Krupicka Retiring from House

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Vol. 40, No. 4 www.arlingtondemocrats.org April 2015 Krupicka retiring from House Four of 15 posts on Arlington ballot to face primary/caucus Delegate Rob Krupicka County Board seats and a caucus has announced he will not run for to endorse a candidate for the Mesages from our re-election this fall, opening up School Board. School Board candi- another primary contest in the All other incumbents are run- county. ning for re-election and no one has dates on Page Six. After 12 years in elective filed to challenge any of them. office, Krupicka will retire from The 15 posts on the Arlington bal- public service to focus on his new lot this year are two County Board Alexandria doughnut business seats, one School Board position, and his family, he announced in four seats in the House of Del- a statement March 16. egates, three in the State Senate ROB KRUPICKA “Between business, family, and five constitutional posts: sher- represent 18 percent of the dis- and public service, it is clear that iff, treasurer, commissioner of rev- trict. I’m burning more candles at more enue, commonwealth’s attorney Krupicka, 44, was born in ends than I can sustain,” Krupicka and clerk of the court. Thousand Oaks, California, and said. Krupicka’s 45th Delegate graduated from the University of The filing deadline for elec- District is largely in Alexandria, Virginia. tive office was March 26. With with a small part in Fairfax He began his political career Krupicka’s surprise decision, County and five of Arlington’s 52 when he was elected to the Alex- there will now be primaries in precincts in the far southern end andria city council in 2003 where G o v e r n o r s l a y s s i x Arlington for his seat and for two of the county. Arlington voters continued on page nine g e r r y m a n d e r s w i t h h i s v e t o p e n . S e e Page Four M E M O R A N D U M The marrying guv Wanna get married by the guv? From your 2015 Joint Campaign Co-chairs: Since taking office, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has James, Kaitlin, and Josh— presided over two weddings. He apparently enjoyed himself, because he has now applied to become a The Joint Campaign is certainly not sit- fully vested civil celebrant. ting idle during these hibernation months! We Richmond’s Style Weekly reports that are hard at work creating to-do lists, timelines McAuliffe submitted an application to the Rich- and calendars. mond Circuit Court and paid the $86 filing fee to To those ends, we would make the fol- have the power to officiate at marriages. lowing request of everyone: if you are in- McAuliffe so far has married two same-sex volved with or know of a good visibility couples after applying for and receiving one-time au- opportunity in the coming months, please thorizations from the court. The first was in October, reach out to one of us. Specifically, we are shortly after the ruling that legalized same-sex mar- T e a P a r t y g o e s t o looking for forums, festivals and fairs that riage in Virginia, and the second was in January. court to stop voters we may not have heard of. McAuliffe’s spokesman, Brian Coy, said the from choosing GOP Thanks again. And expect to hear from first two women were family friends of one of the us. governor’s aides. The January ceremony was at the c a n d i d a t e s . S e e [email protected] request of a state trooper who is close to that couple, Page Seven. [email protected] Coy said. [email protected] Coy said he’s unaware of McAuliffe’s plans for conducting future wedding ceremonies. ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 2

Report from Chairman Kip Malinosky Why housing affordibility matters to all One of the most critical issues of our time directly impacted, but also affects the larger jected to add more than 6,000 students over is housing affordability. It is indispensable to community. Why? the next 10 years. Housing affordability has realizing Arlington’s vision of an inclusive, Businesses depend on having an eco- to be part of our economic development plan. sustainable and world-class community. From nomically diverse workforce. Localities that Even more compelling than the eco- Singapore to San Francisco, from Paris to are not limited to the rich and upper middle- nomic reasons are the moral reasons. Franklin New York cities that have good jobs, great class have a competitive advantage in attract- Roosevelt argued in his Second Bill of Rights schools, and low crime rates almost always ing top businesses. A Center for Housing speech, “The right of every family to a de- face an affordable housing crisis. Arlington Policy study finds, “In a national survey of cent home” must be guaranteed. The Ameri- is no exception, despite our county’s award- more than 300 companies conducted by Har- can Dream is built on the premise that hard winning efforts to preserve market-rate afford- ris Interactive, more than half (55 percent) of work will lead to success. However, economic able housing, our supply has sharply declined. the largest companies (with more than 100 success is very difficult for those who grow According to a recently released study, afford- employees) acknowledge an insufficient level up in poor neighborhoods. As reported by able housing units have