Libby Garvey

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Favola Endorses Garvey — State Senator-elect Barbara Favola has endorsed School Board member Libby Garvey in the special election race to fill her former County Board seat. Calling Garvey “a proven leader,” Favola said in a statement that Garvey had the skills, experience and values to be an effective County Board member. “Libby will work to protect our core services including human services, affordable housing, and public schools as we continue to grow and change as a community,” Favola said.

Moran to Face Primary Challenge — Rep. Jim Moran (D) is facing a potential primary challenge this year. Fairfax County resident Will Radle says he will challenge the long-time incumbent in this year’s Democratic primary. One reason Radle cited for challenging Moran: “the congressman’s ineffectiveness securing more take-home pay for federal employees.” (On Friday, however, Moran issued a statement calling for federal employees to receive a larger cost-of-living increase than the 0.5 percent raise proposed by the Obama administration.) Radle has previously run for office as an Independent Green and a Republican. [Alexandria Times]

Clinic Director Named ‘Washingtonian of the Year’ — Nancy Pallesen, the executive director of the Arlington Free Clinic, has been named one of Washingtonian magazine’s “Washingtonians of the Year” for 2012. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Alex

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Garvey Announces For County Board — Arlington school board member Libby Garvey, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate earlier this year, will formally announce next month that she’s running for Senator-elect Barbara Favola’s old seat on the County Board. In an email to supporters, Garvey also said that she will not run for re-election to the school board when her term is up in 2012.

Pike Streetcar Project Moves Forward — The Columbia Pike streetcar project is still on track. “We’re on a schedule to try to get a project going, and we don’t want this to take as long as Dulles rail,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman told WAMU.

Arlington Buildings Recognized — The Northern Virginia chapter of NAIOP, a commercial real estate development association, held its annual awards ceremony yesterday. Among the Arlington winners was the 900 North Glebe Road building in Ballston, which won for “Best Building, 4 Stories and Above;” George Mason University Founders Hall in Virginia Square, which won for “Best Building, Institutional Facility over $20 Million;” and 2800 Crystal Drive in Crystal City, which won for “Best Interiors, Tenant Space 15,000-49,999 square feet.”

Lawyer: Bullying Led to Hawaii Shooting — The lawyer for an Christopher Deedy, a State Department special agent who lives in Arlington, said that Deedy was protecting others when he fatally shot a 23-year-old man in a Waikiki McDonald’s. [Associated Press]

Candidate Essay: Libby Garvey

By ARLnow.com

Earlier this week, we asked the three Democratic candidates for the 30th District state Senate seat to write a sub-750 word essay on why the district’s residents should vote for them on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

Here is the unedited response from Libby Garvey:

Why You Should Vote for Libby Garvey:

  1. Actions speak louder than words.   All three of us candidates say pretty much the same things, but here’s the difference:  while they’ve talked about getting things done, I’m the only one to have repeatedly turned those values into action.   My entire life has been about public service, from serving in the Peace Corps in the early ‘70’s to my past 14 years on the Arlington County School Board.  On the school board, I’ve helped make Arlington Public Schools one of the top-ranked school systems in the country.  We’ve also closed the achievement gap significantly, will soon establish access to pre-school for all at-risk children, and rebuilt or renovated our schools on time and on budget.  I’ve also served on the regional Council of Governments and played key roles on many statewide councils and group, two of which I was appointed to by Governors Warner and Kaine.
  2. Life experience.   I have learned many hard lessons in my 60 years.   But I’ve spent my life helping others, first as a waitress to help my family during lean times and later after college as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa. Today, as a cancer survivor, grandmother, and widow, I’m more ready than ever to serve as state senator.  There is a wisdom and understanding that can only be gained through time and experience.   If all our legislators had such wisdom, we’d have a better government.
  3. An independent, true Progressive voice.  I am truly independent and beholden to no one but my voters and continuing Senator Patsy Ticer’s legacy.  While my campaign raised the most money in the last quarter, I have received no money from the lobbyists or corporations who normally fund campaigns in Virginia.  That means we will owe this seat to no one but ourselves.  Only then will we be able to have the true progressive voice we need in Richmond to fight back against the extreme right-wing priorities of Ken Cuccinelli and Wisconsin-style labor policies, uranium mining, car title lenders and other corporate interests that seek to undermine our community.
  4. Some endorsements really matter.   I am honored to have many endorsements, but the support and endorsement of Senator Patsy Ticer and Supervisor Gerry Hyland mean the most to me.  Senator Ticer and Supervisor Hyland know the 30th District better than just about anyone.   They have cared for and well served the citizens of this district for decades. They know all the candidates well.   They support me.  I hope you will too.
  5. Finally, we need more women in Richmond.   Gender shouldn’t be a deciding point, but everyone should be concerned about the lack of women at all levels of government.  Women are over 50% of the population in Virginia, yet only about 17% of the delegates in Virginia’s House are women.  With the retirement of Senator Ticer and Senator Whipple, we could be down to 7 or fewer women out of 40 senators depending on this election.  While Republicans in Virginia are consistently waging their war on women’s rights, we need more women in Richmond to shape the debate and ensure that our rights are upheld.  We need to worry less about scoring political points and focus on getting things done.

