2019 Candidates
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I have represented constituents from the 31st Senate District for the past eight years. Prior to my service in the Senate, I served on the Arlington County Board and chaired that body 3 times. I am proud to say that I embody Arlington’s values and am the “go to” person on translating how State laws impact localities. During my tenure as a Senator, I have passed over 40 bills in a General Assembly controlled by Republicans. My “Fostering Futures” bill has provided financial and educational support for former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21. It was truly a transformational bill. My legislation to increase teacher pay, bring mental health services into the public schools, expand child-care subsidies for low-income mothers and improve access to health care, including access to Medicaid expansion, have made a real difference in people’s lives. If re-elected, I will advocate for debt-free community college, energy diversification incentives, policies that address climate change and criminal justice reform. I am the proud recipient of the 2018 Energy Freedom Award from the Sierra Club. As chair of the Senate Women’s Health Care Caucus, I will fight to codify Roe v Wade and to take firearms away from domestic abusers. My colleagues refer to me as a pragmatic progressive, someone who can bring together bi-partisan and varied stakeholders to successfully address pressing issues. I received the nationally recognized Public Service Award from the National Academy of Public Administration. I respectively ask for your vote on November 5.
Unfinished business keeps me highly motivated and running for reelection. Since the Democrats have been in the minority in the Senate, our progressive priorities have been thwarted or slowed. Under the current Republican majority, no gun safety measures pass, reproductive rights are threatened, civil and LBGTQ rights are ignored, voting access is suppressed. Most troubling, under Republican control, climate change has been ignored and efforts to mitigate it have been blocked. We moderates and progressives are constantly playing defense and stopping rightwing nonsense. When the Democrats take control of the Senate, I will be the first woman ever to chair the powerful Senate Finance Committee. I will also be the first person from Arlington or Fairfax County to head this committee that determines both tax policy and how tax dollars will be spent. It will be an opportunity for us to move Virginians forward. My vision for Virginia is right in line with Arlington values. We must invest wisely in our people. Education at all levels needs to be our first priority. Human services, especially for the elderly and those with mental illness, need to be upgraded. Quality healthcare must be available to all. People of all economic groups deserve decent housing options. Transportation improvements must be expedited. There is so much yet to do! I hope to lead the way.
2019 will be the critical year to turn Virginia blue. In the House of Delegates, where we are a 49-51 minority, three of our best delegates are seeking to become Senators. This means we must take at least five new seats in competitive districts to achieve Mission 51, a Democratic House Majority. That majority is critical, particularly in a redistricting year. So virtually all the money I raise goes to Democratic incumbents and challengers in competitive seats.
As Deputy Democratic Whip and “Caucus Goalie,” I’ve unilaterally stopped many bad bills from becoming law. As co-founder of the bipartisan Virginia Transparency Caucus, I conceived and led the ultimately successful effort to persuade the General Assembly to film and archive its committee and floor proceedings.
But we can do so much more. With a Democratic majority, I am confident we can implement virtually all of our solidly progressive agenda.
I have long advocated for protecting vulnerable people: children, the elderly, and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence. I fought to expand Medicaid and lower the cost of health care, raise the minimum wage and reduce penalties on non-violent drug crimes to promote rehabilitation, make political protest easier, and make buying a gun harder (requiring training and background checks). I have worked to improve our transportation and broadband infrastructure and to incentivize climate-change reduction. Pro-choice and openly gay, I endorse equal pay for equal work and civil rights and voting rights for all. I also have championed SOL reform, pre-K education, mental health parity, paid family medical leave, and police body cameras, and many other issues.
Rip Sullivan
As Delegate for the 48th District since 2014, Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. has consistently fought for the values of his constituents, including fighting gun violence, protecting our environment, working toward greater LGBT equality, reversing partisan gerrymandering, and making the ballot box more accessible. Some of his greatest legislative successes include the passage of Jacob’s Law (a major step forward for LGBT rights), a law to provide a dedicated funding source for Metro (a huge economic driver and infrastructure asset in Arlington), several laws to promote energy efficiency, and substantially advancing the conversation on redistricting reform and no-excuse absentee voting.