dropped from 23,500 of affordable housing in their proximity.” Emily Badger at The Washington Post, Hillary units in 2000 to 10,000 units in 2013, due pri- Companies have often acted on this under- Clinton recently asked, “Why do some com- marily to increasing rents. standing relocating to localities that offer munities have, frankly, more ladders for op- Everyone is affected when a city stops greater housing options. With an office va- portunity than other communities?” Afford- being affordable to a diverse array of resi- cancy rate near 30 percent in Arlington, we able housing, especially housing that is close dents. Housing affordability is fundamental cannot afford not to provide affordable hous- to good public transit, is one of those ladders. to allow seniors to age in place, young pro- ing to help attract new businesses How can Arlington ensure a supply of afford- fessionals just to start their careers and work- Let’s break this down. Arlington’s tax able housing when market demand is rapidly ing-class employees to live near where they revenues are split almost equally between the eliminating it? work. Single family homes in Arlington are commercial and residential sectors. If our First we must protect the supply of com- already too expensive for middle-class fami- commercial vacancy rate continues to in- mitted affordable housing units, which is cur- lies. If present trends continue, people in all crease, we will have to raise property taxes rently at 7,000. We can’t lose any more. Sec- these categories will no longer be able to live or drastically cut county services, especially ond, we have to use the power of zoning to in Arlington. The loss is not only for those our schools. Furthermore, our schools are pro- continue to incentivize more dedicated affordable housing units. Third, we need to use this power creatively and thoughtfully. We have to harness the power of the private sector to Jerry Botland help create affordable housing. We are already getting $3 of private investment for every $1 Computer Consulting of public investment in affordable housing. Perhaps we could do even more. Troubleshoot and resolve computer and In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio computer related problems. has called for partnerships with developers to Perform upgrades, set-up wireless routers and print servers. create 40,000 new units of affordable housing. Through protection, zoning and partner- Transfer old files, address book and emails ships we can ensure Arlington remains di- from an old computer to a new one. verse, sustainable and an affordable place to Phone: (703) 933-0558 — [email protected] live.

Published monthly by the Arlington County Democratic Committee 2001 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite #604, Arlington VA 22202 Mailing address: P.O. Box 7132, Arlington VA 22207 Tel: (703) 528-8588 Fax: (703) 528-2321 http://www.arlingtondemocrats.org Chair: Kip Malinosky — [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Warren L. Nelson —(703) 243-7867 (h), [email protected] Deputy Editor: Eric Wiener — (703) 524-6899 (h), [email protected] Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the ACDC A Democratic campaign button unless expressly approved by an appropriate committee resolution from the 1904 presidential elec- Copyright ©2014, ACDC, All Rights Reserved tion. (We lost.) ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 3 Governor’s GOP Next Monthly Meeting appointee quits Yet again, All Dems Invited are on Dems Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. under assault the move! Fairlington Community Center from GOP 3308 South Stafford St. The governor’s Republican appointee to the State Board of Elections (SBE) has re- This month’s meeting will feature a debate moved his name from nomination after com- between the two candidates seeking the Demo- ing under attack from fellow Republicans. As The Voice reported in February, some cratic endorsement for the School Board—Reid in the GOP didn’t like the nomination of Mat- Goldstein and Sharon Dorsey. (See messages thew Gray to be the one Republican member from them on Page Five of this month’s Voice.) of the SBE. State law requires the governor Note we are at a different location this to nominate three members—two from his month. To reach the Fairlington Community Cen- own party and one from the opposition. Gov. Terry McAuliffe picked Gray, the ter, drive south from Shirlington or the state director in Richmond of the Humane Shirlington I-395 exit on Quaker Lane. Then turn Society of the United States. right onto 33rd Street, which t-ends after one But a number of Republicans objected block. The parking lot for the community center because Gray had voted in the Democratic primaries in 2009, 2013 and 2014. is straight ahead. Gray sent a letter to the governor with- drawing his nomination to avoid a contentious confirmation debate. “I had hoped to represent a new genera- But that wasn’t good enough for some Two unnamed Republicans told the Post tion of Republicans that is working to build a in the Virginia GOP. the party’s main objection to Gray was that more inclusive party that seeks bipartisan co- Pat Mullins, chairman of the Republic he had voted in Democratic primaries in 2009, operation at all levels of government, even