Vol. 43, No 6 www.arlingtondemocrats.org June 2018

Two Dem Chances pick up in yet another stalwarts congressional district Republican Rep. Tom Garrett has announced ship. die in he will not seek re-election this fall in order to cope The sprawling district is largely rural and Re- with his alcoholism. His decision improves the publican. But the district also is home to same chances of another Democratic pickup, in this case Charlottesville, one of the most Democratic juris- by Leslie , who captured the nomination dictions in the state. week at a district convention a few weeks before Garrett Cockburn, a former journalist with called it quits. and Vanity Fair, will need to drive up Democratic Garrett represents the 5th Congressional Dis- turnout in Charlottesville and surrounding trict, one of the more interestingly-shaped districts. Albemarle County as well as in scattered African- It is a triangle with its broad base on the North Caro- American communities around the district where lina border and its northern tip slightly farther north turnout is historically poor in off-year elections. than the northernmost point in Arlington! Cockburn easily won nomination in the dis- The 5th District was won by Democrat Tom trict convention May 5, taking 146 votes to 62 and Perriello in the Obama year of 2008. But Perriello 28 votes for her two remaining opponents. lost it two years later to . Hurt retired As The Voice noted last month, Garrett has been after three terms and Garrett won the seat in 2016. quite poor at fund-raising, alarming state GOP lead- DENNY JOHNSON Garrett, a member of the ultra-rightwing Free- ers. As of mid-April, Cockburn, who had to spend May 1 May 5 dom Caucus, is one of 36 of the 235 House Repub- to win the nomination, had $271,000 on hand, while licans who is retiring—15 percent of the member- continued on page six See their obits on Pages 8 & 9 More voters found assigned to the wrong delegate districts Read the messages from Remember that House of Delegates race that Simonds lost in 2015 to Republican David Yancey our two candidates for ended in a tie last year and which the Republican and then lost the draw after the tie vote, again to the nomination for County won when his name was drawn out of a bowl? Well, Yancey, in 2017. Board on Page Five. has now found that 26 voters “There are thousands of ways I could have won in an overwhelmingly Democratic precinct in that that election,” Simonds told the Post. “I met a district were erroneously assigned to an adjoining woman recently who told me she had a breathing district and didn’t get to vote in that tied election. episode in the polling place ... and the ambulance The chief culprit appears to be the practice of took her out of the polling place before she could the General Assembly to draw district lines down vote for me. So many different ways. You’ve just the middle of precincts to create mathematically given me another 26 ways.” precise districts or to help benefit the majority The frustration was compounded because bal- party—i.e., gerrymandering. The result is a major lot mishaps in another split district could have also challenge for local registrars who must not only cost Democrats another House district in the assign residences to precincts but then assign resi- Fredericksburg-area last year. Democrats would dences within precincts to different legislative dis- have had a tie in the House of Delegates if they had tricts. picked up either the Newport News or DE FERRANTI CHOUN Shelly Simonds, the Democratic candidate who Fredericksburg seat and would have taken outright lost the draw, and thus the election, shrugged her control 51-49 had they won both. AND VOTE IN THE shoulders. The deadline to appeal election results The Republican Party blamed the Democrats PRIMARY, JUNE 12 from 2017 has long since passed. But Simonds has for both goofs. John “B.T.” March, spokesman for already announced she will run again in 2019. continued on page six ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 2

Report from Chair Jill Caiazzo Blue Wave delivers for Virginians Virginia has once again made headlines across the country for all the right reasons. After a five-year fight in the face of fierce Republican opposition, the Virginia General Assembly finally approved Medicaid expan- sion. As a result, more than 400,000 low in- come Virginians will have access to healthcare, funded by money that Virginia taxpayers already have been sending to the federal government in Washington. This legislative sea change is an enor- mous win for all Virginians struggling with high healthcare costs — and it would not have been possible without the Democratic law- makers who were swept into office last year as part of the Blue Wave of 2017. Republican lawmakers were forced to reckon with these new progressive leaders — not to mention a well-founded fear of subsequent Blue Waves in 2018 and beyond. The new Democratic lawmakers, along with their longer-serving colleagues from deep blue jurisdictions like Arlington, owe their seats victory for all Virginians, but we should not good things happen when Democrats are to the legions of everyday Democrats who take this outcome for granted. The Koch elected. worked tirelessly on the campaign trail. It there- brothers have poured enormous sums of And, of course, we must keep electing fore should be no surprise that these lawmak- money into Virginia politics in recent years. Democrats! We should expect to see another ers stayed true to hardworking Virginians by Virginia remains a swing state, and the Koch influx of Koch brothers’ money later this year voting in favor of Medicaid expansion. In con- brothers know it. They wouldn’t waste their as Virginia’s competitive Senate race heats up. trast, all but a handful of Republican lawmak- money on a lost cause. This year’s Medicaid Senator Kaine’s reelection will not be easy. ers voted against the interests of their constitu- struggle was simply the latest skirmish in the Remember that we secured Medicaid expan- ents by continuing to oppose Medicaid expan- long-term battle for Virginia’s soul. sion only by the narrowest of margins. Sena- sion. They weren’t listening to Virginia voters What does this mean for Arlington tor Kaine’s race is likely to be equally close. or paying attention to Virginia’s bottom line. Democrats? For starters, we