Over his years in the General Assembly, Rip has been endorsed by or received perfect legislative scores from the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, the Virginia Education Association, Clean Virginia, the League of Conservation Voters, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, Equality Virginia, the Virginia Professional Firefighters, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s AgPAC, the LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia, Virginia AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s (NVTC) TechPAC, Humane Dominion, the Sun Gazette, and more.
Rip is reprising his role this election cycle as the House Democratic Caucus Campaign Chair, leading the Democratic Party’s effort to flip Republican-held seats, protect Democratic incumbents, and win back the majority in the House. As Campaign Chair, Rip helps to recruit, train, and counsel candidates throughout the Commonwealth. He served in this role during the 2017 cycle when Democrats picked up a historic 15 seats. This year, Rip plans to finish what he started and ensure that Democrats win at least 51 seats in the House of Delegates.
Rip and his wife, Beth, were both raised in Northern Virginia. Before being elected to the House of Delegates, Rip served our region on numerous boards and commissions, and has extensive experience in a number of key policy areas that have directly translated to his work for the 48th District. Rip and Beth have four children and two granddaughters.
Our criminal legal system needs real reform. Here’s why: In our community, the Commonwealth’s Attorney prosecuted over 3200 simple marijuana possession cases in 6 years, 57% of which, in the last 2 years, were of black people; the majority of those in jail are on psychotropic drugs; ten year old kids are charged with felonies for school infractions; immigrants are charged with no regard for exposing them to deportation; civil asset forfeiture is used to seize private property without a conviction; and the Commonwealth’s Attorney blocks efforts at real reform. And, all of this is done in our name but out of sight because the office shares virtually no data with the public. Research shows that we are safer when the system is more humane and fairer. I will work to eliminate cash bail; expand diversion programs for our youth, and people who are mentally ill, dealing with addiction, and with special needs; focus on serious, complex crime; use restorative justice to decrease recidivism and heal survivors; support restoring voting rights to returning citizens; advocate for marijuana decriminalization; be mindful that minor charges not lead to deportation; and make the office transparent and accountable. Reforming the criminal justice system is one of the human rights challenges of our time. I will build a justice system that keeps us safe without participating in mass incarceration, criminalizing poverty, penalizing vulnerable people, or tolerating racial disparities -- a system that we can be proud of, leads the nation, and reflects our values.
Elizabeth F. "Beth" Arthur
Since becoming Arlington County Sheriff in 2000, I have had the privilege of serving alongside some of the most dedicated men and women in law enforcement. Together, we have operated a safe and secure detention facility and courthouse, provided a variety of programs in the detention facility to help those incarcerated successfully transition back into the community, provided educational opportunities as well as workforce training to individuals, and worked collaboratively across the county government to respond to many issues, including the opioid crisis. Over the next four years, I remain committed to the high standards of safety, security and integrity in the courts and detention facility the Arlington community has come to expect. My focus will remain to ensure the safe and secure operation of the detention facility, court operations and the timely and accurate service of process and criminal warrants. While there are certainly challenges ahead, there are just as many opportunities, and I’m ready to meet them head on. I will continue to enhance and expand opportunities for incarcerated individuals to prepare them for re-entry so that they have the tools to ensure their successful transition. In addition, I will continue to work with the county manager and board on budget, staffing and pay issues that are vital to allowing us to meet our responsibilities and keep our communities safe. I humbly ask for your vote on November 5th so that the Arlington County Sheriff's Office continues to maintain the highest standards of safety, security and integrity.
I'm running for re-election because my staff and I want to continue the customer focused organization we have created since I took office in 2004. It is what the residents of Arlington expect and deserve. The office’s motto "When customers call us, they are not interrupting our busy workday. They are the reason we are here!" is demonstrated every day in the way we serve every customer. We have employees who are professional, highly educated, qualified and motivated and who are committed to providing high quality customer service and fair assessments. In the next four years, we will expand the online filing and tax return systems for businesses and individuals, which will not only benefit our customers but also save taxpayers money by reducing our office expenses. And, we plan to strengthen our relationship with the Department of Motor Vehicles by inviting DMV Connect staff to operate at our office twice a month instead of just once, which is currently the case. At the DMV Connect, customers can renew identification cards, driver’s licenses, and obtain a “Real ID”. Further, we will continue to ensure fairness in taxation by enhancing our enforcement programs using the latest technology while maintaining a high degree of taxpayer confidentiality. Finally, I am committed to continue to support Arlington Democrats in every way I can, as you have supported me all these years!
