election

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bluemont McDonald’s Demolition — Crews have been working to tear down the McDonald’s restaurant at 5009 Wilson Blvd in the Bluemont area. (See photo, above.) The building will be replaced with a new, more modern McDonald’s restaurant.

McGhee Gets GOP Nod for Special Election — Tim McGhee is the Republican nominee in the special election for the 45th District House of Delegates seat, which is being vacated by Del. David Englin. McGhee, who lost to Adam Ebbin in a state Senate race last year, will face either Democrat Karen Gautney or Rob Krupicka, depending on the outcome of a party caucus that got underway last night. [Patch, Sun Gazette]

Courtesy photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fairfax Approves Pike Streetcar — By a vote of 7-2, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a plan to build a streetcar line along Columbia Pike from Pentagon City to the Skyline area of Fairfax. The vote gives Fairfax and Arlington, which approved the project last week, the opportunity to apply for federal funding. Fairfax Board Chairwoman Sharon Bulova said of the project: “The streetcar will relieve congestion and present economic development opportunities for the Skyline area and serve a population with the demonstrated support and need for transit.” [Washington Post, Washington Examiner]

Moran Leads Fundraising Race — Incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) has out-raised his Republican opponent by a factor of more than eight. As of June 30, Moran raised $813,000 and had $308,000 cash on hand, compared to the $98,000 raised and $55,000 cash on hand for Republican challenger Patrick Murray. Independent candidate Jason Howell had $1,900 cash on hand. [Sun Gazette]

Defense Contractors Rally Against Cuts — Worried about the $500 billion in automatic defense spending cuts which will go into effect next year unless Congress acts, defense contractors held a rally in Crystal City on Monday. Among those in attendance was Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), who joined local congressmen and business leaders in decrying the potential for more than 200,000 job losses in Virginia as a result of the cuts. [Patch]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Meriweather Pleads to DWI Charge — Washington Redskins strong safety Brandon Meriweather has pleaded no contest to the charge of driving while intoxicated in Arlington. As part of the plea, Meriweather was assessed a fine, a driver’s license suspension, and a 180 day jail sentence — though the jail time was suspended. ARLnow.com was the first to report in April that Meriweather had been arrested for DWI following a traffic stop on I-66 in Arlington. [Washington Post]

Heat Advisory Issued — A heat advisory will be in effect from noon to 8:00 tonight. Heat index values are expected to reach around 105 degrees, which brings the risk of dehydration and heat-related illnesses. [Weather Channel]

District 45 Special Election Scheduled — The special election to replace Del. David Englin, who resigned in June, will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the special election date yesterday. [Virginia.gov]

Green Pig Bistro Reviewed — Washingtonian Magazine reviews Clarendon’s Green Pig Bistro (1025 N. Fillmore Street) and dubs it a “hipster farmhouse.” In addition to the food, the restaurant’s staff also receives attention in the article: “That dude with the mohawk and baroque tattoos? That’s the sous chef.” [Washingtonian]

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

County Board Challengers Urge ‘No’ Vote on Streetcar

By ARLnow.com

The Republican and Green Party candidates for County Board have both released statements calling for the Board to vote “no” on the Columbia Pike streetcar.

The controversial vote is scheduled to take place at tonight’s County Board meeting, which will start at 6:30 p.m.

Republican County Board candidate Matt Wavro and Green Party candidate Audrey Clement — who will be facing Democratic County Board member Libby Garvey in November — both say that the streetcar is a bad idea.

“We should not hamper the ability of our community to continually improve our plans and development decisions by installing an inflexible, impractical and egregiously expensive circulator trolley that many citizens do not want,” Wavro wrote in a statement, released last week. “Instead of a circulator trolley, I would promote and support enhanced bus service from Columbia Pike and Crystal City through Pentagon City and on into Rosslyn.”

In a statement, Clement said she also supported a form of enhanced bus service on the Pike.

“In addition to its exorbitant cost I oppose the Pike trolley because it would induce demand for housing, thus accelerating gentrification of the Pike,” Clement wrote. “I prefer compact double-deck buses, like those that are being introduced into service in London, rather than articulated buses, on the Pike’s congested roadway”

County staff is recommending the Board approve the streetcar plan, saying the streetcar “will best achieve the vision for the Columbia Pike corridor as a vibrant, diverse, and pedestrian and transit oriented community.”

The full statements from Clement and Wavro, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Four Mile Run Rapist Still on the Loose — Arlington County police are still looking for a man who raped a woman on the Four Mile Run Trail two weeks ago. Police are issuing warnings to women who use the trail, in English and in Spanish. Officers are also patrolling the trail on bike and motorcycles. [WJLA]

Marymount, O’Connell Teaming Up for Baseball Field — Marymount University will be adding a varsity baseball team to its athletic program after striking a deal with Bishop O’Connell High School to use the school’s baseball field. Marymount will fund the renovation of the O’Connell’s field to NCAA standards, in exchange for partial use of the field. Marymount hopes to have the baseball team ready for its first season by Spring 2014. [Sun Gazette]

N. Va. Critical to Obama Re-Election — The road to the White House runs through Northern Virginia, according to some political watchers. Experts say President Obama must score a big victory in Northern Virginia in order to capture the Commonwealth, one of three crucial, hotly-contested swing states. As a result, residents can expect a bombardment of political ads this fall. [WUSA 9]

Flickr pool photo by Damiec

Violand-Sánchez Elected School Board Chair Amid Controversy

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington School Board today elected Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez as its new chair and Sally Baird as its new vice chair.