cannot stand on Just as Arlington Democrats were critical to Instead, they turned their attention to blatant today’s moral victory of Medicaid expansion, changing the political dynamic in Richmond fear-mongering by former Senator Rick no matter how impactful it will be for to enable Medicaid expansion, we will be es- Santorum (R-PA), who served as the front man hardworking Virginians across the Common- sential to Senator Kaine’s margin of victory for the Koch brothers-backed Americans for wealth who are struggling to afford decent in 2018. And, if we are just as relentless on Prosperity in its final fight against Medicaid healthcare. We must continue to fight for pro- the campaign trail as we have been in the halls expansion in Virginia. gressive policies that will benefit the little guy, of the General Assembly for Medicaid expan- Fortunately, sanity — not Santorum — rather than the Koch brothers. We must con- sion, we will succeed. prevailed in Richmond on this critical issue. tinue to capitalize on the political power of Onward! We rightly should celebrate this progressive the Blue Wave of 2017 to demonstrate that Jill LGBT at breakfast Published monthly by the LGBT Pride Month will be marked at Arlington County Democratic Committee the Second Saturday Breakfast to be held June 2001 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite #604, Arlington VA 22202 9. The speaker will be State Senator Adam Mailing address: P.O. Box 7132, Arlington VA 22207 Ebbin, the first openly gay member of the Tel: (703) 528-8588 General Assembly. http://www.arlingtondemocrats.org The breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. and is Chair: Jill Caiazzo — [email protected] held at the Busboys and Poets in Shirlington, Editor-in-Chief: Warren L. Nelson —(703) 243-7867 (h), [email protected] at 4251 S. Campbell Ave. It’s right near the Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the ACDC Signature Theater. unless expressly approved by an appropriate committee resolution Also, you are requested to bring cash to Copyright ©2018, ACDC, All Rights Reserved settle up your breakfast bill, as we get one bill for the whole Democratic crowd. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 3

State Supreme Next Monthly Meeting Court rejects All Dems Invited Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 p.m. gerrymander NRECA Building, 4301 Wilson Blvd. Corner of North Taylor and Wilson, just east of Glebe and Wilson challenge Free parking under building; enter from Taylor Street Virginia’s Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the state’s 2011 redistricting pro- The program at this month’s meeting will deal with cess and found that 11 challenged state House housing affordability in Arlington. Our panel will be and Senate districts are constitutionally valid, comprised of Tim Dempsey of Our Revolution Arling- a major blow to efforts to end gerrymander- ton–Workers Cooperative Housing, and Emily Cadik, ing in Virginia. executive director of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by OneVirginia2021, the principal redistricting Coalition. advocacy group in the commonwealth that alleged lawmakers violated a state constitu- tional requirement that legislative districts be compact. The group argued that the current “Thus, there is evidence to support the ruling Lucyk said the court’s ruling shows that redistricting process focuses too heavily on that the determination of the General Assem- the state constitution needs to be amended to protecting incumbents and helping political bly regarding compactness of the Challenged provide clear standards for drawing legisla- parties. Districts is fairly debatable, and not clearly tive districts. Last year, a Richmond Circuit Court erroneous, arbitrary, or wholly unwarranted, The office of Attorney General Mark judge rejected the challenge brought by and we must uphold the legislature’s decision Herring had argued that the districts were OneVirginia2021. to draw the Challenged Districts as it did,” compact. The high court upheld that decision May the court found in a unanimous 7-0 ruling Gov. in May vetoed re- 31, agreeing with the lower court finding that written by Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn. districting legislation that would have estab- evidence presented at trial would “lead rea- Greg Lucyk, the president of lished some anti-gerrymandering criteria in sonable and objective people to differ” regard- OneVirginia2021’s board, said he was disap- state law. ing the compactness of the districts. pointed in the court’s decision. “The whole The legislation, sponsored by Sen. David The high court found the brief wording purpose of compactness is to avoid districts Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, would have in the state constitution does not require that that meander, that have tentacles that reach declared in state code that districts should be compactness be given priority over other con- out to grab pieces of voting precincts,” Lucyk compact and respect existing political bound- siderations or establish a standard to deter- said. By drawing compact districts, that’s one aries between cities, counties and towns, pre- mine whether the legislature gave proper pri- tool we have to deter partisan gerrymander- serving “communities of interest.” ority to compactness. ing.” Northam said the bill didn’t go far enough because it didn’t include explicit pro- hibitions on race-based or political gerryman- dering. Bumper sticker New swag now of the month from Arl Dems Blue Families, the Arlington Dems pro- gram offering volunteer opportunities that parents and kids can do together, has produced the official swag seen at left. This car magnet bumper sticker can be yours for just a $5 contribution! Five dollars. It won’t make ya; it won’t break ya! You can pick one up at the Arlington Dems tables seen at each farmers’ market. Or, email [email protected] and a representative will figure out some way to get one to you. