Policy differences were in evidence but few rhetorical punches were thrown as Arlington’s election season began – and in some respects may have effectively concluded – on Sept 5.
Republican and independent aspirants in the five contested races on Nov. 7 stated their cases but probably didn’t move the needle in a community that typically votes Democratic up and down the ballot.
“I get it – it’s a longshot in Arlington,” said David Henshaw, the Republican challenging state Sen. Barbara Favola in the newly redrawn 40th District, a district that includes about 95 percent of the county’s population.
He was speaking at the Arlington County Civic Federation’s candidate forum, the traditional beginning of a two-month sprint to Election Day in Arlington and a chance for the public and press to determine which, if any, races look promising.
Also taking the stage were:
• Democratic incumbent Adam Ebbin and Republican Sophia Moshaha, who are vying in the 39th Senate District.
• Democratic incumbent Alfonso Lopez and independent Mike Webb, who are contesting the 3rd House of Delegates District seat.
• Democrats Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham, Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and independent Audrey Clement, competing for the two open County Board seats.
For the most part, candidates avoided aiming barbs directly at one another, although Ebbin took after Moshasha for, he said, failing to come clean with the electorate about her policy positions.
(Clement, who has been running for one office or another continuously for a decade, blasted the local media for bias, saying local coverage serves to “all but guarantee” that non-Democrats are marginalized in local elections.)
Democrats currently have a lock on local elected office, which may have accounted for Sept. 5 turnout from the public that might be described as modest. But Civic Federation president John Ford said efforts were put into the questioning to “try and make it worthwhile for all participants.”
Find coverage of individual debates coming up separately.
In addition to the five contested seats on the Arlington ballot, eight others are uncontested, with Democrats seeking one seat for School Board, two additional House of Delegates seats and the five constitutional offices (sheriff, commonwealth’s attorney, clerk of Circuit Court, treasurer and commissioner of revenue).
