arlington County Board because I want to make sure our county has the financial stability and resources needed so that all residents – regardless of the circumstances they were born into – can thrive.

I’m committed to the progressive ideals of promoting education, equity, and environmental sustainability. What sets me apart is that I have a record of service that has given me a ground-level understanding of our community’s challenges, and the business experience and policy know-how to actually implement effective solutions and ensure responsible financial stewardship.

As president emeritus of the Arlington Rotary Club I’ve seen how hard economic pressures have hit many residents. At the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), with which we regularly partner, we’ve been seeing ever longer lines of people coming in for help. It’s unacceptable that people in a county as affluent as ours must struggle with such a basic need.

In partnership with Arlington Community High School – the county’s alternative school – I’ve worked to get college scholarships to young people whose families are scraping by on incomes of $30,000 per year. For many of the students I’ve gotten to know, our scholarships are what’s making it possible to pursue higher education. But the impact Rotary is having only underscores how much more must be done for the students who are falling through the cracks.

The answer lies in a wholesale reinvestment in education. Ensuring, for instance, that Arlington has strong funding streams for teachers – as well as often-overlooked guidance counselors, who currently must serve about 100 students each.

Yet the resources needed for these investments are now under threat from unprecedented economic change. The work-from-home revolution brought on by the pandemic is here to stay. Anyone who has recently walked through Rosslyn and Crystal City can see the empty buildings as Arlington’s office vacancy rate has reached a record 23 percent. The long term impact on the county’s tax base – and therefore on county revenues – could be severe.

As a member of the county’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, I’ve been tracking the concerning budget cuts that have already been introduced as revenues have fallen relative to inflation. This includes the elimination of a vacant assistant director position at Arlington Economic Development – the very department whose mission is to attract the businesses that could expand county revenues.

That’s why it is my top priority to stabilize Arlington’s revenues. It’s imperative that we bring in new businesses to fill as much of the vacant office space as possible, while adapting remaining buildings to new uses. And to accomplish this we’re going to need county leaders who are well versed in the needs of both Big Tech and Main Street operations.

In contrast to every other candidate, I have this business experience and knowledge. I’ve worked at a technology firm in Silicon Valley. I’ve founded a venture capital-backed startup. And since returning to my Northern Virginia roots and starting my Arlington-based small business nearly a decade ago, I’ve tripled our revenues.

As a member of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Political Leaders program, I’ve also been criss-crossing the state over the past year speaking to economic policy experts and government officials of other localities. And I’ve been encouraged by what I’m finding when it comes to the potential for helping innovative businesses find a home in our county. 

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Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: Why you should vote for me

By Opinion Contributor
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at Arlington Democrats election watch party in November 2019, when she was elected to office (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Last week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the June 20 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, incumbent for the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.

Four years ago, I ran for Commonwealth’s Attorney on the simple idea that we could build a more just legal system while still keeping our community safe. I am proud to say that since I took office, we have made that idea a reality. I have kept the promises I made to implement criminal justice reform here in Arlington, helping to make our community one of the safest in the country.

As promised, I have expanded opportunities for diversion for lower level crimes and non-violent crimes. I helped create a mental health docket and expanded our drug court, quadrupling the number of people served by it. These diversion programs get people the treatment they need rather than simply incarcerating them and ignoring the underlying issue. This both makes our community safer, and is the right thing to do.

I have also worked to make the legal process easier on victims and survivors. I reorganized the office to implement a victim-centered prosecution model. This means that only one prosecutor or team is assigned to each case so that victims aren’t being shuffled around between different prosecutors at every stage. Further, I have helped empower victims by creating a restorative justice program for appropriate cases. And, unlike my opponent, I don’t prosecute victims of domestic violence for fighting back against their abusers.

I have used my lobbying power as a prosecutor to advocate for safer gun laws and criminal justice reforms and am a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. I supported Red Flag laws, ending the death penalty, decriminalizing marijuana, and many other legislative efforts. More than once, I have convinced VACA (the statewide Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ lobbying group) to see the other side of an issue and refrain from opposing reforms. That’s why I’ve earned the endorsement of local progressive legislators like Delegates Patrick Hope and Alfonso Lopez, and Senator Barbara Favola.