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 4 NRA annoints its choice to Donkey Ears Listening to the doings face Kaine of Arlington’s Dems The National Rifle Association has re- buffed the voluble and instead as overheard by endorsed one of his opponents, Del. Nick Dan Steen and Mädi Green Freitas, for the GOP nomination to oppose Sen. . Stewart has long made guns and immi- Getting bookish: Barbara Kanninen’s new children’s book, Circle gration the central points of his campaigns. When he ran in the gubernatorial primary last Rolls, was recently reviewed in The Times, which said, “In year, he raffled off an AR-15 assault rifle to this delightful sneak-lesson in geometry, physics and helping your underscore his opposition to the state require- friends when they’re in a jam, some colorful shapes have a bang-up ment that citizens obtain a permit to carry a time when Circle starts rolling.” concealed weapon. Getting recognition: Jack Lechner, son of Arlington Dem chief blintz The NRA endorsement was not entirely maker and Kitchen Crew member, Susan Lechner, is among the latest a surprise, however. First, Freitas holds an A+ rating on guns from the NRA. Second, band of inductees into the Yorktown High Hall of Fame. Jack, Class the GOP establishment appears to fear that of 1980, lives in NYC where he is a TV and film producer, including Stewart as the nominee would drive away Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert. S. McNamara. many voters. Most of the GOP leadership is He was also the lyricist for the musical adaptation of Dan Savage’s lining up behind Freitas. The establishment comic memoir The Kid, which won the 2010 Outer Circle Critics is largely ignoring the third candidate in the Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. He is also an adjunct race, clergyman E.W. Jackson, who won the professor at NYU and Columbia. GOP nomination for lieutenant governor in 2013 only to be buried in November by Ralph Diversity in electing: Fairfax City just held elections for the six-member Northam. City Council and filled both open seats with Korean-born immigrants, Two of the three candidates—with So Lim, a local insurance company owner, and Sang Yi, staff director Stewart absent— met in another debate April of a congressional subcommittee. About one-fifth of the city popula- 30 in Virginia Beach where The Virginian- tion is of Asian descent. Pilot kept score and reported that they never Pursuing Jeff Davis: After years of discussion, the Alexandria City even mentioned Kaine. It said they spent most Council has voted to put the issue of re-naming Jefferson Davis of the time bashing President Obama, who be- came a private citizen 15 months earlier. Highway on its June agenda. A task force, to which the city also Both men lauded the recent tax bill, named two Arlingtonians, has recommended naming it Richmond though Freitas said he wanted to go further Highway, the name used in Fairfax County. Because Alexandria is a and abolish the income tax entirely, replac- city, it can name the highway. Because Arlington is a county, it does ing it with a federal sales tax. not have that power. Latest report on Confederate front: In keeping with our ongoing monumental watch, we can report that the school board in Hanover County (which you drive through on your way to Richmond) has voted 5-2 to keep the names and mascots of its two confederate-aligned schools—Lee-Davis High School (the Confederates) and Stonewall Jackson Middle School (the Rebels). A community survey found the community as a whole as well as parents and, especially, alumni in favor of keeping the names while faculty and staff at the schools FREITAS STEWART wanted new names. Meanwhile, a survey of 788 Virginians taken by Virginia Commonwealth University found 49 percent of residents preferring to leave confederate monuments as they are, 13 percent favoring leaving them in place with additional signage for context, 23 percent advocating moving the monuments to museums and 10 percent preferring to see them destroyed. The remaining 5 percent had no JACKSON opinion. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 5

Your candidates in the County Board primary

n*****, spic, terrorist as the catch-all lone minority kid in a white town, but I shrugged Chanda it off as the words of silly boys. My focus was on being better instead of being bitter. I doubled down on the American dream Choun and civic duty by enlisting in the US Army even though I disagreed with the War in Iraq. Hello, Arlington!—I am Chanda Choun Years were spent away from family and (pronounced CHAHN-duh CHOON) and am friends from marching under the hot South running to be your Member on the Arlington Carolina sun to long nights standing watch in County Board. We need to Make Arlington the Middle East. But I used the management the North Star of Virginia. All residents and and technical experience gained in the mili- visitors to the County, no matter how short or tary to work for cutting-edge tech companies. long their stay, must have a symbol of who Arlington became home after constant we are and aspire to be. As a military veteran, job transfers. My plan was to continue what I refugee immigrant, and technology profes- thought as a child: keep my head down, not As your County Board Member, I will sional, I aim to highlight our County as the be bad, and just do a good job. Then the elec- be an ever present and highly known servant leader of Virginia economically, socially, and tion of Trump happened. Then the white su- leader to Arlington’s quarter million people. politically. premacist rally at Charlottesville happened. I will present Arlington to the rest of Virginia Political leadership is the third mission Each happening forced me to shift my plans as a visionary, well-planned urban county to of my campaign. Arlington and its leaders and actions towards political involvement. be emulated when it comes to smart growth need to elevate our profile, our model, and As a man, I cannot let the next genera- and high quality of life. I will present our our values to the rest of America. tion take their cues of what a person is sup- County Board to the Nation as a model of I used to think that keeping my head posed to be from Donald Trump. As a citizen, caring, intelligent leadership shining across down, not being bad, and just doing a good I cannot let the fantastical ideology and mis- the Potomac River against the hate and cor- job would bring safety and prosperity to my management practices of today’s Republicans ruption in Washington DC. Arlington can be family and me. Growing up I got called chink, spread like cancer down to the local level. the North Star of Virginia… and America.

