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Democrat Takis Karantonis Sweeps Special Arlington County Board Election in Abbreviated Campaign that Drove Absentee Voting Because of Coronavirus Pandemic More than 8,000 Voters Cast Absentee Mail-In Ballots Tuesday, July 7, 2020, ARLINGTON, Va.—Economist, urban planner and nonprofit leader Takis Karantonis decisively clinched victory in a special election for the County Board seat left open by the sudden April death of Erik Gutshall, in a race in which voters were encouraged to absentee vote by-mail to minimize public health risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic. With 100% of precincts and absentee ballots reporting, Karantonis captured 62% of the vote. “Arlington voters responded overwhelmingly to Takis’ positive, issues-oriented campaign, surmounting the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus to elect an experienced leader to the County Board,” Arlington Democrats Chair Jill Caiazzo said. “Takis will be a leader for all Arlingtonians. He has the expertise and empathy to build on the impressive legacy of Erik Gutshall. We know he’ll serve Arlington well.” During the campaign, Karantonis touted his status as an immigrant as a reason he’ll be particularly effective during these fraught times for the country. He has been a resident of Arlington for 14 years, currently living with his wife in the Arlington Village neighborhood. “As an immigrant and a first-time candidate, I did not expect to receive the overwhelming amount of support from Arlingtonians throughout every zip code in our county,” Karantonis said shortly after the election was called. “Our victory is meaningful for two specific reasons: it is the recognition of my many years of civic engagement in Arlington and it serves as a testament to Arlington voters' expectation of true progressive policies and effective leadership.” Karantonis previously served as executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, and now directs micro-lending for the Ethiopian Community Development Council, an Arlington-based nonprofit. He serves as vice chair of the Alliance for Housing Solutions, and previously was president of the Columbia Heights Civic Association and board chair of Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (now known as EcoAction Arlington). A native of Greece, Karantonis lived and worked in several European countries before immigrating to the United States. He speaks eight languages. Karantonis was endorsed by scores of community leaders, elected officials, progressive organizations, and advocacy groups. The breadth of that support was demonstrated in Karantonis’ commanding victory over Republican Bob Cambridge and independent Susan Cunningham to serve the remaining 18 months of Gutshall's term. The final results were: Impressive Number of Absentee Mail-In Ballots Requested, Cast Recognizing the public health benefits of voting by mail, Arlington Democrats led an effort that prompted Arlington voters to request 15,341 absentee ballots in this County Board special election. Of that total, 82% listed “disability or illness” as the reason for voting absentee, which was the justification voters were instructed to provide if they were seeking to avoid possible exposure to the coronavirus at polling stations. Of that number, more than 8,000 were returned by mail and 750 were cast in person. The resulting ballot return rate of 58% is an increase over the 2019 general election return rate of 43%, but lower than the return rate of just under 74% experienced in the Arlington Democrats’ 2020 School Board Caucus that concluded last month. Although information on the absentee request and return rate for other special elections is not available, the 2019 general election saw only 3,618 absentee by-mail ballots requested, of which 1,570 were returned. This marked increase in absentee by-mail voting was one of several extraordinary features of a special election called during a global pandemic. Arlington Democrats and Democratic elected officials at the county and state levels made several appeals—ranging from an online public petition and open letters to an emergency petition to the Virginia Supreme Court—imploring justices to extend the election date, to allow political parties the time to conduct inclusive candidate selection processes while also minimizing virus-related health risks during the pandemic. The court, however, refused, forcing both major parties to conduct closed nomination contests decided by their respective party leadership in order to meet the unreasonable 14-day nomination deadline set by statute. Arlington Democrats Deployed Formidable GOTV Effort Transformed for the Pandemic Complementing the efforts of the Karantonis campaign, Arlington Democrats unleashed its extraordinary get-out-the-vote apparatus to appeal to tens of thousands of voters during the abbreviated campaign timeline and to educate them about their right to vote absentee by mail to reduce their chances of contracting the virus at busy polling places. Those efforts included making more than 50,000 voter contacts via phone- and text-banking and, for the first time, supplying witnesses to support socially distanced voters who requested absentee ballots, including senior voters. Arlington Democrats also deployed its network of more than 200 precinct captains and building ambassadors to educate and encourage voters throughout all 54 Arlington voting precincts. This work was reinforced by 13 virtual candidate events and a sustained social media and digital advertising campaign, as well as a strong parallel effort by the Arlington Young Democrats. “Arlington Democrats have learned a great deal about campaigning and supporting voters in the midst of a public health crisis,” said Carol Fontein, chair of precinct operations for Arlington Democrats. “We’re ready for November, when we’ll restore competence, honesty and compassion to the White House and return capable and caring Democrats to represent Arlington in Congress, and on the County and School boards.”