Of course, my office aggressively prosecutes serious crimes like rape, murder, and gun violence. Under my supervision, the office’s trial conviction rates on violent felonies have nearly doubled over those of my predecessor. The overall trial conviction rate is also significantly higher. And we have achieved these increases even as we take a higher percentage of cases to trial.

As you may know, before becoming the Commonwealth’s Attorney, I spent many years working at the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. In doing so, I saw the harm that results—both to the accused and to crime victims—when the system gets it wrong. That’s why I created a conviction review unit to review old convictions for mistakes. That unit has already helped overturn a conviction and keep a woman from being wrongfully deported away from her family and the only country she knows.

To prevent errors going forward, I have also made strides to even the playing field with the defense and make sure trials are a fair fight. Immediately upon taking office, I ended my predecessor’s outdated policy requiring defense attorneys to hand-copy documents and began providing open-file electronic discovery. And, my office was one of the first in the country to stop using peremptory strikes in jury trials except in limited circumstances. This is a commonsense way to prevent discrimination in jury selection.

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Josh Katcher: Why you should vote for me

By Opinion Contributor
Josh Katcher, candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney, at the Arlington Democrats meeting in January (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Last week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the June 20 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Josh Katcher, challenger for the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.

I am a lifelong Democrat who believes in public safety. I am also a reform prosecutor who believes that we can create a fair and equitable local criminal justice system that  respects victims. However, that possibility is rapidly slipping away because the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is in free fall. In the past 18 months, 14 attorneys have quit, and there are 9 fully-funded attorney positions that remain unfilled.

My campaign commitment is “Real Reform, Real Justice.” Real Reform views cases through a contextualized and humanized lens, rather than looking at incarceration as the only tool to wield.  It connects individuals who desperately need services and programs to treat underlying issues with an eye towards diversion. Think of matters involving kids doing kid things, the mentally ill, the homeless, the addicted.  It means not prosecuting simple marijuana cases and opposing the death penalty.   However, Real Reform does not shy away from aggressive and unapologetic prosecutions for offenses such as murder, rape, robbery, major drug dealing, and serious gun charges.

Real Justice means embracing, not just giving lip service to, the belief that justice for victims is bedrock in our judicial system. It means unequivocally upholding the constitutional rights of the accused. It means always remaining focused on just and equitable outcomes for the convicted.\

But the promise of 21st century reform prosecution requires more than just good intentions and slick talking points; it requires the relevant experience to lead and train a team of prosecutors in this complicated task. I have that experience.

I have been a local prosecutor for the past 11 years. I have practiced in every court, been in front of every judge, and collaborated with all our local law enforcement agencies. I have tried hundreds of bench trials and over 50 jury trials. My opponent has not personally prosecuted a *single* case since taking office.

Last August, I made the difficult decision to quit a job I loved, because I had lost faith in the leadership and management of the office. Prior to doing so, I was the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney supervising the largest team in the office. Specifically, my opponent entrusted me to train up our next generation of reform prosecutors.

Over the past 11 years, I have served as president of the Arlington County Bar Association and as a member of the Virginia State Bar Council. I have often been invited to train prosecutors, defense attorneys, and police officers on the law across the state. I have been fighting for Democratic values my entire life. I have served as a local precinct captain twice, the head of voter registration, a member of our local Democratic Steering Committee, and a host of other roles.

As your Commonwealth’s Attorney, I will not retreat to the corner office when I’m elected. I will be in court on our most serious cases. I will handle cases from our juvenile justice docket. And I can and will pull my prosecutors off the line and handle their dockets myself when they need relief.

Karina Lipsman: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Karina Lipsman, the Republican nominee for the 8th Congressional District (via Fairfax County Republican Committee/Facebook)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the response from the Republican nominee for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, Karina Lipsman. It has been edited at the end to remove sentences that brought the submission above the 750 word limit.

Northern Virginia has been setting records.

Record high crime, record high cost of living, record high gas prices, record high inflation, record high lowering of standards in our schools, record high lack of transparency into what is happening in the hallways and what is taught in the classroom.

These are records brought on by Don Beyer and that is why I’m running for Congress.