The election follows the normal order of School Board succession — Violand-Sánchez served as vice chair for this past school year, and the vice chair is typically then elected to the chairmanship the next year. This time around, however, a faction of the Board was said to be intent on re-electing Abby Raphael as chair.

Word that Violand-Sánchez might not become chair sparked a mini controversy over the past two weeks or so. On June 23, Gabriela Uro, the chair of the Arlington Latino Network, sent an open letter to the School Board (republished after the jump) expressing “deep concern” that Violand-Sánchez might be passed over for the chairmanship. Uro also wrote that the Board “appears to be split along racial and ethnic lines.”

In the end, the School Board voted 4-0 to elect Violand-Sánchez as chair at its meeting this morning. In a statement, Violand-Sánchez said she was “honored” to be chair and promised to work to “provide optimal learning environments” for students as the school system addresses significant capacity challenges.

“I am honored to accept the chairmanship of the Arlington School Board,” she said in a press release. “Arlington Public Schools is a great school system. We are proud of our phenomenal staff, students and our diverse community. We need to continue to focus our work in the next year within the framework of our Strategic Plan to ensure that every student is challenged and engaged, that we eliminate achievement gaps, that we recruit, retain and develop high quality staff, and that we provide optimal learning environments to our growing student population to meet the needs of the whole child.”

The Sun Gazette has more details about the “internal battle” behind the vote.

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Krupicka Announces Candidacy, Endorsements

By ARLnow.com

Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka has officially announced his candidacy for the 45th District House of Delegates seat.

Krupicka is seeking to replace Del. David Englin, who submitted his resignation last week. In a press release, Krupicka — who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate last year — said he’s running “to ensure that we continue to have a progressive voice in Richmond.”

Krupicka’s campaign also released a list of endorsements, which includes much of the local Democratic establishment. Krupicka is expected to face Karen Gautney — the former chairwoman of the Alexandria Commission on Human Rights, whom Englin has endorsed — in an upcoming special election. Arlington School Board Member James Lander has also announced his intention to run for the 45th District seat, which includes parts of south Arlington.

The following press release was issued by the Krupicka campaign yesterday afternoon.

Today, Rob Krupicka officially announced his entrance into the race for the Democratic nomination in the 45th House of Delegates District.

“I am running for the House of Delegates to ensure that we continue to have a progressive voice in Richmond. My experience means that I will be ready to hit the ground running on day one. With two girls in school, and as a member of the State Board of Education, I will make our children’s education my top priority. As I’ve done for the last ten years, I will work for smart environmental and transportation solutions that create jobs and conserve our natural resources, and I will fight against the right-wing extremism that has rolled back women’s rights and true equality for every Virginian. We can’t move our state forward when others are trying to tear us apart.

“As a graduate of the University of Virginia, and someone who has worked to increase the number of students ready to succeed in college, I will work to make sure our public higher education system is transparent, affordable and accessible for every resident of the Commonwealth.”

“I am honored to have the support of state and local leaders as we start this campaign. I look forward to working alongside them to deliver the progressive leadership and real results that the people of the 45th district, and of Virginia, deserve.”

Rob Krupicka lives in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood with his wife Lisa and two daughters, Gillian and Janelle. He has been an active member of the community since moving to the area in 1993. He is the past president of the Del Ray Citizens Association, founder and co-chair of the Eco-City Alexandria Green Initiative, three-term member of the Alexandria City Council and currently serves as one of Governor Kaine’s appointees to the State Board of Education.

The 45th House of Delegates District covers the east end of the City of Alexandria, parts of South Arlington and Southern Fairfax counties and has been represented for the last seven years by Delegate David Englin who announced his resignation last week.

A partial list of Krupicka’s endorsements, after the jump.

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Howell Vows to Wear Name Tag Until Election

By Katie Pyzyk

A congressional candidate who recently joined the race is trying to get some recognition in an unconventional way. Jason Howell will be wearing a name tag from now until the election on November 6.

Howell, who actually got the ball rolling on his campaign last year, was informed on Monday, June 18, that he had officially made the ballot. He’s up against incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D), Patrick Murray (R) and Independent Green candidate Janet Murphy in the 8th District congressional race. He’ll be running as an independent.

Howell believes part of the problem with campaigning, particularly as an independent, is the lack of name recognition. To remedy that problem, he’ll wear a name tag every time he’s in public until the election. Howell hopes he’ll get enough exposure so people will recognize his name by the time they get to the polls. He said there’s only one exception to the name tag rule: “When I’m wearing a campaign t-shirt in the gym.”