TAKE ACTION. Join the Arlington Dems for our monthly meeting which will be held online on July 1st. Each meeting features an overview of volunteer opportunities and upcoming events, as well as great speakers and activities! Create change in your community. Get involved with Arlington Dems today! View the Agenda | Presentation | Video

Takis Karantonis knows a thing or two about microloans. He knows how they work, how much they cost (spoiler – not much at all), and especially how critical they can be to helping community small businesses survive and thrive. In recent months, he has been working for the Enterprise Development Group, a microlending non-profit within the Ethiopian Community Development Council. He has helped extend its reach regionally and engage a more diverse client base. So, as he contemplates policies that could help ease the ravages of the pandemic, providing micro-loans to struggling local businesses ranks high on his list. “One of the most fascinating things I’ve learned in Arlington is the power, usefulness and efficiency of the revolving microloan, fueled with public money, capable of leveraging private money, not costing the taxpayer anything, but creating a lot of value,” he explained enthusiastically. As an example of Arlington’s successful implementation of such programs, he cites the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF). “Many people forget that AHIF is a a revolving fund that replenishes itself,” he added. Any new microloan program for Covid relief, he said, would be tailored to Arlington businesses, with conditions that would require them to spend it locally and to create 100% of jobs locally. Such a program, he said, would do three things: First, help retail and small restaurant businesses, typically found in neighborhoods, recover their investment in the community. As an example of the kind of neighborhood business that might benefit from the program, Takis cites the Westover Beer Garden, which was knocked out by last year’s floods, and had no opportunity to recover financially before Covid hit. Second, address the obstacles small businesses face in accessing capital markets. “Many small businesses are stuck in a survivalist mode,” he said. And in our current moment of seeking solutions to racial inequality, Takis added, microloans can provide capital to black-owned businesses. “Black businesses have to be wildly successful before they have any access to capital markets,” he explained. “Systemic racism does not allow minority communities to accumulate enough assets to collateralize loans that they may need for commercial reasons. When they cannot borrow, they cannot invest, and when they cannot invest, they cannot grow or employ, which condemns them to economic decline.” Finally, he said, revolving microloans incentivize the smallest businesses to become more formal, to have paid employees, and to create more jobs, rather than over-relying on family members. He also feels that microloans could provide an important complement to Arlington County’s BizLaunch, a great small business technical assistance program. Takis says that “for people in the small business world, the impact of technical assistance can be greatly enhanced when it’s followed with a little bit of cash.” Takis believes a microloan program could be launched with Board approval of between $3 and $5 million. Furthermore, it would leverage private money, he said. “For the buck, we would have more bucks,” he said, adding that “the good news is that it is a loan, and is only given to businesses that have proven to be viable and to employ people locally.” With such a locally managed program, he said, “we will create structures that will hold for the longer term.” Growing and supporting local small businesses is also critical to Takis’s deep desire to maintain a diverse and vibrant Arlington. Takis, and his wife Lida, arrived in Arlington in 2007. “As a stranger, Arlington has been significantly better than anything my wife and I have experienced, very supportive and inviting,” he said. Nonetheless, as an immigrant, Takis is highly attuned to Arlington’s lack of affordable housing, high cost of living, and need for employment opportunities, and he worries about their impact to the diversity of the community. “For many immigrant families, it is almost heroic to remain in Arlington. Their kids attend our excellent Arlington public schools, but we have to do better. When we lose diversity, we lose vitality and economic viability and dynamic and intellectual ability. We are self-impoverishing. Diversity is not just an empty concept,” he says. Takis should know, he is its personification.

More than 5,700 Voters Cast Ballots in Committee’s First All-Mail Contest, Enabling Voter Access During the Coronavirus Pandemic Tuesday, June 2, 2020, ARLINGTON, Va.—Education policy specialist and former teacher Cristina Diaz-Torres and community activist and former business executive David Priddy today earned the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s endorsement for two Arlington School Board seats in the Nov. 3 general election. These results are the culmination of a two-month process transformed by the Arlington Democrats to safely enable voting in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “The Arlington School Board’s thoughtful stewardship of our schools is a big part of what makes Arlington such an attractive place for both families and businesses,” Arlington Democrats School Board Endorsement Caucus Director Jacki Wilson said. “We congratulate Cristina and David, and thank all five candiates who stepped up to serve their community and sought our endorsement.” Cristina Diaz-Torres Diaz-Torres is an education policy specialist who began her career as a part-time preschool teacher at a Head Start program, and then worked as a high school math teacher in Las Vegas, where she taught geometry and founded an AP statistics program. After leaving the classroom, Diaz-Torres served as a legislative fellow for Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, where she worked on implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the 2015 federal law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act governing U.S. K–12 public education policy. Diaz-Torres earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University, with dual majors in economics and history, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, specializing