Party of Virginia, wrote a letter to McAuliffe 2013 and 2014—something they said bars on the State Board of Elections,” Gray said complaining that the governor had not con- him from being a Republican in good stand- in his letter. sulted with the GOP before choosing Gray. ing under state party rules. Gray has long-standing GOP credentials. However, Morgan Finkelstein, spokes- Republicans (and some Democrats) in From 2005 to 2007, Gray worked for the Na- woman for the Democratic Party of Virginia, the state have periodically recommended that tional Republican Senatorial Committee, the told The Washington Post no one at DPVA members of their party vote in the other main national body working for a GOP ma- could recall McAuliffe’s Republican prede- party’s primary to try to help what is perceived jority in the US Senate. In 2008, he worked cessor consulting DPVA before naming his as a weaker candidate win a nomination. on John McCain’s presidential campaign. choice for the Democratic member of the SBE. Last year, it was pointed out that Bar- bara Comstock, elected last November as the member of Congress succeeding Rep. Frank Wolf, had voted in a Bumper Sticker Democratic primary. That did not prevent of the Month her from being the GOP nominee for Con- gress. Under GOP rules, however, anyone voting in a Democratic primary cannot stand for a GOP nomination or serve as a delegate at a GOP convention MATTHEW GRAY for five years. ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 4 Governor Donkey Ears vetoes all six Listening to the doings gerrymander of Arlington’s Dems as overheard by statutes Dan Steen and Mädi Green The General Assembly approved no bills Getting physical: Karla Hagan, co-chair of the annual Dollars for Demo- allowing redistricting by an independent body, crats ($4Dems) campaign, has been selected for the Congressional but it did pass six bills that redrew the lines of Science Fellowship of the American Physical Society. In September, she individual legislators’ districts to make life a bit will start working in the office of a yet-to-be-determined senator or easier for them this fall. However, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has now vetoed all of them. congressman providing advice and perspective on legislation with The General Assembly will meet April 15 scientific content. Some folks have suggested she ask to be posted with for a session that will provide the opportunity Sen. Jim Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who denigrates talk of climate to override these and dozens of other vetoes. change. The six redistricting bills were the first New appointment: Terron Sims, a veteran of the war in Iraq and a mem- bills the governor vetoed after the legislative ber of the Eighth Congressional District Committee, has a new posting. session ended—and he did it with great fan- He has been named the vice chair of the Democratic National fare intended to give wide-scale attention to his vetoes. Committee’s Council on Recruitment, Veterans and Military Families. He signed the veto of each one during his Hostess with the mostest: Krysta Jones, a veteran of many Arlington live monthly radio show in Richmond. He campaigns, co-hosts “A Seat at the Table,” her new TV program on borrowed the host’s pen to sign the six vetoes. Arlington Independent Media. Her first guest was Judge William McAuliffe justified his vetoes in part on Newman, who was the first African-American elected to the Arlington the state constitutional provision that man- County Board. dates redistricting only once a decade after Where bills go to die: In the just-concluded session of the General Assem- each national census. McAuliffe told the radio audience, “First bly, Sen. Barbara Favola proposed a bill to allow voters aged 75 and of all, I don’t think these bills are constitu- above to move to the head of the voting line on Election Day during the tional. I like nonpartisan redistricting, but slack hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It passed the Senate 35-2, but was what I won’t stand for is to allow every two killed on a voice vote in a House subcommittee. years you get to redraw lines and add certain All that jogging pays off: Arlington County has been judged the healthiest voters to your district and take certain voters jurisdiction in the commonwealth. That comes from the 2015 County out. I just think that is wrong.” Health Rankings for every state in the union. It said only 8 percent of The enacted bills make what the bills term “technical amendments” to House and Arlingtonians report poor or fair health, 10 percent of adults smoke, 18 Senate district lines. percent are obese and unemployment stands at 3.6 percent. Petersburg For example, one bill proposed by Re- ranked last with 20 percent reporting poor or fair heath, 25 percent of publican Sen. Bryce E. Reeves would remove adults smoking, 36 percent obese and 10 percent unemployed. two Democratic-major- Half-century record: The Arlington police report there were fewer major ity precincts from his crimes reported in Arlington last year than in any year since 1961, when district and give them to Arlington’s population was much smaller. The total of Part 1 offenses neighboring Demo- (homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor cratic Sen. Creigh