state legislature

State Senate Approves New Redistricting Plan

By ARLnow.com

After its first plan was vetoed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, the Democrat-controlled state Senate has approved a modified plan drawn up by a bipartisan group of senators.

The plan, however, does not change the serpentine borders of the 31st District, which will stretch from North Arlington to Loudoun County along the Potomac River. Likewise, the 30th District will remain unchanged from the first plan, which took away a bit of South Arlington territory from the district’s borders.

If approved by Gov. McDonnell as expected, the plan will place McLean millionaire Caren Merrick within the borders of the 31st District. Merrick has already announced her intention of running for the state Senate as a Republican.

Merrick would face the winner of a Democratic primary battle between Barbara Favola and Lt. Col. Jaime Areizaga-Soto. Democratic technology consultant Ben Tribbett is mulling a run as well, but has been waiting for the district’s borders to be finalized before making a decision.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Empty Courthouse Office Building for Sale — The big, white Verizon office building at 1320 N. Courthouse Road is actually vacant — and for sale. After nearly 30 years as a tenant, Verizon left its offices in the building. The owner is now seeking interested buyers or joint venture partners. [GlobeSt.com]

Westover to Hold Easter Egg Hunt — Children 9 years old and younger are invited to participate in Westover Village’s Easter egg hunt on Saturday. The event is being held from 10:00 a.m. to noon next to the Westover Library. Admission is free and yes, the Easter Bunny will be there. [VisitWestover.com]

State Senate Candidates Forum — Democratic candidates for the 30th District state Senate seat participated in their first public forum of the campaign. Del. Adam Ebbin, Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka and Arlington School Board member Libby Garvey answered questions about their stance on business issues and other policy matters. [Del Ray Patch]

Gov. McDonnell Vetoes Redistricting Plan

By ARLnow.com

Virgina Gov. Bob McDonnell vetoed a redistricting plan approved by the General Assembly, adding another layer of drama to the local races for state legislature.

McDonnell, a Republican, said the districts in the Democratic-controlled state Senate’s redistricting plan did not “preserve communities of interest, ensure compact districts and maintain generally equivalent populations in each district.” That, the governor said, is a violation of state and federal law.

This is the first time a Virginia governor has vetoed a redistricting plan since 1981.

Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, meanwhile, is accusing Gov. McDonnell of “playing politics” with his veto. He pledged to approve the exact same redistricting plan again while daring the governor to veto it.

The plan approved by Saslaw and the state Senate would have extended the Arlington-centric 31st District (above) into eastern Fairfax and Loudoun counties. McDonnell’s veto will throw the races for the 30th and 31st state Senate districts into a state of uncertainty — candidates will have no way of knowing the final boundaries of the district they’re running for.

New State Senate Contender?

By ARLnow.com

A source tells us that Jaime Areizaga-Soto, who’s rumored as a potential Democratic candidate for the 31st District state Senate seat, announced to co-workers yesterday that he has decided to enter the race.

Areizaga-Soto is a senior attorney at the U.S. Agency for International Development, a Stanford Law grad, and a senior advisor to Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, the retiring occupant of the 31st District seat. An Arlington resident, Areizaga-Soto is active in the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, the Arlington County Democratic Committee and the National Puerto Rican Coalition.

Areizaga-Soto is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the JAG Corps of the District of Columbia National Guard. According to this biography, he is fluent in Portuguese, French and Spanish.

If he is indeed running — we have not been able to independently confirm his candidacy — he will face County Board member Barbara Favola in this summer’s Democratic primary. A third potential candidate, political consultant and blogger Ben Tribbett, has also indicated that he may enter the race.

The 31st District was recently redrawn and, pending final approval, will include parts of North Arlington, eastern Fairfax County and eastern Loudoun County.

Photo via Sorensen Institute/University of Virginia

Del. Hope Decides Against State Senate Run

By ARLnow.com

Del. Patrick Hope will seek reelection to the House of Delegates rather than run for state Senate. The freshman Democrat made the announcement early this morning.

“Having stated in the early weeks of March that I would only make a decision after having an opportunity to actually see the newly drawn 31st Senate District lines, I have reluctantly decided, at this time, not to run for the open Senate seat,” Hope said in a statement. “I intend to seek re-election to the House. Running an effective campaign with the geographical diversity of the new district would take me away from spending quality time with my young family.”

“I’m humbled by the literally hundreds of voters living in the new 31st District who pledged support and encouraged me to run, but my first obligation must be to my family,” he continued. “Spending the time it would take to be victorious in a competitive primary and general election is too high a price for me to have to pay; however, I will not rule out a run for higher office at a future date.”

The redrawn 31st state Senate district, if approved by Gov. Bob McDonnell and the U.S. Department of Justice, will extend from North Arlington up into Fairfax and Loudoun counties, with the Potomac River as an eastern border. Currently, County Board member Barbara Favola is the only Democrat to announce her candidacy for the seat, which was vacated by the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple.

Hope’s decision, however, clears a path for another potential candidate to enter the race. Political consultant and blogger Ben Tribbett, who has been flirting with the idea of running for public office, issued a statement today that stopped short of announcing himself as a candidate, but suggested that he’s at least seriously considering it.

In his first term in office, Patrick Hope has established an outstanding record of progressive activism. I was very much looking forward to being one of Patrick’s strongest supporters if he had decided to seek the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 31st Senate District. I look forward to an opportunity in the future to support Hope for higher office.