in secondary mathematics. “I am honored to join David Priddy as your Democratically endorsed candidates for Arlington School Board,” Diaz-Torres said. “The events of the past eight days show why it’s so important to create a collaborative framework for education governance where teachers, parents, caregivers, and community leaders work to co-create policies that benefit all students. With my perspective as an educator and David’s as a parent, we will work with the current Board Members and Superintendent Durán to create an APS wherein every student has a right to succeed.” David Priddy An Arlington native, community activist and former business executive, Priddy attended Arlington Public Schools. He and his wife have two sons who also attend local public schools. Priddy serves on numerous education-related councils and committees, including the: Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Equity and Excellence; County Council of PTAs (CCPTA); and the NAACP Education Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from James Madison University. “I am honored that Cristina Diaz-Torres and I have been chosen by the caucus voters to represent the Democrats in the November election for Arlington County School Board. I look forward to collaborating with Cristina and the rest of the School Board as we continue to promote a platform around equity to Arlington Public Schools. Your voices for change have been heard, and I am proud and humbled to have the support of the caucus and all of you.” The seats for which Diaz-Torres and Priddy will contend are being vacated by Board member Nancy Van Doren and Board Chair Tannia Talento at the end of their current terms. The three other candidates who vied for Arlington Dems’ endorsement were: attorney Steven Krieger, retired high school educator Sandy Munnell, and U.S. Army veteran and veteran’s rights and health care advocate Terron Sims. Arlington Democrats Undertake Unprecedented Efforts to Ensure Fair and Accessible Caucus Participation in Face of COVID-19 Pandemic A week after Gov. Ralph Northam’s issued a stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arlington Democrats planned and launched the first-of-its-kind mail-in endorsement caucus to minimize voters’ exposure to COVID-19. More than 5,700 ballots were cast, far exceeding the 1,994 ballots cast in the 2019 in-person School Board caucus, and drawing within about 200 votes of the county caucus record of 5,972 votes, set in the 2017 School Board caucus. The latter also featured a County Board nomination contest, which likely drew additional voters. “It will take more than a global pandemic to prevent Arlington voters from exercising our right to vote,” Caiazzo said. In addition to the substantial organizational and logistical work the mail-in caucus required, Arlington Democrats undertook a significant effort to ensure as many voters as possible were aware of the mail-in caucus and were able to cast ballots. This effort included outreach to more than 40 news organizations and 70 community organizations across Arlington, phone banking to Hispanic voters and voters living in affordable-housing units, and text-banking to more than 3,000 voters. The Arlington Democrats’ network of more than 200 Precinct Captains and Building Ambassadors also spread the word throughout all 54 Arlington voting precincts. All of this work was reinforced by substantial social media communication and virtual candidate events, reaching tens of thousands of potential voters. The ballot request form and caucus promotional materials also were translated into Spanish for the first time. Arlington Democrats Again Turned to the Universal Tabulator to Accelerate Vote Count For the second time in as many months, Arlington Democrats turned to the Universal Tabulator to apply ranked-choice voting and quickly determine the two nominees. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to submit ballots that list not only their first-choice candidate, but also their second, third, fourth, etc. The Universal Tabulator is an electronic, open-source, federally tested program for facilitating ranked-choice voting that has been used in government-administered elections for local offices in several states. Arlington Democrats used the Universal Tabulator for the first time in May’s caucus, in which economist, urban planner and nonprofit leader Takis Karantonis was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the July 7 special election to fill the County Board seat left open by the April death of Erik Gutshall. The School Board caucus results from the tabulator are: Endorsee 1 (First Stage of Tabulation): Cristina Diaz-Torres Endorsee 2 (Second Stage of Tabulation): David Priddy Besides expediting vote tabulations, the Universal Tabulator works with an open-source visualizer that can provide even greater insight into instant runoff voting. The following Sankey diagram shows the flow of votes between the five candidates, round-over-round: Stage 1 Tabulation Stage 2 Tabulation “We again were very happy with how fast, efficient and easy to use the Universal Tabulator was,” Arlington Democrats Head Caucus Teller Inta Malis said. “It has transformed our approach to tabulating the results of party-run caucuses.” Arlington Democrats to Voters: Continue Momentum by Requesting Absentee Ballots for July 7 Special County Board Election—and Beyond To minimize virus-related health risks, Arlington Democrats urge voters to apply to vote absentee-by-mail in 2020’s remaining elections. Virginia law allows voters to cast ballots absentee-by-mail to reduce their chances of contracting the virus at busy polling places. The next Arlington election is July 7 for the County Board seat for which Karantonis is the Democratic nominee. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for that election is 5 p.m. on June 30. Instructions on how to request absentee ballots online, and to register to vote for residents not yet registered, are on the Arlington Democrats website. County Board special election ballots must be received—not postmarked—by 7 p.m. on Election Day, July 7. “We encourage Arlington voters to act now to vote absentee-by-mail for both the July 7 special election and the Nov. 3 general election, when we’ll return compassionate and capable Democrats to Congress, the County and School boards, and the White House,” Caiazzo said.