Your reason?   If this doesn’t convince you to vote for me on the 23rd and you’d like to talk about my campaign or an issue that concerns you, please call my office at 571-312-7260 or send an email to [email protected].   Talking with voters about issues is what I most enjoy and I look forward to doing just that for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Libby Garvey

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Local Real Estate Market Lags — While the average home sales price in Arlington was up 4.6 percent for the first half of 2011, the total volume of sales was down 19 percent compared to 2010. [Sun Gazette]

Garvey ‘Home’ in Alexandria, Arlington — State Senate candidate and Arlington School Board member Libby Garvey is trying to play up her local chops to both Arlington and Alexandria Democrats. “Garvey, a resident of Fairlington, considers Alexandria to be her neighborhood,” the Huntington-Belle Haven Patch reported yesterday. Meanwhile, Garvey told the Arlington County Democratic Committee last night that after debates in Fairfax and Alexandria, “it’s really nice to be home tonight.”

Shirlington Jazz Festival Starts Tonight — Shirlington’s outdoor summer jazz festival starts tonight. Local jazz group The Oscillators will perform at the Village at Shirlington Plaza from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The festival runs on Thursday nights through August 25. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Shirlington Hilton Garden Inn Gets a Chef — The Shirlington Hilton Garden Inn (4271 Campbell Avenue), which has been trying to lure local diners to its Great American Grill restaurant, recently hired a new chef. [Shirlington Village Blog]

More State Senate Endorsements

By ARLnow.com

Libby Garvey and Del. Adam Ebbin, both trailing Rob Krupicka in fundraising, picked up some endorsements yesterday in the Democratic primary battle for the 30th District state Senate seat.

Garvey, Chair of the Arlington County School Board, received the endorsement of Fairfax County School Board member Dan Storck and Fairfax County Mt. Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland.

“Libby Garvey offers a unique combination of vision and a proven track record of getting things done,” Hyland said in a statement. “Libby is exactly the style of leader we need working for us in Richmond.”

Ebbin, meanwhile picked up endorsements from three Arlington County officials: County Board member Jay Fisette, Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy and Treasurer Frank O’Leary.

“When Arlington needed a public defender’s office to ensure the fairness of our judicial system, we turned to Adam Ebbin to help us secure the funding,” Fisette said in a statement. “When we needed him, he delivered, and will continue to do so in the Senate.”

Krupicka, an Alexandria City Councilman, has previously received endorsements from Alexandria officials like Mayor Bill Euille.

Candidates Haul in Cash for 30th District State Senate Race

By ARLnow.com

Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka has out-raised his two Democratic opponents in the race for the 30th District state Senate seat.

As of March 31, Krupicka had raised $101,143. That places him well ahead of Del. Adam Ebbin, who has raised $72,989, and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey, who has raised $55,720.

Krupicka’s biggest donor is businessman Robert Henry Duggar, who contributed $5,000 to his campaign. Ebbin’s biggest donor is the pro-immigrant-rights Laborers’ International Union of North America, which also contributed $5,000. Garvey’s biggest donor is the campaign fund of Sen. Patsy Ticer, who is retiring after 16 years of representing the 30th District. Ticer for Virginia Senate has contributed $10,000 to Garvey’s campaign.

On the Republican side, Alexandria businessman Michael Maibach appears to be gearing up for a run (see below). Maibach told us he was thinking about entering the race, but so far hasn’t formally announced his candidacy. Nonetheless, “Mike Maibach for Senate” has $10,000 cash on hand after floating a large campaign loan. Meanwhile, a web site — mikemaibach.com — is currently under construction.

The 30th District currently includes much of South Arlington, as well as most of Alexandria and a portion of Fairfax County, although state legislators are still in the process of drawing new district boundaries. See the fundraising totals for local House of Delegates races on the Blue Virginia blog.

Update at 3:50 p.m. — Maibach says he is no longer planning on running, but notes that he has not made a final decision on the matter.

“As of right now my intention is not to be a candidate,” he told ARLnow.com. “I’m hoping the party will find somebody else.”

State Senate Race Gets “Nasty”

By ARLnow.com

Mud is already flying in the three-way race for a local Democratic state Senate nomination.

Yesterday Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey sent out an email blasting opponent Rob Krupicka, an Alexandria City Council member, for the Council’s stance on the relocation of thousands of military jobs to the Mark Center development on I-395. In a letter dated August 13, 2008, posted on Garvey’s web site, an Alexandria official writes that the Council supports what was then still a proposal for the military to use the Mark Center site.

Garvey argues that the lack of Metro accessibility and the likelihood of traffic congestion at the site makes for “a terrible situation.”