I am honored to be the Democratic nominee seeking another term as Arlington County Treasurer. My mission is to collect state and local taxes and other revenues, invest and safeguard the money, and disburse funds as directed by the local governing body. The treasurer’s job is not one of policy-making; it is administrative and process-oriented by nature, and I have the experience and commitment to continue the strong stewardship of our County’s assets
Since I took office in 2014, we have reduced the delinquency rate by 43% to the current rate of 0.187% – the lowest in the Commonwealth and the lowest in Arlington’s history. As we do this important work, we continue to look for process improvements and efficiencies within the office that can also have a positive impact on the County budget. One recent example is my effort to reduce banking costs, which has resulted in a $400,000 savings to the County every year.
The focus of my next term will be to make it easier for Arlington County taxpayers to pay. At the Treasurer’s Office, we are upgrading our tax system, developing a new online payment portal (an improved “CAPP”), implementing paperless billing, and exploring Pay-by-Text. Efficiency, collaboration, and advocacy will continue to be my priorities. I thank you for your support.
Katie Cristol
Affordability is among the greatest challenges facing Arlington. Whether we -- young professionals, working families, new Americans, or downsizing retirees -- can afford to move in, stay, and grow in our neighborhoods has a profound influence on integration, diversity and our local economy. I’m proud of our record on affordability; over the past four years, we:
- Added over a thousand new Committed Affordable homes, bringing Arlington’s inventory to an all-time high.
- Prevented garden apartments from being torn down and replaced with luxury units, funding non-profits to preserve these apartments and by protecting them from rapid by-right redevelopment.
- Created a comprehensive plan for childcare affordability, with results: We approved 1,215 more quality spots for our youngest Arlingtonians during my tenure as Chair and Vice Chair.
But the challenges have grown. For low-income residents, rent is rising much faster than wages. We’re losing opportunities for middle-class ownership: The supply of 3-bedroom (and smaller) homes is actually decreasing in Arlington. To address these challenges, I’m committed to:
- Identifying more funding - including state dollars, philanthropic and private investment, and increased local investments - for committed affordable apartments.
- Pursuing new zoning reforms to increase the supply of middle-class ownership housing - forms like duplexes, fourplexes and small cottages - for seniors, young professionals and families.
- Fighting for economic fairness so working people can afford rising costs of living: Advocate forcefully for, and prepare to effectively implement at the local level, state economic fairness reforms like living wage ordinances, procurement reform and project labor agreements.
Keeping the quality of instruction high while tackling relentlessly rising enrollment is the most important issue facing Arlington Public Schools (APS) for the near to mid-term. We are doing that, and I will continue to do that if re-elected. The quality of Arlington Public Schools is Arlington's signature feature!
APS has struggled with capacity issues for a decade and will continue to struggle for another decade. But while we are struggling, families are flocking to APS. They aren’t coming here because they love capacity challenges. They are coming here because despite capacity challenges, we are keeping the level of instruction high, which results in achievement, which in turn results in successful outcomes for our students.
High-quality instruction happens in the classroom. The secret sauce of APS’ enviable success is that we maintain low class sizes, we hire high-quality teachers and we provide significant student supports, ie, math and reading coaches, gifted and special education services, college and career readiness counseling, and more! All of that means people. But having the right people to deliver high-quality requires a compensation plan that both attracts and retains. On my first year on the School Board I was instrumental in amending policy to require a Step increase for employees in the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget each year.
Education is a labor-intensive business; 80% of our budget is for personnel. I will continue to prioritize employee compensation as a vital tool to assure Arlington’s pre-eminent reputation in student success.