election

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Illegal Gambling Bust — This morning the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force will announce that it has made multiple arrests and taken down a gang-related illegal gambling operation after a months-long investigation. Arlington County was one of the police agencies that aided the task force by assisting with the investigation and executing warrants, according to a spokesperson.

Overview of Arlington Prosecutor’s Race — In race for Commonwealth’s Attorney in Arlington, Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos has far out-raised defense attorney David Deane. But Deane is hoping his stance against the death penalty will give him an edge against Stamos in the upcoming Democratic primary. [Washington Post]

An Outsider’s View of Seven Corners — To anyone who has driven far enough west on Wilson Boulevard, Arlington Boulevard or Route 7, an anecdote in this article, written by a recent Arlington transplant, will ring true. [The New Atlantis]

In the 49th District, The Issues Aren’t the Issue

By ARLnow.com

With no Republican contenders in the race, the Democratic primary for the 49th District House of Delegates seat will almost certainly decide who will represent the South Arlington district for the next two years.

When comparing the two candidates, however, one realizes that they are nearly identical on the issues. Both Stephanie Clifford and Alfonso Lopez say they will bring their “progressive values” to Richmond but will work with lawmakers across the aisle, both are pro-choice and pro-LGBT equality, both support increasing funding for Pre-K education and transit, and both oppose off-shore oil drilling.

“It’s obvious, we are pretty much exactly alike on the issues,” Clifford acknowledged recently. “There’s not a lot of daylight between us, we will vote the same way much of the time, which is why… personality issues are so much more important in this race.”

Those personality differences became a bit more clear earlier this week during a live televised debate sponsored by ARLnow.com and Arlington Independent Media. Asked about the one thing that most separates them from their opponent, Lopez and Clifford had two very different answers.

“I think it comes down to experience,” said Lopez, whose resume includes time as an Obama administration appointee in the Small Business Administration, an appointee with the administration of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, an environmental policy advocate and a leader of local Democratic organizations.

“I’ve been working on these issues that matter to the 49th District for about 20 years,” he said. “It’s not just about building coalitions… it’s having the history, having the years of experience, and knowing the people in Richmond already. I’ve put in the time, I know how to get things done.”

Lopez added that the long list of endorsements he has received shows that he’s ready to go to Richmond.

Clifford, 34, said that while she doesn’t have the experience of Lopez, she has other qualities that make her the best choice for the Democratic nomination.

“I absolutely believe I bring that strong work ethic, the temperment and the perspective that we need to have a very effective delegate, to get down there and work for the real results we need,” she said.

“I’ve walked the entire district twice. I’ve talked to people over and over again about these fundemental issues. People are worried about housing, they’re worried about the education that their kids are receiving, they want to be able to afford to live here,” Clifford said. “People need help, and that’s why I’m stepping up.”

The primary will be held on Aug. 23. See a video of the entire 50-minute debate, after the jump, or watch on Arlington Independent Media (Comcast channel 69 or Verizon channel 38) on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. or Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.

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Favola, Areizaga-Soto to Attend AGLA Forum Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Democratic arch-rivals Barbara Favola and Jaime Areizaga-Soto will both attend an Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance candidates forum tonight.

The forum, which will start at 7:00 p.m. at the NRECA building in Ballston (4301 Wilson Blvd), will give Favola, Areizaga-Soto and other Democratic candidates (there’s no contested Republican primary in Arlington this year) a chance to woo a group of largely Democratic voters just 14 days before the Aug. 23 primary.

House of Delegates candidates Stephanie Clifford and Alfonso Lopez are both expected to attend the forum. Other invited candidates include Adam Ebbin, Libby Garvey and Rob Krupicka (30th state Senate District) as well as Theo Stamos and David Deane (Commonwealth’s Attorney).

Computer Glitch Blamed for Erroneous Voter Registration Cards

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is mailing new voter registration cards to as many as 10,000 voters who may have previously received cards with incorrect polling place information.