I was born in Odesa, Ukraine when it was still under the Soviet regime and fled to the U.S. with my single mother and elderly grandparents when I was 8 years old. We did not speak English, lived in low-income housing, and survived on food stamps. On my first day of Baltimore public school, my fellow classmates stood up in unison and recited the Pledge of Allegiance and while I did not understand a single word, I felt that it was something I wanted to be a part of. So as soon as I turned 18, I became a U.S. citizen by choice and recited the most meaningful Pledge of Allegiance knowing how fortunate I was to have this opportunity that many around the world can only dream of.

I put myself through college in three-years with a bachelor’s in economics, earned a master’s in engineering from Johns Hopkins while working in the defense and intelligence communities and resigned my 14-year career to run for Congress full time.

I’m working for you because I am you. When I am in the community, I hear your concerns, and I feel them too. I feel the higher cost of living, I pump my own gas, which I am now afraid to do at night with rising crime. I talk to struggling parents across the district who are disenfranchised that they can’t afford private schools. Even with the high taxes we pay, the public schools are failing our children.

I could not watch the American Dream I lived slip away, and I promise I will be your voice in Washington to protect this Dream for all. I will never vote 100% with any party, and I promise to never embrace polarizing politics.

Sadly, my opponent is the opposite. He inherited a legacy business; making him the top 5 wealthiest members of Congress. He doesn’t feel the high cost of living, or the pain at the pump. He says we need to ban stock trades by members of Congress, yet he has made 102% returns on semiconductor stock trades after helping write and pass the CHIPS Act — a bill regulating and setting policy for this exact industry. While he claims the number one issue he hears about from constituents is “airplane noise,” I’m in the community hearing what really matters to residents: rising crime, rising cost of living, and crumbling schools.

My opponent is just another out-of-touch career politician who is in it for himself and not the people of Northern Virginia. Just look at the recent scandal in his office: he represents the Pentagon and the CIA and had to fire a staffer working for the Chinese Embassy! My opponent is compromised.

New leadership is needed now more than ever. It is time for someone who understands the struggle of the almost 47% minority or immigrants that now make up this district and the average person — not the political elite.

As your Congresswoman, I will be a strong and powerful voice in the incoming majority that will represent Northern Virginia. I will be the first female ever elected in this district, the first Republican since Ronald Reagan, the first refugee Ukrainian immigrant in Congress, and the largest political flip in the country. I will use this platform and my strong voice to bring common-sense and not partisan politics to the national spotlight.

I will prioritize positive solutions and will work across the aisle. I will advocate for common-sense policies that fight crime, reduce inflation, and improve our educational standards. I will keep Northern Virginia and America safe.

I am tired of the broken promises made by my opponent. If I break any of my promises to you, I ask you to vote me out of office.

You deserve better. Vote for me for the change we need, the fresh voice we deserve, and a new age in Congress. I would be humbled and honored to represent you.

Karina Lipsman is the nominee for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District. Lipsman’s story is the American Dream. She is a refugee immigrant from Odesa, Ukraine.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

Teddy Fikre: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Independent congressional candidate Teddy Fikre (courtesy photo)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from the independent candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, Teddy Fikre.

Hello fellow residents of the 8th Congressional District, for many of you, most likely, this is the first time you have been made aware of my campaign and heard of my name. That is to be expected as I’ve been running a campaign that is far from conventional. Whereas the typical political playbook demands raising fortunes in order to blanket the airwaves and roadways with ads and inundate mailboxes with flyers, I made a decision to try something different when I was contemplating running for Congress.

After witnessing one politician after another promising to deliver change only to become part and parcel of the very status quo they ran against, I realized that the only way we can restore representative government in DC is by running an authentically organic campaign as an independent and not taking a penny from corporations and special interests. I did this so I could focus my campaign on overcoming social and political divides instead of pitting people against each other the way both political parties have and continue to do.

Though there are many issues facing our country and many problems we need to confront, there are two concerns in particular that compelled me to run for Congress and are the basis of my campaign. The first issue is the state of our economy and the way wealth is being transferred to a fraction of society while poverty is being socialized for the rest of us. Martin Luther King Jr once noted that social justice is not possible without economic justice; this is an immutable fact because the root cause of many social ills can be traced to the pervasive poverty or financial uncertainty that are the realities facing most Americans.