Deeds, while taking two vehicle theft) came to 3,863 in 2014, 8.2 percent fewer than in 2013. The GOP-leaning precincts total for each of those crimes was down except for rape, which rose from from Deeds and adding 26 to 27 them to Reeves’ district. Reform! Reform! Okay, efforts to end gerrymandering sank down the Deeds denounced the great black hole known as the House of Delegates Privileges and Elec- bill and voted against it. tions Subcommittee. But the General Assembly still did manage to pass Reeves only some important reform legislation. House Bill 1439 will allow restau- won in a close election four years ago and is rants to serve margaritas in pitchers! It passed the Senate 33-3 and the being targeted by House unanimously. Let’s drink to that. Democrats this year. McAULIFFE ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 5 Race on to determine State Senate control Democrats and Republicans are revving ing to pick up one seat. The GOP has an of- in raising money and campaigning for Demo- their engines for what is expected to be an fensive game as well and Democrats will have cratic Senate candidates. intense battle from here to the fall to deter- to defend some of its seats vigorously. “We need to pick up one seat, and I’m mine control of the State Senate. Perhaps the best GOP chance is to pick very confident we’re going to do it,” he told The GOP controls the chamber by a up the seat of retiring Sen. Charles J. Colgan, reporters. majority of 21-19. A Democratic pickup of D-Prince William, currently the chamber’s McAuliffe has a legendary reputation as just one seat will tie the membership but give longest-serving member. Colgan has served a political fundraiser. He was co-chairman of Democrats control because Democratic Lieu- in the Senate since 1976. President Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election cam- tenant Governor Ralph Northam has the tie- And two incumbent Democrats will paign, served as chairman of the Democratic breaking vote. likely require a strong Democratic defense. National Committee from 2001 to 2005 and Over in the House of Delegates, the goal Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., D- ran Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 bid for is to pick up more Democratic seats, though Accomack, represents a district that includes the Democratic presidential nomination. no one expects this year to end GOP control the diverse constituencies of the Eastern Shore The Times-Dispatch quoted Democratic of that body, where the Republicans have a and Norfolk. Last year, he won a special elec- insiders as saying McAuliffe also is bringing 2-to-1 majority thanks to gerrymandering. tion by just 11 votes to fill the seat Northam in a new fundraiser to oversee the legislative The central focus for both Democrats vacated after he was elected lieutenant gov- races, some of which might end up costing and Republicans is the seat currently held by ernor. $1 million to $2 million. Republican Sen. John Watkins. He is retir- Sen. John S. Edwards, D-Roanoke, a Republicans have seen upheaval in their ing. His district has gone Democratic in elec- senator since 1996, is the last Democratic state party in recent weeks, with the depar- tions for statewide offices in recent years, senator in Southwest Virginia. He faces a chal- ture of staff and the election of a new chair- making it the prime target for a pickup by lenging political demographic, representing man whose first challenge is to right a shaky Democrats and the prime line of defense for the more liberal city of Roanoke and its more financial ship that won’t let them get off to a the GOP. Watkins’ district includes parts of conservative Roanoke County suburb. running start. But that doesn’t mean they Richmond city and suburban Chesterfield “The only seat of ours we view as truly aren’t in an attack mode. County and all of Powhatan County. competitive is the 10th District,” said Senate “Any concern we may have with the state The start of the campaign was signaled Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R- party’s current challenges are overshadowed the very moment the General Assembly ses- James City, referring to Watkins’ seat. by our having to face a governor who came sion ended February 27, when Sen. Donald Beyond the quality of the candidates in up with the concept of renting out the Lin- McEachin, the chairman of the Senate Demo- each competitive district, the Times-Dispatch ex- coln Bedroom to donors,” said Senate major- cratic Caucus, shouted out: “Gentlemen, start pects Gov. Terry McAuliffe could have the great- ity leader Norment. your engines!” est impact on who wins the Senate majority. Signaling a likely line of attack, Norment All 100 seats in the House of Delegates He has promised “a full-out campaign” said, “Virginians are not going to accept the and all 40 seats in the State Senate are up for to restore Democratic control of the cham- governor attempting to buy these races, espe- election in November. But due to gerryman- ber. He said that he would be actively involved cially with out-of-state money.” dering, most districts are not truly competi- hoto

tive. cou The Richmond Times-Dispatch said Democrats intend to target as many as five Lots of candidate debates tesy GOP seats in addition to the Watkins seat.