Arlington County Registrar Linda Lindberg said the erroneous cards were sent to voters in 3-4 precincts before county employees realized the mistakes, which included outdated precinct information (as a result of this year’s redistricting process) and incorrect polling place addresses. The mistakes were the result of a computer that was improperly programmed, Lindberg said.

Voters receiving a second mailing will get a new voter registration card and a letter explaining the errors. Adding to the confusion is the fact that many of the initially-mailed voter registration cards actually contained no incorrect information. An unknown number of the first batch of mailings did contain errors, however, so the entire batch is being sent again.

The problems arose as the county took its voter registration card mailings in-house. Lindberg noted that a contractor had been used to send the mailings in previous years. This year, to save money, the county took advantage of new mailroom and printing equipment to send the voter registration cards without outside help. In the end, she estimates, the cost to taxpayers will be about the same as previous years, despite the errors.

Lindberg said that the problems did not significantly delay the mailings.

“Everybody should have new cards by the end of next week, and that’s still ample time before the [Aug. 23] primary,” she said, adding that “most people will only get one card.”

Hat tip to Ian L.

State Senate Slugfest Turns to Areizaga-Soto’s Work for Whipple

By ARLnow.com

The retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple has entered the ring in the knock-down-drag-out fight for her 31st District state Senate seat.

Whipple sent a letter to 31st District Democrats this week belittling candidate Jaime Areizaga-Soto’s work as her “policy advisor” in 2010. Whipple, who has endorsed County Board member Barbara Favola in the contentious two-way primary battle, wrote that Jaime — a Stanford law school grad — “served as an intern” and “received only a small stipend.”

“I agreed to give him the title ‘Policy Advisor'” to make up for the low pay, Whipple wrote. “Jaime’s embellishments and exaggerations of his role during his time in Richmond have bothered me for some time, and I feel compelled to set the record straight.”

However, the Areizaga-Soto campaign is now pointing out that Whipple had previously praised his work in Richmond. In a Jan. 27, 2010 column for the Falls Church News-Press, Whipple wrote that she was “fortunate to have the extra help of Jaime Areizaga-Soto, Esq.”

“I coordinate the operations (communications, coordination, and position-making) of the majority Caucus in the Senate,” Whipple wrote. “Jaime supports and advises me on legislation and Caucus-related issues.”

State Sen. John Edwards, of Roanoke, was quoted yesterday as praising the Areizaga-Soto’s work in the state Senate.

“Jaime was an important asset to the Senate Democratic Caucus and to me over the last two legislative sessions,” Edwards said.

“I’m disappointed that Senator Whipple and my opponent have decided to mislead the people of the 31st District,” Areizaga-Soto said in a statement. “Senator Whipple praised my service for her in the Falls Church News Press, and I am proud of the work I did in Richmond. I want to move past this petty distraction and offer my vision for standing up to Ken Cuccinelli’s extreme agenda for Virginia.”

Heated Senate Battle Escalates

By Katie Pyzyk

Barbara Favola’s campaign has turned up the heat on fellow Democrat Jaime Areizaga-Soto in an already contentious senate race.

Today the Favola campaign launched a website attacking Areizaga-Soto, claiming he had involvement with oil companies.  The site also states that one of Areizaga-Soto’s “main clients”, Petrobras, was responsible for 11 oil spills.

Areizaga-Soto’s campaign manager has responded to the allegations on the website by stating, “It is a sign of desperation that the Favola campaign has decided to attack Jaime using an exaggerated six degrees of separation attack. While Jaime serves our country in uniform, Favola is partnering with Ken Cuccinelli’s allies to fund her Senate campaign, breaking the Arlington County Code of Ethics and giving herself a 60% pay-raise while doing it.”

The Areizaga-Soto campaign launched its own website going after Favola.  It’s largely devoted to questioning Favola’s acceptance of campaign donations.