While we are conditioned to fight over our differences and bash other powerless people, the harsh truth is that 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and the net savings of the average worker is zero. Almost all of us, irrespective of our skin tone, gender, orientation or belief systems, are but one or two missed paychecks away from calamity. This is precisely what happened to me in 2015 as I went from being a high-priced consultant to homelessness.

As hard as that two-and-a-half-year journey through homelessness was, in hindsight, I am grateful for the hardships I endured. Before experiencing a life of destitution and despair, I viewed life through the lens of partisanship and fought for justice through the prism of tribe. Living in shelters and witnessing a sea of humanity broken by hopelessness and penury taught me this valuable and undeniable lesson: pain transcends all our political and social differences.

This gets to the second and even more important reason why I decided to run for Congress. The number one issue facing us is the way we have become so polarized as a country. As long as we remain divided, we will never be able to galvanize a critical mass of people needed to compel change that will benefit all. While it is critical to acknowledge historical injustices and address inequalities that are impacting the lives of so many, we must do so without reverting to collective judgement and assigning blame to others who are struggling to make ends meet.

Far from turning us away from divisive rhetoric and antagonism that is Balkanizing society, Democrats and Republicans in DC are leading us towards more factionalism and antipathy. That is because the bedrock of our politics and the calling card of both parties is the toxic tribalism of “us versus them” that has replaced our common purpose and eroded our common humanity in the process.

I am running as an independent for this very reason, we cannot depend on politicians who are thriving through our disunion to bring us together. It is time for authentic change in DC. As a full-time IT Project Manager who drives Uber part-time to make ends meet, I ask for your vote so that we can have a representative in DC who doesn’t have to feel your pain because I live your reality.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

Don Beyer: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Rep. Don Beyer (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from Rep. Don Beyer, who is running for re-election in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District.

My name is Don Beyer, and I have served as your representative in Congress for Northern Virginia, including Arlington, since 2015. I am seeking reelection, and your vote, in the 2022 midterm election on November 8th.

This election is one of the most important of our lives, with so much hanging in the balance, and huge implications for our economy, American democracy, and the future of the planet.

Today Northern Virginians are struggling with higher costs, and as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee I am working to help bring down prices to help families. This year we enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower health care costs and prescription drug prices, and make energy cleaner and more affordable.

We also passed the Chips and Science Act, which will create jobs in our region through investments in scientific research and development, support American manufacturing, and strengthen our supply chains. And we enacted the American Rescue Plan, which has helped fuel one of the fastest economic recoveries in history, with a record 10 million jobs added since President Biden took office.

House Republicans opposed these bills to help Americans, and while they talk a lot about inflation, their plans would actually make things worse. They’ve called for more tax cuts for the wealthy, making prescription drug prices more expensive, and threatening to wreck the economy unless they get cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Led by Kevin McCarthy, they have also given total allegiance to Donald Trump, echoing the “stolen election” lie and voting to overrule Americans’ voice at the ballot box by rejecting election results.

These nihilistic positions are dangerous for the country. I will continue to oppose them, and to protect our elections and Americans’ right to vote. I will also continue working to deliver real results that change things for the better.

This term saw enactment of my hate crime prevention bill, and major suicide prevention initiatives I helped fund. I helped enact an expanded Child Tax Credit, which saw poverty in the United States hit an all-time low. I helped craft provisions of the biggest climate bill ever enacted, and a key measure in the first major gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years. I voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is already funding transportation improvements in our region. I helped thousands of constituents get assistance from federal agencies, and secured millions in federal funding for local projects.

But we still have so much more work to do.

My top priorities start with continuing our very important work to address inflation and strengthen the economy. I will keep pushing for more legislation to prevent gun violence, and seek to advance bills that will enact universal paid leave, support affordable housing, bring down the cost of health care and child care, protect union rights, and raise the minimum wage.

One of the most important things I will work for in the next Congress is federal legislation to protect abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

I humbly ask for your vote on Tuesday, November 8th, to continue the progress we have made. If you have questions please visit www.friendsofdonbeyer.com. Regardless of who you support, I encourage everyone to vote in the midterm election, and send my thanks to all who are doing their civic duty by participating in our democracy.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

Bethany Sutton: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
School Board candidate Bethany Sutton (via Arlington Democrats)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from Democrat-endorsed School Board candidate Bethany Sutton.