should be for our compassionate, thoughtful, and inclusive community. Matt We must remember that undergrounding the Orange Line is an example of how invest- ment can pay off. That decision led to a strong de Ferranti commercial property tax base, which has been vital in keeping county services strong. It also Matt is committed to the economic has helped keep our residential property tax growth and opportunity Arlington needs to rates below those of our neighbors and led to attract good jobs so that we keep our quality higher home values for homeowners. of life and expand it to include everyone in We must have both economic vision and our County. improve our day-to-day pursuit of the good Matt’s experience as an assistant city at- jobs that will help Arlingtonians succeed. torney, graduate of Leadership Arlington, and Our vision should embrace the green- graduate of the ’s tech economy and innovative sectors such as Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership software companies, building on our educated equips him with the tools to help lead our workforce, university consortium and prox- economy. imity to federal agencies. Each of these sec- tive employer carefully based on an analysis Arlington’s foundation is strong: our un- tors will be major players in green technol- of the costs, benefits and opportunity costs employment rate is 2.2%, our residents are ogy over the medium to long term. We must involved. among the most educated in the country, and also realize that teleworking is not a tempo- Overall, with respect to both our eco- our median household income is 5th highest rary trend, but a long-term shift that will trans- nomic vision and day-to-day stewardship, the in the nation. form our economy, with significant conse- County Board must play a critical leadership But we also face challenges. Our com- quences for our economy. role, approaching each decision by remem- mercial vacancy rate has hovered between 17 As far as the day-to-day work of attract- bering that we must be both fiscally sound and 20-percent for the past 5 years. Neigh- ing good jobs, we should partner with small and that we must invest in the future. boring jurisdictions have become increasingly businesses to find bottlenecks that hinder in- Visit www.mattforarlington.com to learn competitive. Our 8.5% poverty rate impacts vestment and find constructive solutions. And more about my ideas on economic growth our neighbors and is higher than it could and we should and must evaluate every prospec- opportunity. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 6 More voters are found to be misassigned continued from page one OneVirginia2021, faults legislators, not reg- is just one of seven precincts in Newport News istrars, saying highly gerrymandered politi- that are split into different House of Delegates the Republican Party of Virginia, pointed out cal maps fracture communities for political districts. that Democrats have controlled the state De- advantage, not administrative ease. When the GOP-controlled General As- partment of Elections and local electoral “They’re asking [registrars] to perform sembly drew the district lines in 2011, it split boards across the state under Governors Ralph a high-wire act,” Cannon said. “It’s a near- 224 or 9.4 percent of the state’s precincts—a Northam and Terry McAuliffe for the last five impossible task. Even if you get it right 99.9 huge proportion. Many cities and counties years. percent of the time, it’s really not good enough have since redrawn precinct boundaries to “From the lack of printed ballots in the for the 26 voters who ended up voting in the match up with the district boundaries. (Ar- Lynchburg special election to the wrong election [district].” lington had three split precincts in 2011, but misassignment of voters in various House The Newport News registration errors af- has only one now—#27 Jefferson.) Statewide, Districts [in] the November general elections, fected seven apartment buildings built in there are still 140 split precincts or 5.5 per- one thing is clear: The greatest threat to de- 2016, long after the district boundaries were cent of the state’s current 2,566 precincts. mocracy in Virginia comes from Democrat- set in a 2011 law. They were built on streets The Newport News registrar has ac- controlled electoral boards,” March told the that didn’t exist in 2011 either. Eighty-seven cepted responsibility for the mistake in her Post. “A review is desperately needed and the people in those buildings were registered and city. But Simonds doesn’t blame her; she simple truth is Virginians should be less wor- assigned to the wrong district; 26 of those reg- pointed to the split precincts. ried about Russian electoral interference and istrants voted last November. “Right now, the politicians are using a far more worried about the incompetence of The precinct, Lee-Hall, is heavily Afri- razor blade to cut our communities apart, and Democrat-majority governance.” can-American and overwhelmingly Demo- that’s exactly what has happened in the However, Brian Cannon, executive di- cratic. It voted 78 percent Democratic in the 94th District,” Simonds told the Daily Press rector of the redistricting reform group 2017 House of Delegates election. Lee-Hall of Newport News. “So I guess I’m really look- ing at solutions and how to move forward. I’m not trying to re-litigate or point fingers right now. I just want better representation for Dem chances improve in my community, and it kills me that places like Denbigh [another Newport News neighbor- hood] are cut up between three different dis- Virginia congressional race