“I join with Sen. Webb, Sen. Warner, Rep. Moran and Rep. Connolly in their request to the Defense Department that they delay fully staffing the [Mark Center] facility until traffic mitigation efforts are completed,” Garvey wrote. She then pounced on Kupricka.

“I believe strongly that we should judge public officials by the decisions they make,” she said. “In this case, Rob Krupicka, one of my opponents for the Senate seat currently held by Patsy Ticer, made a terrible decision by giving the DOD a green light to locate the BRAC building at the Mark Center site. His candidacy for the Virginia Senate, like that of all of us running for that important position, should be evaluated according to the quality of our decisions.”

Garvey, Krupicka and Del. Adam Ebbin are running for Ticer’s 30th District state Senate seat.

Krupicka responded with an email of his own, accusing Garvey of “distorting” his “record of leadership on transit and transportation for our community.” The email’s subject line: “Today this race got nasty.”

“This is a race between three good Democrats,” Krupicka wrote. “We’ve worked together over the years, and I’ve considered both opponents friends. So I’m disappointed that Libby decided to go negative.”

The email concludes with a call to action: “P.S. Let’s not let mudslinging stop us from making our community stronger. Can you contribute $25, $50, $100 or $250 today to help us bring new ideas to move us forward today?”

Redistricting Could Shake Up 30th District State Senate Race

By ARLnow.com

The 30th District state Senate race now has a clear set of Democratic candidates. Those contenders, however, still don’t know exactly what they’re contending for, since the upcoming state redistricting process could change the district’s boundaries.

We’ve heard rumors that the redistricting plan currently under consideration by Senate Democrats would push the 30th District further into Fairfax, Alexandria or both. Already, the 30th encompasses most of Alexandria, part of Fairfax and part of South Arlington.

A redistricting plan that subtracts from the already small Arlington portion of the district could be bad news for Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey, who just captured the endorsement of retiring 30th District state Sen. Patsy Ticer.

“I’ve worked with Libby for years,” Ticer said in a statement earlier this week. “She is a fast study and is committed to the issues important to me.”

The kind words from the well-liked Ticer is a big boost for Garvey, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s an Arlingtonian running in a minority Arlington district.

The rumored redistricting plan could help Rob Krupicka, an Alexandria City Councilman who has been positioning himself as the clear Alexandria candidate. Krupicka picked up the endorsement of Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille last week and the endorsement of former Alexandria City Manager Vola Lawson this week.

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Energized Dems Applaud New Candidates

By ARLnow.com

It was ladies night at the Lyon Park Community House last night. A capacity crowd that included most of the local political establishment applauded as four Democratic women announced their candidacy for public office.

Stephanie Clifford, a Democratic precinct captain and a new Green Valley (Nauck) homeowner, was the closest thing to a surprise. Clifford announced that she is running for the 49th District House of Delegates seat currently held by Del. Adam Ebbin, who’s running for state Senate.

“I’m sure a number of you are surprised to see me up here,” she said. “But I found a reason to serve and thought I’d step up.”

Former Arlington County Young Democrats President Gordon Simonett introduced Clifford.

“One thing that is clear when you meet Stephanie is that she has a true commitment to community values and progressive values,” he said.

School Board Chair Libby Garvey announced that she will be seeking the nomination for the state Senate seat held by the retiring Sen. Patsy Ticer.

“No work gives me greater satisfaction then public service,” Garvey said. “But there are things i want to do for you now that I really can’t do as a school board member.”

“We’re in trouble as a nation and a state,” Garvey continued. “We’re digging ourselves into a hole. We’re not investing like we need to. Education, transportation, infrastructure, the environment, the health and welfare of our citizens — we need to invest in the future. That’s why I want to be a state Senator.”

Ebbin, who is also running for Ticer’s seat, attended the meeting but did not give a speech. Instead, supporters did the talking by wearing “Ebbin for State Senate” stickers and distributing fliers that beckoned Democrats to “join the A-Team.”

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Garvey Announces Run for State Senate

By ARLnow.com

Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey made her long-expected run for the state Senate official last night.

Garvey is running for the seat of Sen. Patsy Ticer, who announced her retirement last week.  Two other Democrats, Del. Adam Ebbin and Alexandria Councilman Rob Krupicka, are expected to announce their candidacy soon.

Ticer’s state Senate seat is centered in Alexandria, but includes portions of Arlington and Fairfax.

Garvey said she’s running to help the state “put people and progress before these politics.”

“I’m running for Virginia Senate because it seems to me that we’ve reached a point in Virginia where finding a way forward is almost impossible due to political rhetoric,” Garvey said. “It’s clear that Richmond’s priorities have gotten out-of-sync with the real needs of Virginians, especially those here in Northern Virginia. I’m running because we need to start building a strong future for our children and grandchildren.”

Garvey’s full announcement is after the jump.

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