I am Bethany Sutton and as a 21-year Arlingtonian and engaged community leader, I have the depth and breadth of experience in our schools and community to serve effectively as a member of the School Board.

My children currently attend Jefferson Middle School and the HB Woodlawn secondary program. I began my journey with APS in 2011 when my older child started kindergarten at Randolph Elementary School. I served on the Randolph PTA board for seven years, including three years as president. As PTA president, I held listening sessions with teachers to learn about their needs and priorities, advocated for facilities improvements for an aging school building, and supported getting books into the hands of students in a Title I school where nearly 65 percent of the children are English language learners and nearly 75 percent come from socioeconomically disadvantaged families.

For the past two and a half years, I have served as the coordinator for the Randolph Food Pantry. Our all-volunteer effort centered on providing a one-stop-shop model in which families could access not only groceries to feed their children, but also talk with school leaders, check out library books, access pandemic relief resources, and even get vaccines.

Since 2021, I have served on the Arlington County Food Security Task Force, working on how to address hunger in our community in systemic ways. I also serve on the Columbia Pike Partnership’s Community Advisory Council and I was a member of a large APS task force in 2015 to explore options for locating a new elementary school in the county.

I am Chair of the Advisory Council on Teaching & Learning (ACTL), which I joined in 2018. We work to engage parents and community members across Arlington in conversations about our academic priorities and what students need to support their learning. ACTL includes 14 subcommittees focused on particular content areas-such as Math, Science, and English Language Arts-and on particular student groups such as English language learners and students with disabilities.

My professional background is in higher education and leadership development. The perspective I have gained from working with college and university leaders is a unique lens that I bring to my thinking about K-12 education.

In terms of my priorities for our schools, I would like to highlight three:

I seek to elevate student learning as the fundamental purpose and focus of our school system. Advancing student achievement and digging into the inequities in academic outcomes in our system are high priorities for me. This is a moment for our school system to renew our expectations for student learning and recognize that teachers are critical to our success in helping students achieve measurable progress.

I also care deeply about addressing the health and well-being of our school community. We need to provide a supportive environment in our schools that focuses on helping everyone feel a strong sense of belonging — especially those who often are marginalized, including students of color, students with disabilities, and students who are LGBTQ+. If we want to make meaningful progress on student learning, we must support students’ social and emotional development. It’s also important to balance academics with the other activities that students love and that contribute to their engagement in school, such as sports, theater, music, internships, and community service.

In the next four years, we have an opportunity to rebuild a sense of community around education in Arlington. I believe that the School Board has a responsibility to foster an environment of trust, transparency, and clear communication. I’m not running for School Board because I’m mad about something or because I think something is broken that needs to be fixed. I’m running because I genuinely believe in attentive leadership and good governance. Trust, transparency, and communication are essential components of effective leadership.

I think Arlingtonians will find me to be a thoughtful leader who is focused on listening, learning, and making meaningful contributions to our community.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

James ‘Vell’ Rives IV: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Independent School Board candidate James ‘Vell’ Rives IV (courtesy photo)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from independent School Board candidate James “Vell” Rives IV.

I have lived in Arlington 23 years. My wife Carmen and I have 2 children attending Wakefield High School and Gunston Middle School. They previously attended Abingdon, Claremont, and Hoffman-Boston Elementary Schools.

My undergraduate degree is in music, and I have directed church choirs for the past 20 years.

I’m a physician. After medical school at the University of Alabama, I completed an internship in internal medicine and then moved to Baltimore for a residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I then moved to Arlington and began practicing adolescent and adult psychiatry.

I’m a member of the APS School Health Advisory Board, serving as Co-Chair last year, and I’ve proudly served as a County Election Officer for 6 years.

But this year, I am running for School Board, because this is a crucial time for Arlington Public Schools: We have to get back on track.

My top priority is to keep our students and staff physically safe. I want to bring our resource officers (school-based police) back into schools where needed. Second, I want us to keep classrooms open for in-person instruction, safely, whatever it takes. Third, we have to finish making up lost learning. Our graduates need to be competitive for careers and college. I want us to eliminate our achievement gaps without lowering our standards or expectations.