tricts.” Simonds and Yancey were caught in a continued from page one paign Committee even before Garrett backed nail-biter race that ended with Yancey’s 10- out. vote victory, as of election night. After a re- Garrett had only $133,000 or less than half The local GOP launched an attack on count, Simonds won by one vote. Cockburn’s cash-on-hand. Cockburn as soon as she won the nomination. The next day, a three-judge panel ruled The 37-member 5th District Republican The key charge is that she is anti-Semitic, that one ballot discarded in the recount pro- Committee selected a new candidate June 2. based on a book she and her husband wrote cess as spoiled should have been awarded to He is , a distillery owner in more than a quarter-century ago titled, “Dan- Yancey, so the race was tied. The State Board Nelson County who last year briefly sought gerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.- of Elections decided the winner by choosing the GOP nomination for governor before drop- Israeli Covert Relationship,” which is criti- a name from a ceramic bowl. Yancey won, ping out. Riggleman said that, if elected, he cal of the relationship. giving the House a one-seat Republican ma- will join the far-right House . Garrett acknowledged his alcoholism for jority. A poll taken by the Wason Center at the first time in his retirement announcement. The Newport News problem came about Christopher Newport University asked resi- However, that announcement came three days because the registrar’s office had a problem dents of the 5th District earlier this year after published a story saying four matching what the statute said about the dis- whether they preferred to be represented in former employees of Garrett’s office said he trict lines with an actual map. But there is Congress by a Republican or a Democrat, and his wife, Flanna, treated staff like servants, another and perhaps even more consequen- without naming any individual. That “generic ordering them to drive the couple’s daughter tial problem with split precincts. ballot” gave Republicans an eight-point lead to and from the district, shop for groceries, fetch Election workers in those precincts must 48-40, a good, but not commanding, lead. clothes and clean up feces left by the couple’s maintain two different set of ballots and make After Garrett’s retirement, Perriello said, dog, all of which are violations of the rules of sure they hand the correct one to voters. That “I think this was always a race that was win- the House of Representatives. gets complex on a busy election day. In the nable in a wave year and now is even more Earlier, Politico reported that Garrett split precinct near Fredericksburg last fall, poll flippable under these circumstances.” would retire. Then, on May 24, Garrett called workers handed 147 voters in a split precinct In 2016, Trump won the district by 11 a news conference to deny he would be retir- the wrong ballot in Stafford County. The points and last year GOP gubernatorial can- ing and to announce his campaign for re-elec- Republican incumbent, Del. Bob Thomas, didate won it by 9 points. But tion. The next day, the Politico story on his won by 73 votes. If just half the 147 voters Garrett has been seen as weak and the seat is use of staff appeared. The next Monday, who got the wrong ballot had voted Demo- one of 100 around the country that was tar- Garrett acknowledged his alcoholism and cratic, Thomas would have lost. A federal geted by the Democratic Congressional Cam- announced he was retiring. judge declined to order a new election. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 7 AYDs focus on Metro travails On Wednesday, May 16, the Arlington charity event at Heritage Brewing Co. Mar- founded in 1936. Over the years, AYD has Young Democrats (AYD) held their monthly ket Common Brewpub & Roastery to raise served as both a source of political activism meeting at Virginia Square Towers, located awareness and support for veterans living with for young people and a springboard to politi- in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor. The event Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and cal involvement, including elected public of- focused on the Washington Metropolitan Area Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The VFAC fice, later in life. Many of today’s Democratic Transit Authority Metrorail and Metrobus partnered with Mission 22, a charity focused leaders in Arlington County were once mem- system (Metro) and featured three expert pan- on combating veteran suicide founded by bers and officers in AYD. In addition, AYD elists: Virginia State Senator Barbara Favola, Special Forces operators Magnus Johnson, has served as the breeding ground for elected Arlington County Board Vice-Chair Chris- and Mike Kissel and Infantryman Brad leaders in other jurisdictions, from neighbor- tian Dorsey, and Andrew D’Huyvetter, the Hubbard who have personal experience with ing Fairfax to as far away as Pasadena, Cali- Transit Projects and Policy Manager for the PTSD and TBI. VFAC and Mission 22 were fornia. Of course, many former AYD mem- Northern Virginia Transportation Commission joined by Terron Sims II, Retired Deputy bers have chosen not to seek elected office, (NVTC). Chief of Training for the Army, but have become community leaders in many Senator Favola serves on the Senate former director for Virginia Veterans and Mili- other ways, working for a variety of commu- Transportation Committee, and Vice-Chair tary Veterans for Obama, president of North- nity-based organizations on both a profes- Dorsey is a member of the WMATA board as ern Virginia Black