TAKE ACTION. Join the Arlington Dems for our monthly meeting which will be held online on June 3rd. Each meeting features an overview of volunteer opportunities and upcoming events, as well as great speakers and activities! Create change in your community. Get involved with Arlington Dems today! View the Agenda | View the Slides

Voters Requested Nearly 8,000 Endorsement Ballots, 32% More than Cast in Record-Breaking 2017 Caucus and Nearly 4x 2019’s Count Thursday, May 14, 2020, ARLINGTON, Va.—A whopping 7,855 Democratic voters requested ballots for the Arlington County Democratic Committee's School Board endorsement caucus—which is being conducted entirely by mail for the first time because of the coronavirus—setting the stage to surpass the county’s previous caucus participation record. With hundreds of ballots already returned, caucus participation likely will far exceed the 1,994 ballots cast in the 2019 in-person School Board caucus, and could comfortably surpass the county’s caucus voting record of 5,972 votes, set in the 2017 School Board caucus. Although ballots will not be counted or opened until after the mail-in caucus closes May 30, the Committee is validating voters’ registration on a rolling basis as voters request ballots and before sending them. The deadline for requesting mail-in ballots was May 7. “Against the backdrop of the deadly coronavirus, Arlington voters are letting the county, the commonwealth and the country know that it will take more than a global pandemic to prevent us from exercising our constitutionally protected right to participate in the electoral process,” Arlington Democrats Chair Jill Caiazzo said. “Arlington Democrats pulled out all of the stops to enable Arlingtonians to cast ballots inclusively, responsibly and safely during an unprecedented public health crisis, and we’re proud that Democratic voters have responded so forcefully.” Five candidates are seeking the Democratic endorsement for two School Board seats that will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. While the deadline has passed to request mail-in School Board caucus ballots, voters who already have them, or receive them from earlier requests, have until May 30 to complete and return them. Ballots must be received, not postmarked, by May 30. Arlington Democrats expect to announce its endorsed candidate no later than June 9, Virginia’s candidate filing deadline for the Nov. 3 ballot. A week after Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order for the entire commonwealth on March 30, Arlington Democrats devised and launched the mail-in caucus to safeguard public health and ensure that as many voters as possible could participate. Voters Urged to Continue Vote-by-Mail Momentum by Requesting Absentee Ballots for July 7 Special Election To minimize virus-related health risks during what is likely to be a chaotic election year, Arlington Democrats encourage voters to apply to vote absentee-by-mail in upcoming elections. Virginia law allows voters to cast ballots absentee by mail to minimize their risk of contracting the virus at busy polling places. The next Arlington election is July 7, to fill the County Board seat previously held by Erik Gutshall, who died April 16. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the County Board special election is 5 p.m. on June 30. Arlington Democrats last week selected economist, urban planner and nonprofit leader Takis Karantonis as the party’s nominee. “Because of the pandemic, election officials across the country are receiving hundreds or thousands more requests for absentee ballots than they normally do, and Arlington will be no different,” Caiazzo said. “For this reason, we urge voters to request their mail-in ballots now, to ensure they have enough time to receive and return them before the election.” A recent survey conducted by the Virginia Public Access Project found an eye-popping surge in the number of mail-in ballots cast in cities and towns across the commonwealth holding May elections, as voters stayed at home during the pandemic. Instructions on how to request absentee ballots online, and to register to vote for residents not yet registered, are on the Arlington Democrats website. “Don’t wait,” Caiazzo said. “Request your absentee ballot NOW!” County Board special election ballots must be received—not postmarked—by 7 p.m. on Election Day, July 7. “Arlington Democrats have worked incredibly hard to keep the electoral process safe, fair, accessible and transparent during these difficult times, and we’re inspired that Arlington’s voters are rising to the challenge and making participation a priority,” Caiazzo said. “We’re gearing up for November, when we’ll restore competence, integrity and compassion to the White House by electing Joe Biden president, and returning capable and caring Democrats to represent Arlington in Congress, and on the County and School boards.” Arlington Democrats’ website has comprehensive information about the School Board caucus, the special County election and mail-in voting information.

WHEREAS Dr. Tom Connally, Jr., passed away on April 2, 2020; and WHEREAS, Dr. Connally was a dedicated Democratic Party volunteer who supported the party over the course of four decades; and WHEREAS, in the late 1960’s Dr. Connally served as a Virginia representative of the Presidential campaign of Bobby Kennedy; and WHEREAS, during the 1970’s Dr. Connally served as a precinct captain for the Democratic Party in the Arlington precinct of Rock Spring; and WHEREAS, during those years and in his capacity as Precinct Captain, Dr. Connally was one of the leaders of the successful fight to wrest control of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, ArlDems, from the segregationist Byrd machine; and WHEREAS, Dr. Connally served as a Delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention; and WHEREAS, in addition to being a distinguished internist in private practice over many years, Dr. Connally served in the U.S. Public Health Service in the early years of his career and following his retirement from private practice volunteered at the Arlington Free Clinic, where he served as Medical Director from 2005-2010 and continued to see patients through 2018; and WHEREAS, in 2010 Dr. Connally and his wife, former Delegate and community leader Judy Connally, shared the James B. Hunter Human Rights Award, given to those in the Arlington community who support human rights; and WHEREAS, Dr. Connally will be remembered with gratitude for many years to come because of his many contributions to our community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Arlington County Democratic Committee hereby notes with great sadness the loss of Dr. Tom Connally, Jr., and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER that the Arlington County Democratic Committee will prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Dr. Connally, as an expression of the Committee’s respect for Dr. Connally’s memory and appreciation for his long service to the Committee and our community. Passed and Approved this Resolution on the 6th day of May, 2020.