Arlington County Democrats will host six—count ‘em, six—debates for candi- ic They include two in Virginia Beach, currently dates seeking the Democratic endorsement for School Board and to become the Demo- W held by Sen. Frank W. Wagner and Sen. Jef- iene cratic nominees for the two open seats on the County Board. They are: frey L. McWaters, who announced that he is retiring after one term. School Board Debates The three others—called “more of a long • Wednesday, April 1, 7-9 p.m., Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford shot” by the Times-Dispatch—are held by St. — During the monthly ACDC meeting Republicans Richard H. Black of Loudoun, • Friday, April 24, 7-9 p.m., National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Bryce E. Reeves of Spotsylvania and Will- (NRECA) Building , 4301 Wilson Blvd, corner of North Taylor Street—the usual site iam M. Stanley Jr. of Franklin. The Black of the ACDC monthly meetings. seat is close enough to Arlington to draw Ar- lington Dems into helping in door-to-door County Board Debates canvassing. • Wednesday, April 15, 7-9 p.m., NRECA, 4301 Wilson Blvd. — Hosted by the McEachin said, “Tea party control of the Arlington Young Democrats Senate GOP caucus has caused more moder- • Wednesday, May 6, 7-9 p.m., George Mason University Founder’s Hall, 3351 N. ate members in swing districts to retire, cre- Fairfax Dr. — During the monthly ACDC meeting ating open-seat opportunities in competitive • Thursday, May 21, 7-9 p.m., Glebe Elementary School, 1770 N. Glebe Rd. districts.” • Monday, June 1, 7-9 p.m., Campbell Elementary School, 737 S. Carlin Springs But the game is not just Democrats try- ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 6 Candidates in 2015 School Board Caucus

teaching reading and writing through the Lit- eracy Council of Northern Virginia. I have 30 Sharon years of business experience that I will bring with me to help manage our budget and fis- cally stay on track. Dorsey Arlington’s schools are great, but we can I’m Sharon Dorsey and I’m running for do better. School Board because I believe every child We need to bring schools and the com- in Arlington deserves a chance to succeed. I munity together to deal with overcrowding and don’t need to tell you that, here in Arlington, establish a sustainable plan for growth that puts we’re at a crossroads on many issues and education first and works for students, parents there’s a lot of work to be done in our schools and the entire Arlington Community. and for our children. We need to make sure tax dollars are spent In the next few years, School Board efficiently and wisely on programs that focus members are going to be grappling with the on classroom learning. The vast majority of our issues of overcrowding in our classrooms and taxpayers don’t have children in our schools. tight budgets constraints. We need a leader We need to be proactive communicators and on the Board who doesn’t shy away from dif- always be accountable for each dollar invested. ficult decisions, who can build consensus, and We need to keep class sizes so every stu- bring new ideas to the table and find solu- dent can get personalized, quality education tions that work for all of Arlington’s children. and we need to give teachers the support, SHARON DORSEY I promise to be that candidate. training and tools they need so our students I’ve lived in Arlington for 32 years. I have a quality learning environment. the hard decisions head on so every child in know firsthand how great Arlington’s schools We need to strengthen STEM programs Arlington’s schools can get the very best edu- are. My two children, Samantha and Jack, by investing in science and technology along cation we can offer. both attended Arlington Public Schools and with art, music and writing programs. We need I would be honored to have your sup- are now settling into the community so their more hands-on learning opportunities in and port on May 14 and 16. Together, we can cre- kids can grow up in our schools. out of the classroom so our kids can gain real ate better schools for all of Arlington’s kids. I’m a former teacher and today I’m still world skills beyond textbook learning. For more information, please visit I promise to roll up my sleeves and tackle www.SharonDorsey.org.