Democrats, and chair of sional and volunteer basis. well as an NVTC commissioner. the Democratic Party of Virginia’s Veterans For more information about Arlington The panel, moderated by AYD Outreach and Military Families Caucus, who addressed Young Dems visit: Director Graydon Vann, discussed topics the attendees on the importance of giving aid www.arlingtonyoungdems.org ranging from a broad overview of the system’s to veterans after they return home from ac- impact on the region to specific questions on tive duty. the impact of current and pending projects on Arlingtonians. Senator Favola described the Upcoming AYD Events McAuliffe says interplay between state and local governments and the current fiscal landscape following the June 2: Clean the Bay Day (Oronoco Bay he could beat Virginia General Assembly’s passage of a Park) $154 million dedicated funding source. Vice- June 14: Handshakes and Headshots Net- Chair Dorsey discussed the Metro governance working Event (Pentagon City) Trump in 2020 structure and the complexity of managing the June 20: Monthly Meeting (details to come) Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe says he competing interests endemic to a tri-jurisdic- June 26: Happy Hour & Social (Heavy Seas) could beat Donald Trump in a contest for the tional transit system. The meeting ended with presidency, if McAuliffe decides to run in a discussion on transit equity and bus-to-metro About AYD 2020. connections along Columbia Pike. “I’d have to make a decision to run, but Also at the meeting, AYD recognized the The Arlington Young Democrats is an if I ran I’d beat him. You bet,” the recently April AYD Member of the Month—Kathryn organization of Arlington citizens, ages 18- retired governor told CBS News White House Basinsky. Kathryn currently chairs the AYD 35, committed to furthering the principles of correspondent Major Garrett on “The Take- Civil Rights Caucus, and over the past two the Democratic Party, making an impact in out” podcast. years has helped organize events for Pride and the Arlington community and providing net- McAuliffe averted a question about monthly meetings on transgender issues. working and social opportunities for young whether he would run, saying he was focused On May 22, the Veterans and Foreign people in Arlington. on the 2018 midterm elections and guberna- Affairs Caucus (VFAC) held its first-ever The Arlington Young Democrats were torial races around the country. “We’re in a mess today,” the governor said. “I mean, every single day it’s a new drama. We need to get some dignity and re- Jerry Botland spect back in the White House, the way it used to be.” Computer Consulting Troubleshoot and resolve computer and computer related problems. Perform upgrades, set-up wireless routers and print servers. Transfer old files, address book and emails from an old computer to a new one. Former Phone: (202) 744-0542 — [email protected] Governor Terry McAuliffe ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 8 Carrie Johnson passes away at age of 77 Carolyn W. Johnson, known as Carrie to she was a force behind the scenes,” Caiazzo most people and as “The List Lady” to Ar- said. lington Democrats, died May 5 at the age of Cahill told ARLnow Carrie joined the 77. She succumbed to complications from Arlington Planning Commission in 1986, and lung cancer. served on it through 2005. Fisette believes she Carrie was active to the very end, mak- was among the longest tenured members of ing an appearance before the County Board the commission in Arlington’s history, and he just 14 days before she passed away at the says she mentored a whole host of commis- Virginia Hospital Center. She came to the dais sioners to follow in her footsteps. to ask why no-left-turn signs were to be placed Johnson counted her prime achievement where Irving Street intersects with Arlington as the creation of Long Bridge Park, trans- Boulevard and to protest that there had been forming an old industrial zone into a no consultation with the nearby neighbor- popular community space. Cahill said she also hoods before the action was taken. did lots of work on planning and zoning is- Carrie was active both in politics and in sues in Fort Myer Heights, Virginia Square policy. She served for almost two decades and the Four Mile Run Valley. on the Planning Commission and was often “She modeled, through her behavior, the the go-to person when the County Board civility, competence and commitment to needed someone to join or chair groups try- building this community you need to be in ing to resolve touchy issues, such as the plan public service,” Fisette said. “She was part of for Long Bridge Park and the site location for the glue here.” a new school. Cahill said Carrie had a particular soft But she was best known among Demo- spot for Butte, Montana. She had no formal crats as The List Lady, although her formal link to the town, but fell in love with the area’s title was Data Director. She maintained the history and even bought a house in Butte in voluminous lists that are the foundation of CARRIE JOHNSON 2005 so she could research its history more political operations in a county like Arling- . . . The List Lady closely. She also enjoyed the low humidity ton—lists of contributors and of volunteers there and tended to spend July there before and, in a state that does not have registration returning to Arlington for the fall political by party, lists of those who could be counted an emphasis on history. campaigns. on to vote Democratic if brought to the polls. “Carrie was beloved and respected by Mary Murphy, a friend of Carrie’s from Within her family, of course, The