FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2023 Press Contact: communications@arldemsold.local
Arlington, VA – The Arlington County Democratic Committee ("Arlington Democrats") is excited to announce the nomination of Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham as the Democratic Party candidates for Arlington County Board. Following the final ballot tabulations released by the Department of Voter Registration and Election on Saturday, June 24, Coffey and Cunningham emerged as the winners of the competitive six-way race for the two open County Board seats in the November 7, 2023, General Election. The June 2023 Democratic Primary was Arlington’s first-ever implementation of ranked-choice voting (RCV). Coffey won Round 4 of the Democratic County Board primary with 40% of the overall vote. She received 10,786 votes, which was more than any other candidate in that round. Cunningham won Round 6 with 60% of the vote. She received 14,208 votes, which was more than any other candidate in that round. To win outright, a candidate must receive more than 33% of the vote.
Source: Virginia Department of Elections, June 24, 2023
”We are thrilled to have these two outstanding County Board nominees who will represent the Democratic Party’s values in Arlington,” said Arlington Democrats Chair, Steve Baker.
“Arlington is such a great community, and I’m honored to have earned the support of so many of our community members,” said Coffey. “Of course, this is just the primary. I’ve enjoyed the many conversations I’ve had with voters this year, but there is still a general election in November. I want to continue engaging voters on the issues that affect our community, whether they supported me in the primary or not.”
Coffey continued, “This is all really exciting. I’m really proud of the campaign we ran, and I’m grateful to all of my volunteers and supporters who showed up each week across Arlington to make this happen.”
Cunningham stated, “I am humbled by our community’s vote of confidence, and I am ready to get to work to earn the final vote in November’s general election. I am grateful to the other candidates for offering their ideas and service to our community, to our election officials for their hard work and integrity, to my campaign team for their tireless work and patience, and to all who made time to participate in our local democracy as volunteers and voters.”
“As I criss-crossed our vibrant and diverse county, I heard many residents’ hopes and concerns about our community. There’s so much to be proud of and build on here in Arlington, yet there’s much more to do to make our government as responsive and transparent as we want it to be.”
Under RCV, the two candidates who receive the most votes after multiple rounds of tallying win the nomination for the two open County Board seats. In RCV final round allocations, the Arlington Elections Office tallied the following maximum votes for other candidates: Natalie Roy, 8,132 (31%); Julius “J.D.” Spain, Sr., 6,236 (23%); G.O. “Tony” Weaver, 1,557 (6%); and Jonathan Dromgoole, 1,086 (4%). Voters could rank their top three choices. Final tallies will be announced by 5pm Tuesday, June 27.
Cunningham and Coffey will appear on the Democratic Sample Ballot in the November election and Arlington Democrats will marshal the full resources of the Democratic Party to elect them. About Maureen Coffey Maureen Coffey is a public policy expert, a union member, and lifelong Northern Virginian who is proud to call Arlington her home. She is running for County Board to fight for progressive policies that unify our community, address institutional bias and discrimination, and ensure that all Arlingtonians are able to thrive. Maureen’s priorities include housing, transportation, education, mental health, the environment, and economic development.
Maureen currently works at the Center for American Progress, a progressive policy think tank dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans. Her work is centered around designing public policy that understands and supports the real needs of families with an emphasis on gender and racial equity. She was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to the Virginia Family and Children’s Trust and she previously served on the board of the Arlington County Civic Federation.
Maureen is an active community organizer and member of the Democratic Party. As President of the Virginia Young Democrats for two years, she navigated the organization through the pandemic and 2020 election. She served on the Democratic Party of Virginia’s Steering Committee, the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee, and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2020. About Susan Cunningham Susan Cunningham is a small-business owner, management executive, and experienced problem solver ready to serve our community. She is running in the June 20, 2023 County Board primary to bring common sense and build a stronger community together.
Currently the interim Executive Director of Arlington Thrive, Susan recently served as interim CEO of affordable housing nonprofit AHC,Inc. She chaired the Hamm Middle School BLPC, Stratford Historic Site Interpretation Committee, Little Beginnings Child Development Center, and Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church Outreach. Susan also served on her civic association board, the Old Dominion/26th St Taskforce, and the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC).
Susan has led organizations with one employee to over 80,000, from urban US school districts to national governments, including senior leadership roles at the U.S. Treasury, McKinsey & Co., and Gensler’s Global Sustainable Design division. She has served on the boards of ChildTrends, GreenHOME,the SEED Foundation, and See Forever Foundation/Maya Angelou School.
Susan holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering and is a Fulbright Scholar. She and her husband Philip have lived in Arlington for 24 years and have two teenage daughters in Arlington Public Schools.
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