As a civic association president and childhood education, and realize effective in- member of the Housing Commission and Af- tegration of technology. Reid fordable Housing Task Force, I have advo- Please see my website at cated for our neighborhoods for over 20 years www.ReidGoldstein.com for more informa- with the values of inclusion, sustainability and tion. Thank you in advance for your support Goldstein quality of life that Arlington Democrats share. at the ACDC endorsement caucus, May 14 APS faces challenges of growing enroll- and 16! This year’s Arlington School Board race ment, competing with other County priorities is about Leadership skills and relevant Expe- for available land and funding. More than rience. ever, the School Board and County Board I am running to bring my 20 years of must act jointly, rather than in parallel. leadership and community experience to the My experience positions me to lead the challenges facing our expanding school sys- transition and protect the future of our schools, tem. As a growing population competes for welcoming new students while maintaining school and County resources, the School the school system quality that makes Arling- Board will have to work collaboratively with ton so enviable. the County Board for the best use of As we work to build more classrooms, Arlington’s physical and financial resources. we cannot lose focus on what goes on inside I have been involved in school and them. I will maintain the high standards and County activities that are directly relevant to performance that the community expects. assuring APS’ continued high-quality future. I will maintain competitive teacher com- On the APS Advisory Council on In- pensation, not balance budgets on the backs struction, Family Network, Strategic Planning of our skilled and dedicated teachers and staff. Committee and County Council of PTAs, I I will provide the resources to secure an have served in collaborative and leadership exceptional future: close the achievement gap, roles working for our schools, nurturing stu- promote STEM, advance foreign language dents’ growth while challenging them for instruction including FLES, support early greater achievement. REID GOLDSTEIN ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 7 Tea Party goes to court over state primary Seeks power to control GOP nomination process In a mind-boggling Virginia court case, Joshua Heslinga, an assistant attorney a local Republican Party is suing to stop its general of Virginia, argued that the real is- own Republican state senator from running sue was that a popular, oft re-elected candi- in a primary for re-nomination. The local date—i.e., Hanger—was running into a party wants to use a nominating convention group of Republican constituents who do not instead. support him. Instead of bringing their can- At one level, this is a very important con- didates to the primary election, Heslinga said stitutional dispute over the ability of a politi- the committee wanted to cancel the primary cal party to run its own affairs and not be to give their preference a better chance in a “pushed around” by office-holders from the convention. He noted that for the past 40 party. years, Hanger has always chosen a primary On another level, it is the tea-party election. mindset hard at work trying to dump a Re- To hold a convention would also not be publican incumbent who doesn’t pass the tea feasible, Heslinga argued. Many voters, in- party ideological test. cluding those in the armed forces and those The state senator is Emmett Hanger. He who work a day job, would be unable to at- represents the 24th Senate District in the tend a convention. Primaries are the only fea- Shenandoah Valley and nearby Blue Ridge sible and fair way for voters to elect a candi- counties. The district is centered on the city date. of Staunton, birthplace of Woodrow Wilson. “You’re not going to get Republicans in Hanger is offensive to many of his local EMMETT HANGER three or four counties in the same convention GOPers because he is one of the few Repub- hall, no matter how enthusiastic voters are,” licans in the General Assembly who has pub- nating process. More importantly, it argues he said. The distance from one end of the dis- licly supported the expansion of Medicaid in that an officeholder is not a representative of trict to the other is about 70 miles. the commonwealth under Obamacare. a party and should not be allowed to dictate Hanger has a GOP opponent, Dan State law—often referred to as the “In- to a party. It demands the right to choose Moxley, who asked to join the GOP suit. His cumbent Protection Act”—allows incumbent whether its candidates are nominated by pri- attorney, Rick Boyer, argued his client was at members of the General Assembly to decide mary, convention, party canvass or mass meet- a disadvantage if Hanger is allowed to run in how they will face re-nomination. And ing, the options given local parties by the a primary. Boyer argued that Moxley has a Hanger has chosen a primary. Republican Party of Virginia. right to protect his interests as a challenging But the GOP committee for the 24th Sen- It should be noted that the state law in candidate. ate District voted earlier to hold a conven- question, Virginia Code Section 24.2-509, In response, Hanger’s attorney, Chris tion. And now the GOP committee has gone specifically gives the political parties the Ashby, argued