Favola Vote on Towing Coincided With $2,500 Donation

By ARLnow.com

The political blog Blue Virginia points out that a $2,500 donation to County Board member Barbara Favola’s state Senate campaign from Advanced Towing owner John O’Neill, reported here last week, came just five days before a Board vote on increasing the county’s towing fee.

On April 26, the Board voted 3-2 to increase the trespass towing fee — collected by companies like Advanced Towing — from $115 to $125. Favola was one of the three to vote in favor of the fee increase.

“I do believe towing services are a necessary part of urban living,” she said at the time. “I feel that I also have to be fair to the towing operators.”

While the vote’s timing raises questions, it is consistent with the last vote Favola cast on towing. On May 16, 2009, she voted to increase the towing fee by $15.

Update at 1:10 p.m. — Favola’s Democratic primary opponent, Jaime Areizaga-Soto, has released a statement that renews his call for Favola to resign from the Board.

Barbara Favola has violated the Arlington County Code of Ethics. It is time for Barbara Favola to resign from the County Board and quit using her public position for political gain, this is the worst of politics and shows disrespect for the values that Democrats believe in and fight for.

Favola Tops Latest Fundraising Numbers

By ARLnow.com

Quarterly finance reports are out for Arlington’s state Senate races.

In the heated 31st District contest between County Board member Barbara Favola and Army National Guard JAG officer Jaime Areizaga-Soto, Favola won the fundraising battle and conserved her cash.

Favola received $130,414.68 in contributions during the second quarter of 2011, compared to Areizaga-Soto’s $73,816.00. Areizaga-Soto also took out $145,000 in net debt during the period, but only ended up with $41,137.84 cash in hand thanks to a whopping $177,678.16 in spending. Favola spent $74,764.67 and ended with $112,909.01 cash in hand.

Favola may face renewed criticism of her willingness to accept money from developers and other interests with business before the County Board. All told, Favola accepted nearly $35,000 in donations from real estate, development and hotel companies.

Among the donations were $5,000 from JBG Companies executive Walter Coker, $2,500 from Monday Properties executive Timothy Helmig, $2,500 from IDI Group CEO Giuseppe Cecchi, $1,000 from The Bozzuto Group’s Thomas Bozzuto, and $1,000 from MRP Realty executive Robert Murphy. She also accepted donations from representatives of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the B.F. Saul Company, McCaffrey Interests, and Cushman & Wakefield.

Additionally, Favola accepted a $2,500 donation from Advanced Towing owner John O’Neill, $1,000 from Red Top Cab and $500 from Enviro-Cab partner April Hess. All three firms are subject to special county regulations. Political supporters Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, Sen. Janet Howell, and Sen. Dick Saslaw collectively contributed $32,000 $42,000 to Favola.

Areizaga-Soto, meanwhile, raised a significant portion of his money from friends and family in his native Puerto Rico. He raised more than $21,000 from donors in the American territory. Areizaga-Soto’s fellow attorneys were also generous. He raised $18,700 from donors identified as attorneys.

Areizaga-Soto’s largest individual donor was Carlos Del Toro, the CEO of a service disabled veteran-owned engineering and consulting firm in Stafford, Va. Del Toro donated a total of $5,250 to Areizaga-Soto.

The winner of the primary race between Favola and Areizaga-Soto will face Republican Caren Merrick in the fall. Merrick raised $136,031.25 during the quarter and has $153,499.90 cash on hand.

In the three-way Democratic primary race for the 30th District state Senate seat, Arlington County School Board member Libby Garvey captured the fundraising crown.

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Favola Campaign Defends ‘Clerical Error’ in Poll

By ARLnow.com

Barbara Favola’s state Senate campaign is defending a telephone poll that erroneously identified Democratic primary opponent Jaime Areizaga-Soto as a Republican.

The poll, conducted on behalf of the Favola campaign, asked residents negative questions about both candidates. In a statement, the Favola campaign said calling Areizaga a Republican was a “clerical error.”

The Barbara Favola for State Senate Campaign is in the field with a standard political tracking poll.