We’ve lost too many good teachers in the past two years. Classroom teachers and other student-facing positions must be a budget priority. I also want every student to get the help they need to reach their full potential – tutoring, math and literacy coaching, homework proctoring, transportation, and family support. These too should be budget priorities.

It’s going to be hard. My experience as a parent, physician, and mental health professional will bring the perspective we need on the board to meet these challenges.

The Sun Gazette has endorsed me, saying “Rives has been more aggressive in delineating the school system’s leadership and operational flaws as he sees them, and his campaign has put the focus squarely on improving the academic outcomes on a student-by-student basis…. [M]uch more than Sutton, Rives has called out the school leadership for its pandemic-era mistakes, a key step in ensuring those mistakes are never, ever repeated.”

As an independent, I am not indebted to any political party or interest group. There has not been a non-Democrat on the School Board in 15 years. They could be so much more effective if they had someone — just one person! — from outside their circle. We could all have more confidence in the governing process: When there is agreement, I will bring credibility; when there is disagreement, I will make sure different viewpoints and concerns are brought to the table and into the decision-making.

I am the candidate who will work for teachers and every student and all of our citizens. I am your candidate, and I respectfully ask for your vote.

You can find additional information about me and my platform on my website, rives4sb.com. My website links to my Facebook page, Rives for School Board, where you can read my responses to questionnaires from the League of Women Voters, the Arlington Special Education PTA, and Arlington Patch.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

Adam Theo: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Adam Theo at the June 2022 County Board meeting (courtesy photo)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from independent County Board candidate Adam Theo.

As Vice-President of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, a voting delegate to the Arlington County Civic Federation, and co-founder of the grassroots housing advocacy group YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, my heart is in Arlington’s future prosperity and security.

I am a veteran of the Air Force Reserves as a structural civil engineer with a deployment to eastern Afghanistan. The military taught me the incredibly useful skills of carpentry, welding, masonry, and even some plumbing and electrical work – all very handy for the “civilian world,” too.

I’ve lived both sides of law enforcement: not only as a video producer working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement officers in their important work towards public safety and homeland security — but also incarcerated in county jail back down in Florida after some troubled teenage years. That was the start of my awakening to the desperate need for criminal justice reform, which became a passion of mine for the rest of my life.

Before moving to Arlington a decade ago, I had been homeless — twice! — including during DC’s Snowmageddon winter 13 years ago, which I spent doing day labor at construction sites, moving furniture, and shoveling snow for various towns and businesses around the region while living out of my car. Today, I do what I can to help others in even worse situations by volunteering with Bridges to Independence — an excellent organization full of great people.

It’s these experiences — unlike any other County Board candidate in our lifetimes — that have made me into the strong-willed and optimistic champion for our future that will always fight for those most in need.

I’m always willing to get my hands dirty. My volunteer and advocacy work extends to organizing trash cleanups and county park adoptions, helping improve the Mount Vernon and W&OD trails, consistently speaking for affordable housing, and being a champion of the controversial “Missing Middle” housing reform — taking hold of that lightning rod despite fierce opposition.

But enough about myself, it’s Arlington that is the most important topic. We deserve an Arlington that is safe, affordable, and accountable. With your help, we will:

  • Prioritize Public Safety in our county budget to finally deal with our dangerous roads, flooding, and insufficient mental health programs.
  • End the Housing Crisis with an “all of the above” solution that includes lowering property tax rates from historic highs, more townhomes and garden condos with “Missing Middle” housing reform, and doubling our affordable housing investments.
  • Bring True Accountability and Reform to our county operations by fully funding the County Auditor’s office, implementing Ranked Choice Voting in local elections, and prying open full transparency from the county government.

I want to earn your support to be your challenger to the establishment and move Arlington forward. My supporters are not the party insiders trying to preserve the status quo, nor are they the selfish interest groups fanning fear about change. My supporters are the activists and outsiders who have a clear vision for our future and the dedication to see it through.

I am endorsed by Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County, both former Young Democrat and former Young Republican leaders, fierce public safety activists, and highly respected advocates for governance reform.