WHEREAS Erik Gutshall passed away on April 16, 2020, after a brief and courageous battle with brain cancer; and WHEREAS, Erik served as Vice Chair of the Arlington County Board, to which he had been elected in November 2017; and WHEREAS, all of Erik’s colleagues on the County Board expressed their deep affection and respect for him. County Board Chair Libby Garvey said, “We are heartbroken. Erik loved being a Board member and loved Arlington.” “Erik was a visionary when it came to our community,” said Board Member Katie Cristol. “He understood how every neighborhood plan, park and bus route affected people’s lives and connected us to one another as fellow citizens. I feel so fortunate to have learned from and worked with Erik as a colleague and a friend and am devastated by the loss of an extraordinary Arlingtonian.” Board Member Christian Dorsey said, “Erik’s passion for Arlington is what made him a valued public servant, and his love for his family made him a model individual . . .” “Erik led by asking the most important questions and encouraging us to reach for the best in ourselves. Like so many Arlington residents, I will miss him very much: he was a brother and mentor to me,” said County Board Member Matt de Ferranti; and WHEREAS, Erik served as Vice Chair of the Arlington County Planning Commission (first appointed in 2013), and on the Transportation Commission (first appointed in 2014). County Manager Mark Schwartz said, “I was honored to work with him, and for a far too brief period of time, to have had the chance to learn and be guided by his insight, determination, intellect, and humor”; and WHEREAS, in all of his many leadership roles and throughout his wide-ranging service to Arlington, Erik was a thoughtful and effective leader focused on the future of environmental sustainability, affordable housing, strong public schools; city planning, the arts, and inclusivity; and WHEREAS, Erik also served his community in many other ways, including on the Facilities Committee of the Western Presbyterian Church, as a soccer coach and PTA member in support of Arlington Public Schools, as a past member of the Board of Doorways for Women and Families, as a past President of the Lyon Park Citizen’s Association (2002-05), and many other positions demanding long hours, deep commitment, compassion, and careful thinking; and WHEREAS, Erik was also a successful businessperson, founding and serving as president of Clarendon Home Services, named the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Service Small Business of the Year in 2012; and WHEREAS, Erik was an enthusiastic and steadfast member of the Arlington Democrats who demonstrated unwavering support for our shared values through tireless volunteerism, mentorship, and public service, including by agreeing to serve as a 2020 Joint Campaign Co-Chair in order to lead the Democratic charge in this most important election year of our lives; and WHEREAS, Erik lived life to the fullest and made a positive, lasting, and meaningful difference in all he did for our community; and WHEREAS, in his most profoundly important legacy, Erik was the loving husband of Renee and father of Ava, Marlena, and Adum; and WHEREAS, Erik was a sweet, decent man and a dedicated public servant who will be remembered with affection and appreciation by the entire Arlington community he served so well; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Arlington County Democratic Committee hereby notes with great sorrow the loss of Erik Gutshall, and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER that the Arlington County Democratic Committee will prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Erik Gutshall, as an expression of our deep gratitude for his public service and friendship with members of the Committee and our community. Passed and Approved this Resolution on the 6th day of May, 2020.

Arlington Democrats identify strong nominee despite coronavirus challenges, debut use of Universal Tabulator to speed vote count, and decry Virginia Supreme Court’s refusal to extend election date to allow vote-by-mail Thursday, May 7, 2020, ARLINGTON, Va.—Takis Karantonis Thursday morning became the Democratic Party nominee for the July 7 Arlington County Board special election, after the Arlington County Democratic Committee overcame pandemic-related challenges to identify its nominee in only 14 days. “Arlington Democrats are excited to announce Takis Karantonis as our party’s nominee for the Arlington County Board,” Arlington Democrats Chair Jill Caiazzo said. “Takis has the experience, acumen and integrity to build upon the progressive record of Erik Gutshall. We’ll hit the ground running today to ensure his victory on July 7.” Karantonis is an economist, urban planner and nonprofit leader who touts his immigrant status for understanding “the strength and power of our diversity.” Karantonis was executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, and now directs micro-lending for the Ethiopian Community Development Council, an Arlington-based nonprofit. In addition to volunteer work with the Democratic Party, Karantonis serves as vice chair of the Alliance for Housing Solutions, and previously was president of the Columbia Heights Civic Association and board chair of Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (now known as EcoAction Arlington). Before immigrating to the United States from Greece and settling in Arlington 14 years ago after stops in Houston and Nashville, Karantonis worked in municipal procurement, public sanitation contracting and airport development in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Karantonis speaks eight languages and is a graduate of Leadership Arlington and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. “Today, we unify as a Democratic party,” Karantonis said. “We join together and continue to fight for and uphold our Democratic values. We work to ensure our community is one that continues to offer safe and walkable neighborhoods, ethnic and cultural diversity, excellent schools, public places and facilities, accountable government,. and commitment to community involvement. These values will guide us to successfully overcome the COVID-19 pandemic by first and foremost standing with the thousands of Arlingtonians now in distress, as well as our businesses, nonprofits and communities.” Arlingtonians interested in speaking with Karantonis about his County Board priorities can do so at a “virtual coffee hour” hosted by Arlington Democrats Sunday (May 10) at 11 a.m. It’s the first of many events Arlington Democrats and the Karantonis campaign will host in the lead-up to the July 7 election. Details about the Sunday coffee hour and future events will be posted to the Arlington Democrats online calendar and Facebook event page as they are finalized. Universal Tabulator Used for First Time in Arlington to Accelerate Vote Count To meet the unreasonably short nomination deadline for the special election while adhering to social distancing requirements, the Arlington Democrats for the first time used the Universal Tabulator—an open-source, electronic tool—to tabulate the results of the nomination caucus. The Universal Tabulator is a federally tested program designed to facilitate ranked-choice voting processes anywhere in the country. It has been used in government-administered elections for local offices in Utah, Maine and other states. The caucus results from the tabulator are: In addition to facilitating the tabulation of the votes, the Universal Tabulator is compatible with an open-source visualizer for the data, which enables even greater insight into the instant runoff voting process. The following Sankey diagrams, drawn from the visualizer, demonstrate the flow of votes between candidates, round-over-round: “We are very pleased with the speed, efficiency and ease-of-use of the Universal Tabulator and expect to make use of it in future, party-run nomination contests,” Arlington Democrats Deputy Chair and Caucus Head Teller Maggie Davis said. “It’s a great example of Arlington Democrats innovating to overcome challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.” Virtual Nomination Process Conducted After Arlington Democrats’ Worked Determinedly to Extend Special Election Date to Allow Inclusive Mail-In Selection The commonwealth late last month set the special election’s July 7 date to fill the seat suddenly left open by Gutshall’s April 16 death. Virginia law meant that date translated into a mere 14-day window for political parties to conduct their nominating processes during a pandemic. To secure more time for an open nomination process, Arlington Democrats first appealed to Virginia political leaders by launching a public petition—which has secured nearly 1,000 signatures to-date—imploring them to extend the election date. Last week, the Arlington County Board subsequently petitioned the Virginia Supreme Court to extend the date, which Arlington Democrats supported in a letter to the court. The Arlington County delegation to the Virginia General Assembly also issued a statement supporting the date extension, and Arlington Democrats published an open letter again urging commonwealth leaders to take action necessary to extend the special election timeline. The court’s refusal to extend the election date left Arlington Democrats no choice but to conduct a closed nomination process, which was decided by about 250 members of its Steering and County committees. “Arlington Democrats did all that we could to convince the Virginia Supreme Court to extend the special election timeline to permit a vote-by-mail process open to all voters,” Caiazzo said. “The refusal to do so by a court dominated by Republican appointees is yet another reminder of the importance of Democrats fighting—and winning—in each and every election. We’ll now work non-stop to elect Takis to the County Board on July 7.”