The final question of the poll asked:

If the election in the Democratic Primary were held today, would you vote for Jaime Areizaga-Soto, the Republican, or Barbara Favola, the Democrat?

The wording of this question is obviously incorrect, and it was caused by a simple cut-and-paste, clerical error.

When the error was brought to our attention, we immediately fixed the question.

Any suggestion this was done as a campaign tactic is entirely incorrect. We apologize if this clerical error caused any confusion among the people who received our poll call.

The kerfuffle, which comes on the heels of criticism of Areizaga-Soto’s negative mailers, has prompted one local political-type to endorse Areizaga-Soto. Ben Tribbett, who was once considering a run for the 31st District state Senate seat that’s being vacated by state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, says that he’s “disappointed” with Favola.

His endorsement statement (after the jump) mimics Del. Bob Brink’s endorsement of Favola, which decried “Karl Rove-style mudslinging” in the race.

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Areizaga-Soto Campaign Criticizes Negative Phone Poll

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:45 p.m. — The Washington Post reports that Favola has ordered her pollster to stop calling Areizaga-Soto a “Republican” during the poll.

The Jaime Areizaga-Soto state Senate campaign, criticized last week for its negative campaign mailers, is now fighting back against a telephone poll apparently conducted on behalf of opponent Barbara Favola’s campaign.

According to three independent sources who received the calls, the pollster gave “negative quotes” about both Democratic candidates and asked the respondents to evaluate each. Most of the quotes, however, focused on Areizaga-Soto. Among the reported questions:

  • How do you feel about Areizaga-Soto claiming to be a “senior advisor” to Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple – who has endorsed Favola — when the temporary position only paid several hundred dollars?
  • How do you feel about Areizaga-Soto’s work on behalf of several corporations, at least one of which may have been criticized for environmental violations?
  • How do you feel about Areizaga-Soto’s work as a Bush administration White House fellow and as a Treasury Department staffer during the financial crisis?
  • How do you feel about trips and gifts Favola accepted while serving on the County Board?

“Having worked on several campaigns, the poll was a standard way to test negative messages before bringing them on the field [sic],” one call recipient told ARLnow.com. “The District 31 state Senate race is about to get a bunch nastier.”

According to sources and the Areizaga-Soto campaign, the calls were conducted by a polling firm on behalf of the Favola campaign. Favola spokesperson Mary Lawson confirmed that the campaign is conducting a telephone poll this week.

“Democrats in the 31st District deserve to know the facts so they can make an educated choice,” Areizaga-Soto said. “My campaign has been tough — we’ve pointed out some uncomfortable facts about who funds my opponent — but I have been and will always be honest.”

Areizaga-Soto campaign spokesperson said the poll contained “exaggerations” about the candidate, but did not elaborate.

Republican Enters State Senate Race

By ARLnow.com

A Republican has finally stepped up to run for state Senate in Arlington and Alexandria. Tim McGhee, an Alexandria resident, says he’s running for the 30th District state Senate seat.

McGhee currently works as a database administrator for The Falls Church and as a legislative analyst for Capitol Hill Prayer Partners. His resume also includes technology and facilities work for the Cherrydale Baptist Church and stints as the manager of two D.C.-area Radio Shack stores.

“Tim is an American with the heart of a Thessalonian, the soul of a Roman, the mind of a Berean, and the strength of a Colossian,” his personal web site says.

McGhee, whose parents were missionaries, quotes liberally from the Bible on both his campaign and personal web sites. He also quotes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and former presidents Reagan and Kennedy.

“This campaign is about spreading freedom and democracy in the 30th Senate District of Virginia,” McGhee writes. “As President Reagan said, ‘Now, I would appeal to you to invigorate democracy in your own neighborhoods.’  In these challenging times it would be most helpful to have people at the leadership table who are willing to put all options on the table — including prayer — and listen to each other.”

McGhee is expected to face the winner of a three-way Democratic primary between Del. Adam Ebbin, Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey in November.

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