List several generations of Arlingtonians,” Jay Butte, spoke at the celebration of her life and Lady was not used. Instead, she signed Christ- Fisette, who served on the County Board for said that Carrie delighted in telling people that mas messages to the family in California as 20 years, told ARLnow. “She walked softly, “The Stack” that remains at the old Anaconda the “Eastern Elf.” yet was as large an influence on Arlington’s copper smelter in Butte is actually the tallest Carrie was also renowned for her 1966 civic culture and success as anyone actually free standing stone structure in the world, not Black Volkswagen Bug, which she drove for elected to public office.” the Washington Monument. decades and somehow maintained in almost Her nephew, Gavin Cahill, said, “She In addition to Cahill, Johnson is survived mint condition. It was parked in front of the always used to say that she became a Demo- by her brother, Robert Johnson, sister-in-law, Unitarian Church during the celebration of her crat when she moved to Arlington. And she and a niece. life June 2. never looked back.” And she quickly took In lieu of flowers, Cahill asked that do- Carrie was born in Milwaukee April 29, on the key job of maintaining all those lists. nations be sent in Johnson’s memory to the 1941, and finished her schooling there before Her friend Miriam Balutis said, “She put Arlington Parks and Recreation Fund of the going to Smith College, from which she an extraordinary amount of time and effort Arlington Community graduated magna cum laude in 1964. into compiling those voter lists, sorting them, Foundation at 818 N. She then moved to Washington and spent knowing what was up to date. And we put Quincy Street, nearly eight years working on Capitol Hill for them to good use. We used to go to the polls Suite 103. a succession of liberal Republicans, chiefly on Election Day and track people as they were Sen. Charles (Mac) Mathias of Maryland. voting. So, by the end of day, we would know She was then recruited by The Washing- who we needed to call, who hasn’t come to ton Post, for which she worked as an edito- vote yet.” rial writer for five years as well as handling Jill Caiazzo, the current chair of the speeches for then-publisher Katharine Gra- county’s Democratic committee, said ham. Johnson’s efforts went far beyond lists — she She moved to Arlington in 1979. In re- credits Johnson’s data analysis work as a driv- cent years, she split her time between her ing factor behind many of the committee’s home in Ashton Heights and another in Mon- outreach efforts. tana. She worked as a freelance writer, with “She was never showy in any way, but ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 9 Lucy Denney passes away at age of 87 Lucy Egan Denney, for decades the or- Milliken gave a eulogy at the celebra- ganizing wizard of the Arlington Democratic tion of her life ceremony May 5. Looking Party, who managed 29 campaigns for the out over the crowd, Milliken said, “There’s County Board, died May 1 at the age of 87. nothing that Lucy loved more than a full Lucy passed away after a battle with can- house.” cer. She is survived by her husband, Jerry, Milliken said, “Most people think of her children, Charlie and Jane Taylor, seven Lucy as being about the mechanics of poli- grandchildren and a very, very, very strong tics—the managing of volunteers, the devel- Democratic Party in the county. opment of precinct letters, the organizing of Lucy and Jerry came to Arlington in the a candidate’s time and a campaign’s finan- 1950s, part of the postwar surge of immigrants cial resources. And she excelled at all of those who came to work for the federal govern- and much more. ment—in her case, the CIA—and found a “But that’s getting the cart and the horse powerful Democratic machine run by the mixed up.” Milliken said. “Lucy was a per- Byrds and dedicated to the proposition that son of substance who understood that the is- African-Americans needed to know their sues that motivated her had to find a way to place. be translated into policy. And she had a ge- Like most of those newcomers, Lucy nius for how to do that.” was offended. Unlike most of those newcom- Milliken recalled that Lucy served on the ers, however, Lucy was not a transplanted Fair Housing Board from 1968 to 1979, Yankee. She came from Louisiana. She was “when that board actively pursued local land- determined to defeat te Byrd Organization— lords and property managers for discrimina- and she succeeded, tion based on race and ethnicity. It may be Lucy was an organizer par excellance. hard to imagine in 2018 that, in those years, She started in the days of “telephone trees,” getting a recalcitrant property manager actu- addressograph plates and envelope stuffing LUCY DENNEY ally to integrate his buildings took creativity parties. She completed her career as “head- . . . campaign master and determination.” quarters chair,” meaning she ran the Arling- He then told the story of how the Demo- ton Dem office and everything that went on cratic Party and the Arlingtonians for a Bet- inside, and retired in 2005. many community organizations including ter County (ABC), a group formed for fed- In her honor, the main room wherever Meals on Wheels, the Arlington Street eral employees so they could take a roll in the party HQ is located is always called the People’s Assistance Network, the Alliance for local politics and not bump up against the Denney Room. Housing Solutions, and the Arlington Partner- Hatch Act of that day, formed an alliance to But Lucy wasn’t just a nuts and bolts ship for Affordable Housing, where she served put progressives