Now that Patrick Hope has decided not to seek this Senate nomination, a large number of his supporters and other Virginia Democrats have urged me to run. The voters in this Senate district deserve a strong progressive voice in the Virginia Senate, and they also deserve someone who will address local community concerns in all three counties within this district. If I decide to run, I am confident I will provide them with that voice.

Redistricting Would Push Arlington Senate District into Loudoun

By ARLnow.com

If legislators approve the new state Senate districts drawn up by Senate Democrats, Arlington County voters will soon share a state Senator with Loudoun County.

The state House and Senate redistricting plans were unveiled last night and, unsurprisingly, the new district boundaries would give a boost to the majority party in each chamber. The Democratic-controlled state Senate plan would force two pairs of Republican senators to run against each other, while the Republican-controlled House plan moves the districts of three Democratic delegates, including that of House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong.

For Arlington, the state Senate plan will dilute Arlington’s influence in one district, the 31st, while the county picks up a third district, the 32nd. Arlington will lose some territory from the 30th district, which is subject to a three-way Democratic primary battle.

The 31st district — held by the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple — currently consists of most of North Arlington, Falls Church and a slim part of eastern Fairfax County. The new, gerrymandered district will run from the Pentagon and Columbia Pike to the south, through the eastern half of North Arlington, through Great Falls, and up to some Loudoun County neighborhoods near the Potomac River.

Analysis on the Blue Virginia web site suggests that Arlington may retain the majority of the district’s population, but the sprawling district could present some logistical problems for County Board member Barbara Favola, who is running for the 31st district seat. Del. Patrick Hope is also considering a run for the Democratic 31st district nomination.

The 32nd district, currently a Fairfax and Loudoun County district represented by Democratic state Sen. Janet Howell, will shift into northwestern Arlington County. It will run through Tyson’s Corner, all the way west to Reston and part of Chantilly. Arlington neighborhoods like Westover, Yorktown and East Falls Church would have to compete with the interests of Fairfax County residents — which could get interesting if the topic of I-66 widening is ever brought up.

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Ebbin Picks Up Endorsements of N. Va. Delegates

By ARLnow.com

The battle lines are still being drawn in the race to replace state Sen. Patsy Ticer.

In the battle of endorsements, the current divisions among Democratic candidates are quite clear. Del. Adam Ebbin has the support of fellow state delegates. Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka has the support of fellow Alexandria officials. And Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey has the endorsement of Ticer herself.

Ebbin officially announced the endorsement of ten members of the House of Delegates from Northern Virginia this morning. Those supporting him include local Dels. Bob Brink and Patrick Hope.

“Adam Ebbin is ready to be the next Senator from District 30,” Brink said today in a statement. “With his experience in the House, he will be prepared to hit the ground running on day one.”

“A founding member of the Progressive Caucus, Adam Ebbin has a record that speaks for itself,” said Hope. “He’s a leader Northern Virginians will be able to count on in the Senate.”

The primary is scheduled for Aug. 23.

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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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Bar Coming to Columbia Pike — William Jeffrey’s Tavern will be a 6,500 square foot bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the Siena Park apartment complex, across the street from Bob & Edith’s Diner. The tavern, owned by the team behind Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill, is expected to open this fall. [Pike Wire]

Arlington Funds Slugging Web Site — Each year, Arlington allots $10,000 out of its $8 million commuter services budget to fund Slug-Lines.com, a privately-run internet resource for the area’s unique, grassroots carpooling system. [Miller-McCune Magazine]

Recalling Java Shack’s Nazi Past — Of course, nobody at Clarendon’s Java Shack has any Nazi affiliation. But the cafe’s building does. TBD recalls the days when the building was the headquarters of the American Nazi Party. Another reminder of the building’s infamous past: the occasional appearance of nostalgic Nazi fliers. [TBD]

New Wakefield High Will Have Lots of Bike Parking — The new $115 million Wakefield High School will include 304 bike parking spaces, up from the old school’s 45 spaces. The Sun Gazette’s Scott McCaffrey wonders if that’s a bit optimistic of school planners. [Sun Gazette Editor’s Blog]

Falls Church (Hearts) Arlington — In an editorial, the Falls Church News-Press addresses redistricting rumors that the 31st State Senate District — which now encompasses Arlington County, Falls Church and a slice of eastern Fairfax County — will be shifted north into McLean and Great Falls, leaving tiny Falls Church to be folded into the Fairfax-centric 32nd State Senate District. That’s frowned upon by the FCNP. “Falls Church is the spiritual sister of Arlington, far more than Fairfax County,” the editorial says. [Falls Church News-Press]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington to Install Parking Cameras? — Arlington is considering installing sensors or cameras that monitor parking space usage and using the data to hike parking rates to a more market-based price. One system the county is considering would use the same technology as the license plate readers used by police. [Greater Greater Washington]

Clarendon Metro Park To Get Overhaul — The Clarendon Metro plaza and the park adjacent to it will be getting some improvements over the next several months. The improvements will provide more room for the Wednesday farmers market and allow events to be held in the park. [TBD]

Senate Race: One Up, One Down — More developments in the quickly-developing race for state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple’s seat. Dave Foster, the last Republican to sit on the Arlington County School Board, is not denying that he may be run for the seat. Also, other Republicans are said to be interested in the GOP nomination. Meanwhile, former Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Mike Signer says he’s not planning on running for Whipple’s seat, after all. [Sun Gazette, Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Christaki

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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