Ms. Diaz-Torres's responses follow. I believe in a collaborative framework for education governance that brings teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members together to engage in the best interests of students. Like a teacher would build a lesson plan, we must begin all decision-making processes with a shared understanding of what we aim to accomplish and clear, transparent data. All stakeholders should be able to understand and have access to the metrics ( by which we measure success and we must recognize that all stakeholders -- and the communities they represent -- represent lived experiences of our fellow Arlingtonians. When everyone has a seat at the table, diverse groups of stakeholders can enact good policies that improve student outcomes. My promise to all of you is to be an engaged listener who enables all of your voices to be heard -- and to come to you when your voices have gone quiet. Everyday, I work with education organizations across the country to build equitable systems of education. As your next Board Member I will, as I do in my professional life, adopt a strong equity lens to my interactions with stakeholders. When presented with an opportunity to engage folks who have historically felt marginalized or un heard, I will always strive to elevate those voices. When presented with a choice between a decision that will advance equity, especially for our most vulnerable students, I will err on the side of increasing equity and opportunity. Together, we will build systems that improve outcomes for all students across APS. The salient impacts of the VA General Assembly on APS are twofold. First, the GA defines state budget allocations for education -- amounting to approximately 12% of our Arlington County education budget. Second, the GA codifies education policy on topics ranging from staffing allocations to the definition of sexual education (a topic recently discussed during the Arl Dems Debate). Among the reasons I support a collaborative framework for education governance is because when local school boards, teachers, parents, and students unite -- they can successfully lobby the GA to adopt policy that benefits our local community. The Virginia Department of Education plays an even more significant role in setting policy -- establishing the Standards of Learning which govern academics and the Standards of Quality which establish minimum standards for staffing and resources. Accordingly, many of my policy and procedural recommendations are considered to be under the purview of the VDOE. The state must establish higher bars for academic achievement and equity. Right now, our goal is for 75% of all students to be proficient in ELA and for 70% to be proficient in math by 2024-25. It’s unacceptable that the target is significantly lower for emergent bilingual students. The current target is for 58% of ELs to meet progress goals (as defined by ACCESS). If our goal is to help all students to succeed, we must begin by setting higher standards. Then, we design the systems necessary to ensure that all students meet those standards. Let’s consider this question across three time horizons: 1) What must be done immediately 2) What must be done over the summer 3) What must we do in the fall. We should immediately begin evaluating the effectiveness and impact of the decisions we have made so far by looking at the data we have to see what is working and what is not. We need to ask questions about which students are currently engaged in distance learning, what are the demographic or socioeconomic patterns of the students who are not engaged, and what are the needs our communities are asking for that we have not been able to meet. We need to communicate closely with our community partners to analyze all of our data to determine what to keep doing, what to stop doing, and what we should start doing in the fall. Over the summer, we must surmise a plan (and contingencies) for learning continuity in case of new waves of COVID-19. APS must partner with Arlington County to address disparities in food and internet access. We must work together to create systems that rapidly (and accurately) assess student progress and tools for learning that ensure all students succeed no matter their race, gender, background, learning or physical ability, family situation, legal status, or zip code. Then, in the fall, we must prioritize the SEL needs of students - particularly those for whom home was not a safe space during the quarantine. Then, we will re-engage the students who were disconnected from learning over the summer. Later, comes dynamic analysis and action. We must understand and correct all recent learning deficits - and swiftly rehabilitate the students who have fallen most behind. As such, we must use data to correlate student demographics and learning loss - creating student-specific plans to remedy deficits Over the past ten years, our budgets have left too many students behind -- especially our english learners and our special education students. The last five budgets have funded many “helpfuls” over the essentials that could help students succeed. At the same time, APS has faced persistent budget shortages resulting budget cuts that frequently pulled resources from the students who need the most support (e.g., counselors, equity and excellence coordinators, etc.) or left our staff feeling underappreciated and underpaid -- especially relative to neighboring counties. Moving forward, we should reorient ourselves with a fresh of budget priorities that clearly aligns with our values of excellence and equity. First, let's reassess our planning factors to align w/ our principles of equity and with Universal Design for Learning principles. We already use this framework frequently in our instruction, so let's ensure that every classroom has the staff, time, and resources necessary to incorporate UDL. Then, we should be much more transparent in articulating how funds are used across the system. As it stands, we consolidate millions of dollars into categories like Purchased Services. School systems need resources to work -- but we can certainly drill down and identify what those proposed purchases are -- if they determine if they exceed a certain threshold (say $50,000). Arlington can be a community that wants to invest in education and see a return on that investment for all students. As a member of several local commissions, I have enjoyed a first-hand view of how collaboration between the School and County Boards has improved during recent years. Three specific examples of effective collaboration come to mind: The county and APS are at the beginning of developing a long-range (e.g. more than 10 year) comprehensive Public Facilities Plan (PFAC). Last fall, the County Manager submitted a list of 25 county sites that might be appropriate for mixed and/or school system use. This type of long range planning will set both the county and APS up for success. Over the past three years, we have systematically refined the formula for student projections to include county provided data. This has resulted in more accurate projections, but there is an ongoing plan to continue refining the algorithm to become even more precise over time. Finally, I am excited to see the county and schools working together to address the needs exacerbated by COVID-19 -- by founding the Cooperative for a Hunger Free Arlington. This organization will serve as a backbone and coordinating entity with the ultimate goal of eliminating child hunger. There is still significant room for improvement -- particularly in areas like communications and alignment. Anyone, like me, who reads both the county and school board budgets each year, knows these budgets take on different sets of priorities. Both budgets must be grounded in the same core values. We must ensure that staff are coordinating and communicating instead of talking past one another. As a believer in a collaborative framework for education governance, I believe it is the duty of members of both boards to model this behavior - and I’m so proud to have former and current county board members endorsing my campaign and vision for improving relationships between the two groups. I’ve already discussed my experience as a teacher and education policy specialist. While that’s an important voice I would bring to APS, I also bring the unique perspective of what it is like to be a young person in today’s workforce. I went to college during the great recession, and encountered a lackluster job market upon graduation. I know what it's like to have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, what it's like to apply to a firm that has received thousands of applications for the same position, and what it's like to have to move out of an organization in order to grow. This is the reality that our students will face when they graduate from APS. We are long past an age when your first job grows into a 20 or 40-year career. In fact, for many Arlingtonians, one job is no longer enough. No matter what field they want to pursue, our graduates must be empathetic listeners, strategic thinkers, good collaborators, excellent communicators, and engaged citizens. As someone who has navigated this job market and who now sits on hiring committees, I deeply understand what it takes to be successful today.

Mr. Krieger's responses follow: Conflict resolution between stakeholders should prioritize problems and their solutions through a data-driven approach instead of individual stakeholders. This will ensure that the voices who are oftentimes the most adversely affected by school board policy and procedure will also be heard. Our commitment to our most vulnerable groups must be intentional and specific. We can’t further compound the power dynamics that lead to inequitable gaps in access to opportunity and achievement. The school board needs a more proactive approach to creating policy and procedure. Currently each school board member is a liaison with specific schools each academic year. We should better utilize this relationship to strengthen the school board’s connection to the liaising schools. Staff should not be the loudest and most powerful voice affecting school board decision making. The goal is to get to the correct solution. If APS data is less convincing than community data, then the community proposal should be accepted. One of the best aspects of Arlington is that we have an amazing group of highly educated and very dedicated people who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise for the betterment of the county. I’m more concerned with the substance behind a proposal than whether the proposal came from an APS staffer or community stakeholder. For APS to continue post-graduate student success, we need stakeholders outside of the immediate school system, like local businesses, who understand our mission, share our vision for student success, and have a stake in the performance of our students as future employees. These external stakeholders should be a positive force for helping the school board achieve improved outcomes for all students and sustain our children over time -- like through work-based learning that bring non-education professionals to APS and allows students to experience more project-based learning. APS’ school board is charged with interpreting Virginia regulations and setting policies for our students while creating strategic plans for the advancement of education in Arlington. Although our school board is bound to implement Virginia law, APS also has the right to challenge and shape future policy if the state designated regulations are not in the best interests of Arlington students. Does Richmond have an impact on us? Absolutely, but Arlington also has an impact on Richmond. Arlington has always been a leader in Virginia. We are trailblazers at the forefront of taking decisive and appropriate actions to protect our families. We have modeled some best practices to others in the Commonwealth and our elected state officials have taken our lead. A recent example can be seen in how Virginia has implemented policies and practices that affirm transgender and gender-nonconforming students. We have also been at the forefront of pushing our delegates in Arlington to support state-wide bills promoting important issues like functional literacy for our youngest students and best practice guidelines for the use of digital devices. Arlington leads the charge on protecting our children and creating those types of meaningful policy decisions that influence other Virginians. There’s still more to be done. Teachers in Virginia may soon gain the right to collectively bargain with the public school systems that employ them — which signals a historic shift away from a state law that forbids public employee unions from negotiating on salary and benefits. This doesn’t just affect our educators. First responders like firefighters and police officers will also gain bargaining rights. The signing of this bill has been delayed due to the global pandemic, but our teachers and first responders deserve the right to participate in collective bargaining, which will mutually benefit the employees and community. “Democracy dies in darkness” and APS needs to be more transparent regarding the preparation for future distance learning. The first step to addressing an issue is admitting that an issue exists. The "Continuous Learning Plan" (CLP) is not an accurate description for what