on the County Board. person. She had a firm grip on issues and on the board for many years. He explained each step in the process worked hard for progressive goals, with a spe- Lucy was also an active member of St over the years and ended each paragraph: cial emphasis on affordable housing. George’s Episcopal Church. She served as a “And Lucy was in charge.” Lucy was born February 9, 1931, in member of the Vestry, was a volunteer with Lucy described the secret of her long and Shreveport, Louisiana, the older of two chil- the Food Pantry and was a member of the happy life as maintaining a positive attitude, dren. She graduated from high school in 1947 Social Ministry and Outreach Committees. contributing to programs and organizations at the age of 16. She attended Hollins Uni- While Lucy’s contributions to the Arling- that reflected her values, and always making versity, one of the country’s oldest women’s ton community are many, she is undoubtedly time for her family and large circle of friends. universities in Roanoke, Virginia, graduating best remembered for her work with the Arling- The family requests that donations in lieu with a B.A. in history in 1951. She went on ton County Democratic Committee. She be- of flowers be made to St George’s Episcopal to earn an M.A in history from Stanford Uni- came active with Democrats in the mid-1960s Church in Arlington versity. and quickly became a commanding figure. or the Arlington She came to Washington, D.C., in 1954 She linked up with Joe Fisher in helping Partnership for to take an analyst’s job at the CIA where she to make Arlington a Democratic bastion. She A f f o r d a b l e worked until 1959. Through mutual friends, managed all of Fisher’s campaigns for County Housing. she met Jerry Denney, and that began a long Board from 1967 and then for Congress from and loving partnership. Lucy and Jerry were 1974 to 1980. She also ran his constituent married in June 1957. service office while he was in Congress. Lucy volunteered her time and abundant She went on to run campaigns for a host energy to many Arlington County projects and of Dem contenders for seats on the County activities. She served on the Arlington Fair Board, including John Milliken, Ellen Housing Board from 1968 to 1979, was a Bozman, Mary Margaret Whipple, William member of the Historical Affairs and Land- Newman, James Hunter, Paul Ferguson, Jay mark Review Board and volunteered with Fisette and Chris Zimmerman. ACDC Voice, June 2018, Page 10

DRAWING A FINE — This is the television ad that earned GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie (second from right) a fine from the state Board of Elections. Sponsor line error sees Gillespie fined by Virginia’s Board of Elections The State Board of Elections has ap- The board dismissed a complaint against alties for stand-by-your-ad violations usually proved a $2,000 fine on Republican Ed the Northam campaign that claimed a profile involve minor fines for infractions involving Gillespie’s 2017 gubernatorial campaign for shot of Northam holding up a baby fell short printed flyers, mailers or yard signs. Several violating the rule on identifying the sponsor of the rule requiring an unobstructed image election officials told the newspaper they of political ads. of the candidate. could not recall another instance of the board The penalty was imposed despite both Both complaints were filed in Septem- considering disclosure violations for TV ads. parties asking the board to dismiss complaints ber. The Republican complaint against The board also handed out smaller pen- they each filed against the other during the Northam came first. alties for violations in state and local races campaign. The two Democratic members of the during the 2017 cycle. The board voted 2-0-1 May 21 to assess elections board — Chairman James Alcorn The board levied a $200 fine on the cam- the penalty for violations involving two and Singleton McAllister — voted in favor paign of Del. Cheryl Turpin, D-Virginia Gillespie television ads. of the fine. Republican Clara Belle Wheeler Beach, for a flyer that featured the name of As required by Virginia’s stand-by-your- abstained after voicing incredulity at the idea her opponent, former Republican Del. Rocky ad laws, Gillespie included written and spo- of imposing substantial fines despite the two Holcomb, scratched out and replaced with the ken notices saying he authorized the ads. But parties agreeing to drop the issue. word “racist.” Because the flyer referenced a the campaign ran afoul of a rule that says there Even though the political combatants de- specific candidate, Turpin had to disclose that can be no other text on the screen while the cided to stand down, Alcorn said the board still she personally approved it. Instead, the ad’s written notice is visible, a requirement meant had a responsibility to enforce the rules. notice said it was sponsored by “Cheryl to give viewers an unobstructed look at the “They’re not there to protect other candidates,” Turpin for VB,” the name of Turpin’s cam- person who approved the ad. Alcorn said. “They’re there to protect voters.” paign committee. In the two Gillespie ads, text directing When a driver runs a red light, Alcorn The board assessed a $50 fine on the viewers to the campaign website appeared said, the police still write a ticket regardless campaign of Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D- next to the notice, a violation that meant a of how other motorists feel. Prince William, for a positive mailer that $1,000 fine for each offense. The Richmond Times-Dispatch said pen- didn’t include the required sponsor notice.