The political equivalent of speed dating drew candidates and voters to Walter Reed Community Center on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Contenders for local and legislative offices sat down with the electorate in small groups during the annual get-to-know-you session, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City.
Pamela Berg, president of the organization, said the event is designed as an alternative to more formal political forums.
“You actually get to sit down and talk with the candidates,” she said. “It’s one of the best ways to see what local democracy looks like.”
The rules were simple: Candidates sat at separate tables and stayed put during the two-and-a-half-hour event. Every 10 minutes, voters would move from table to table and candidate to candidate, until they had made a complete circuit.
“Keep it friendly and respectful — we want everyone to get to know each other and have a good time,” said Anna Weber, who helped coordinate the event.
On hand for the exercise in democracy were:
- County Board: Republican Bob Cambridge and independents Jeramy Olmack and Audrey Clement
- School Board: Monique “Moe” Bryant and James “Vell” Rives
- 1st District House of Delegates: Incumbent Democrat Patrick Hope and Republican William “Bill” Moher III
- 2nd District House of Delegates: Republican Wendy Sigley
- 3rd District House of Delegates: Incumbent Democrat Alfonso Lopez
Unable to take part were Democratic County Board incumbent Takis Karantonis and independent Carlos Del Castro “D.C” Pretelt, 2nd District Democratic Del. Adele McClure and School Board candidate Major Mike Webb.
Issues discussed ran the gamut, but much of the time was spent on reacting to the Trump administration moves against the federal workforce and its impact on the regional economy.
The event was held in collaboration with partners including AKA Chi Zeta Omega, the American Association of University Women and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations.
“It takes an entire community to achieve our shared goals,” Weber said.
Arlington GOP has record-breaking fundraising quarter: The Arlington County Republican Committee reported a record-breaking quarterly fundraising effort.
Party chair Matthew Hurtt said the GOP raised nearly $23,000 in the third quarter. That’s up 33% from the previous record of just over $17,000 in the third quarter of 2023.
Hurtt said the funds are being used to mail out campaign materials and support other voter engagement initiatives.
Republicans acknowledge that the Arlington County Democratic Committee wields significantly more resources, but Hurtt said that his party putting money toward elections is an important step forward.
“Changing the status quo in Arlington takes time, commitment to a multi-year strategy, and ongoing, coordinated effort across multiple channels — reaching new voters, recruiting good candidates, raising significant resources and capitalizing on opportunities to share our message,” he said.
NAACP to host forum on ranked-choice voting: The Arlington NAACP’s next monthly meeting will be focused on the intricacies of ranked-choice voting.
That format will be used for the County Board race, which has five candidates vying for one seat. All other races will be run under winner-take-all formats.
The NAACP event will take place online on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
“Arlington voters need to understand how to properly mark ranked choice ballots so every vote can be counted,” NAACP officials said. “This isn’t just a lesson — it’s your chance to get informed, ask questions, and see how understanding the system gives you real influence in your community.”