My name is Adam Theo, the independent candidate for Arlington County Board. Find out more about the campaign at the website, donate, and sign up to be a volunteer on election day. Thank you.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

Matt de Ferranti: Why you should vote for me on Nov. 8, 2022

By Opinion Contributor
Democratic County Board candidate Matt de Ferranti (courtesy photo)

Earlier this week, we invited the candidates running in Tuesday’s general election to write a post about why our readers should vote for them. Find information here on how and where to vote in Arlington on Nov. 8.

Below is the unedited response from the Democratic nominee for the County Board, Matt de Ferranti.

Working with all Arlingtonians to address our biggest challenges–growing our economy to expand opportunity for all, combatting climate change and protecting our environment, investing in our schools to foster educational excellence for all, and increasing housing affordability–motivates me to run for re-election to the County Board.

Fighting the Coronavirus

Last year during the height of the pandemic, as County Board Chair I used the bully pulpit to successfully advocate for more vaccines–especially for those most vulnerable to COVID. I worked to provide you with the information you needed to stay safe, and, at my urging, the County made significant efforts to provide rent and food assistance.

Growing our Economy to Benefit All Arlingtonians

Good-paying jobs and a strong commercial sector are critical to a thriving economy. As Chair of the Board, I worked with labor to pass our collective bargaining ordinance and prevailing wage ordinance. Each will help make sure County employees and those who work on County projects are paid a fair wage.

Arlington’s strong commercial sector has historically helped balance homeowner and commercial real estate tax burdens while allowing us to provide good County services. Keeping that balance is why I supported the Amazon agreement.

Combatting Climate Change and Protecting our Environment

I pushed for high goals in Arlington’s revised Community Energy Plan in 2019 and strongly supported the solar farm that will help County government get to 100% renewable electricity in County operations by 2025. I also led on increasing the proportion of county vehicles that are electric and in establishing our office of climate coordination. If re-elected, I will focus on getting Arlington as a whole community to 100% renewable electricity by 2035, continuing to address our stormwater challenges, investing in sustainable mobility and transportation, and protecting our trees and natural resources.

Excellent Public Schools for All Students

I began my career as a teacher, so I know that teachers are the backbone of educational excellence and equity. That’s why in this year’s budget I worked with my County and School Board colleagues to provide a significant salary increase for our teachers and school staff. Continuing to strengthen our schools has and will always be a priority for me. The County Board has a responsibility to work with APS to make sure we have enough appropriate space for learning and the resources needed to deliver a world-class education.

Addressing our Housing Challenges

During my Chairmanship we were able to preserve over 1330 affordable apartments at the Barcroft Apartments AND guarantee that none of the 1100 households living there at the time of sale will be involuntarily displaced. If a private developer had bought the complex, it would have been demolished to become market rate apartments, causing thousands of Barcroft residents to lose their homes. I also led in addressing the conditions at the Serrano apartments, strengthening the County’s oversight of AHIF projects, and in reducing homelessness.

Our housing market does not have enough private market options at various price points for Arlington residents who want to buy or rent here. Over the last 20 years the price of homes in Arlington has skyrocketed. We must act to address that reality, but how we do so is critical. That’s why, on missing middle, I have and will continue to listen to every point of view and do not support the full staff framework that was proposed in late April.

Instead, I support thoughtful, tiered changes to our zoning policies to increase the supply of housing that is available for homeownership and rental units for young families and seniors who wish to downsize. I believe we should allow duplexes on our smallest lots and tier additional units based on the size of lots. I do not support eightplexes, since I believe the costs are not worth the benefits. I am committed to thoughtful policies, a balanced approach, and the significant work still ahead on this issue.

The Choice You Have on Tuesday

Over the past four years, I have worked my heart out, listening to your concerns and engaging to address them. To learn more about me, go to mattforarlington.com, here. For my views on the issues, go here. For a list of the organizations and individuals who support me, go here. Then, once you have considered all of the issues, hire the County Board Member you believe is the best leader to serve you on all of these important issues over the next four years.
I humbly and respectfully ask for your vote.

Editor’s note: Candidates for local races are invited in advance to submit candidate essays, via contact information ARLnow has on file or publicly-listed contact information on the candidate’s website. Reminders are sent to those who do not submit an essay by the evening before the deadline.

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