A major sticking point for Howell is the partisan nature of politics today.

“People don’t vote for the people they know, they vote for the ‘D’ or the ‘R.’ They vote for the branding,” said Howell. “Unfortunately the politicians have figured that out. They don’t have to be the best candidate, they just have to have the ‘R’ or the ‘D.'”

Howell believes being an independent in Congress would give him the ability to make changes that current members struggle with.

“The ability to go in there and create relationships without parties’ strings is what I bring to the table,” said Howell. “The biggest problem we have is our politics. It’s not that we don’t have enough money to take care of problems or we don’t have enough ideas, but the partisanship has locked them out of solutions.”

Howell views America’s current economic situation as something that needs fixing right away. Howell, who started out with a career in accounting and is now a writer and speaker, says the financial crisis prompted him to run for Congress. He doesn’t think current lawmakers are handling the situation well, and believes it’s time for Congress to sport fresh faces from a younger generation.

“Someone from my generation needed to get involved,” he said. “I decided to step up and be a part of the solution.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rush Plus Starts Today — This morning marks the start of Metro’s “Rush Plus” modified rush hour rail service. So far, via Twitter, numerous problems and crowded trains have been reported on the Blue Line. Initial reviews have been mixed on the Orange and Yellow lines.

Hearing Set for Pike Neighborhoods Plan — A public hearing about the new Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan will be held on Saturday, July 21. The plan envisions the addition of 6,000 new rental apartments (to the existing stock of 9,000 apartments) along the Columbia Pike corridor over the next 30 years. Arlington County says the goal of the plan is to “Preserve affordable housing… encourage private investment… create a more pedestrian-friendly community… [and] strengthen the Pike corridor’s transit network.” [Washington Post, Arlington County]

Streetcar Agreement Approved — The Arlington County Board and the Alexandria City Council have approved an agreement to move forward on a plan to build a streetcar along the Route 1 corridor. The streetcar line could open in Crystal City as soon as 2019. [NBC Washington]

Second Phase of Crystal City Road Project Approved — The second phase of a major road project in Crystal City has been approved by the Arlington County Board. The project will convert Crystal Drive to a two-way road between 23rd Street and 26th Street. The project includes bicycle lanes, new traffic signals and street lighting, intersection improvements and ADA-compliant curb ramps and sidewalks. [Arlington County]

Fourth Name on 8th District Ballot — Independent Jason Howell has qualified for the 8th District congressional race. Howell joins incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, Republican Patrick Murray (R) and Independent Green candidate Janet Murphy on the Nov. 6 ballot. [Sun Gazette]

Murray Campaign Claims Advantage Among Independents

By ARLnow.com

The campaign of Republican congressional candidate Patrick Murray is claiming an advantage among independent voters — a claim his opponent’s campaign is vigorously disputing.

Murray is facing off against incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) in the Nov. 6 general election. The race will be a rematch of the 2010 race, in which Moran defeated Murray by a 24 point margin.

This time around, the Murray camp says they hold a convincing advantage among independent voters. In an email to supporters this week, the campaign said Murray holds an “astonishing” 26 point margin advantage against Moran among independent voters in Virginia’s Eighth District.

“The information we emailed out was based on thousands of phone calls the campaign has made to independent voters,” Murray spokesman Reece Collins told ARLnow.com. “From those who have responded to the survey, Patrick is ahead by a margin of 58 percent to 32 percent with 10 percent saying that they are undecided.”

“The results show that these swing voters are unhappy with the current Congressman and his hyper-partisan approach,” Collins continued. “Conversely, Patrick’s message of creating jobs and responsible government is clearly resonating.”

The Moran campaign, however, questioned the method by which the poll numbers were generated.

“Unless they have an actual firm willing to stand by the numbers and share methodology, they’re just making it up,” said Moran spokesman Austin Durrer. “Moran just won his primary… in a deep blue seat, one that Murray couldn’t come within 22 points of Jim in the worst year for Democrats in electoral history. In 2012, with the President and Tim Kaine at the top of the ticket, that challenge is even steeper.”

Moran defeated Democratic primary challenger Bruce Shuttleworth by a 48 point margin on Tuesday. Murray did not have a Republican primary opponent.

Moran Wins Nod in Democratic Primary

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:35 p.m.) Incumbent Rep. Jim Moran cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday’s Democratic House of Representatives primary.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting in the Eighth District of Virginia — which includes Arlington, Alexandria and parts of Fairfax County — Moran received 74 percent of the vote to Shuttleworth’s 26 percent.

In Arlington, Moran captured a 2-to-1 to 3-to-1 advantage in most precincts. One notable exception is the Republican-heavy Madison precinct, near Shuttleworth’s home in the Old Glebe neighborhood of north Arlington. Shuttleworth received 196 votes from Madison precinct voters, to 182 votes for Moran.

Moran will now face Republican Patrick Murray and Independent Green candidate Janet Murphy in the Nov. 6 general election.

In the Virginia Republican U.S. Senate primary, George Allen has been declared the winner.

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