November 10, 2025.
First, I want to thank those of you who voted for me for your support in my recent campaign for Arlington County Board. With 15 percent of the vote, I came in second behind Takis Karantonis, who got 65 percent of the vote in a ranked choice election with 5 candidates.
Karantonis’ lopsided victory was buoyed by the turnout at the top of the ticket for Governor Elect Abigail Spanberger, who got 84 percent of the vote in Arlington County.
No doubt a lot of residents who oppose Missing Middle upzoning voted for Takis Karantonis, regardless of the fact that he supports it, while I oppose it. In fact my campaign got no volunteer support from the anti-Missing Middle coalition, despite my vocal opposition to it.
Missing Middle opponents probably believe that they don’t need a sympathetic ear on County Board, because their lawsuit against the ordinance that enacted Missing Middle in 2023 will prevail on appeal to the state supreme court.
This thinking is short sighted, because even if opponents prevail in the courts, there are plans in the works to rezone single family neighborhoods for high density development through a revamp of the Comprehensive Plan.
Under these circumstances, I regret that I have but one opportunity a year to challenge the all Democrat County Board and hope that ranked choice voting promoted by a coalition of like minded candidates will someday turn the situation around.