APS has provided, particularly for elementary schools, English Language Learning, or students with disabilities. In the APS sample schedule for grades 3-5, students are learning for 45 minutes a day. Pre-COVID-19, these students had 30 minutes of recess or less. In this schedule, students have 5 hours of break time. While the incentive-based program for secondary students works well for some families with older children, the lack of consistency from school to school has raised many questions of equity around grading that the “no new content” plan was supposed to prevent. There are valid equity arguments on both sides of the “new instruction or not” debate. L.A. and NYC have signaled that schools may not resume this Fall. APS should be preparing for a future CLP, but currently APS is not sharing enough information about what is being done. The global lack of certainly is causing many families a great deal of angst; APS is contributing to this by not providing enough information about what families can expect in the coming months. APS should be consulting with other districts across the country, colleges that have strong in-person and online programs (GWU and Maryland are local, but universities like Florida, Illinois, and Indiana all have strong online programs), and private schools that have successfully implemented a distance learning program to see what APS can replicate. Distance learning is already being done, to some extent, in other districts, so APS should be focused on finding the best practices and best examples to model for our community. The revised budget has a deficit of almost $60M, which is more than double the initial deficit in the original pre-COVID-19 budget, so everything is going to get cut to some degree, but the items that should be cut last, in this year, and future years, should be the programming for students and personnel that has direct contact with students. For example, there has been ongoing discussion about cutting funding for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a Virginia state-chartered magnet school open for application to students in six local jurisdictions, including Arlington. Our qualified students should not miss out on this extraordinary opportunity, particularly since we have nothing like it to offer as an alternative. Further, it is my understanding (but I have not independently verified) that it actually costs less per student for APS to send a student to TJHSST than the average cost per student in APS overall. If that is correct, then APS may not truly realize the financial savings if APS decides to cut funding for TJHSST. A second example: in the revised budget, the proposed reserve funds balance was $12.1 million. To me, reserves are money APS needs for a rainy day. It’s hard to image a rainier day than a global pandemic. I’m not suggesting that we deplete the reserve funds to zero, but APS could use more of the reserve funds during this crisis. Another APS budgeting area for improvement is the reallocation process from saved funds accrued and reallocated at two board meetings during the year. From 2009 - 2019, APS reallocated approximately $262.2 million dollars (or $23.8 million per year) with minimal oversight. We have to be more diligent and intentional in our spending decisions and transparent in the rationale for how we use taxpayer dollars. ensure that all parts of the county are accessible and livable for all residents. While the School Board doesn’t have the authority to build housing, I would like to see the School Board take a more active role in development projects – not only for affordable housing, but also because new developments impact capacity issues for APS. In addition to development, the School Board and County Board should collaborate on transporation. If an ART bus is a more direct route for a particular student, the student should be able to ride the ART bus, which saves the student time and reduces the need for school buses if this accomplished on a large enough scale. Currently, APS is piloting a program where secondary students are able to ride the ART buses, so if this goes well, then expanding this program and reducing the total bus fleet could be accomplished. Finally, APS and the County should work together more (and with other districts) on institutional purchasing. From the FY2020 Budget there are at least two possible opportunities where purchasing power could really save Arlington some money: (1) Purchased Services were $26.8M. This includes all expenditures for services acquired or purchased from sources outside the school system (i.e., private vendors, public authorities or other governmental entities). (2) Materials and Supplies $24.3M. This includes all expenditures for instructional materials, office and school supplies, textbooks, uniform costs and other operating supplies which are consumed or materially altered when used. If APS could partner with the County and other districts to increase the total purchasing power and reduce these expenditures by 5%, APS would save $2.5M a year. Never has it been more critical for a school board candidate to possess a multitude of hard and soft skills that I’ve acquired by managing my own litigation firm. It’s been almost four years since the School Board has had an attorney member; we need one now. Board members will have to utilize business and analytical skills to provide the best possible decision making for APS by asking tough questions and serving as a check to ensure the best solutions are being developed. As an attorney and small business owner, I am constantly faced with the need for innovative thinking in my daily work, which will help me navigate the operational issues facing APS like the budget, distance learning, capacity, and accountability to ensure we have an equitable school system that achieves academic excellence. No other candidate has my business and legal experience that is needed to guide APS through these challenges. Currently, APS is dealing with the repercussions of the recent settlement with the Department of Justice, defending a boundary policy lawsuit, and potential noncompliance with the laws regarding students with disabilities. As a litigator, I can tell you: litigation is expensive. Every dollar that APS spends defending litigation is a dollar that should have gone to student programming. I will help APS implement better solutions so we reduce the risk of being sued in the first place. Lastly, as a litigator, it’s my job to represent my clients zealously. As a school board member our children and teachers will be my clients. I am prepared to be bold, creative, and flexible to best serve our community. I am the candidate who will make hard choices to stand up for what is right.