that the real, underlying focus to court asking for an injunction to prevent a “right to determine the method by which a of the lawsuit is not about constitutional rights, primary from being held. party nomination ... shall be made” except in as the GOP brief argues. If it was, he said, The local GOP committee argues that the the case of a General Assembly seat where an the committee would have filed the lawsuit a state law giving Hanger rather than the party incumbent is running, when the incumbent is long time ago. (The law dates from 1950.) the choice of nominating method violates the given the choice. “They’ve known about this for months, First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US In 2013, the state GOP scotched a pri- but they wanted to wait and see if Senator Constitution and their guarantee of freedom mary for the gubernatorial nomination and Hanger would run as an independent or re- of association. under domination from the right imposed a tire,” Ashby said. “They thought, ‘Maybe The GOP suit cites a 1981 Supreme state convention, where the rightwing domi- we’ll get what we want’.... Only when they Court decision in a case where the Democratic nated and nominated Ken Cuccinelli, the most didn’t get what they wanted, did they file the Party of the United States sued the State of rightwing candidate in the running, thereby lawsuit.” Wisconsin for overruling Democratic Party setting up the victory that November of Kenneth Adams, the chairman of the presidential nominating rules. The court said: Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe. 24th Senate District Republican Committee, “Freedom of Association would prove an The GOP suit was argued in the US fed- is the plaintiff in the suit. In a message to the empty guarantee if associations could not limit eral court in Harrisonburg March 24. A quick members of his committee, he said, “I am ab- control of their decisions to those who share decision is required as the primary is June 9. solutely convinced that the filing of a Federal the interests and persuasions that underlie the Arguing on behalf of the GOP commit- lawsuit signals the demise of the unconstitu- association’s being.” tee, attorney Jeffrey Adams called the statute tional law that we call the Incumbent Protec- The local GOP committee argues that “constitutionally offensive” and said it gives tion Act.... Now, we will duke it out in court. Virginia’s open primary system—in which too much power to one man. “It completely It will be a spectacular legal battle.... When it Democrats and independents can vote in GOP displaces a party’s ability to choose a candi- is all over, I believe that Virginia will be free primaries and vice versa—means the Repub- date,” he said. “One interested individual is from an unconstitutional law that distorts the lican Party would lose control over its nomi- being empowered to make this decision.” election process.” ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 8

DATE AUCTION — Emcee Mike Lewan— in a tux, no less— works hard to drive up the auction price for Helai Mahfus and Stephanie Fick.

AYDs auction off GOP chairman! Even the Arlington Young Republicans Hurtt told The Voice, “I enjoyed coming gathered with elected officials at the Charity chipped in this year to help out with the Ar- together with the AYDs for a good cause like Date Auction to chat with young profession- lington Young Dems annual Charity Date the Arlington Free Clinic. I hope there are als from across the area. Lyon Hall, Four Auction. future opportunities for the Arlington and Courts, Tours for Humanity, Lost Dog, Arlington Young Republican Chairman Falls Church YRs and AYDs to work together Redrocks and many other local businesses Matt Hurtt volunteered to be auctioned off as to strengthen our community.” pitched in to help the fund-raising effort. a date himself. Another Matt—Matt Brown, president “The support we’ve seen from local busi- The AYDs continued the Charity Date of the AYDs—said, “The Date Auction is a nesses for this fundraiser is a true testament Auction tradition, holding the 14th incarna- time for bringing the community together. We to the charity of so many Arlingtonians and tion of the event. This year saw more than made sure to include people of all types of the value our local economy places on young 150 attendees, 25 dates and dozens of dona- backgrounds—including Republicans—be- professionals,” said Wendy Lue, date auction tions from local business. The auction raised cause supporting great causes in Arlington committee co-chair. more than $8,000 to support the Arlington should be a bi-partisan effort.” The Arlington Young Democrats also Free Clinic and future AYD efforts. Arlington County Board candidates turned out in force at the State Young Demo- crats Convention – where Del. Alfonso Lopez and former AYD President Gordon Simonett were both honored with the Young Democrat for Life Award. Arlington YDs elected to statewide offices were Praveen Meyyan, Secretary; Maggie Davis, Outreach Chair; Shawn Logue, Northern Region Chair; Jack Bardo, Environmental Caucus Chair; Graham Weinschenk, Teen Caucus Chairman; Johnny Dominguez, Teen Caucus Vice Chair; and Gordon Simonett, Health Caucus Vice Chair. On April 15, the Arlington Young Demo- crats are hosting the first 2015 County Board debate at NRECA starting at 7 p.m. Commu- nity members can submit questions in advance on the AYD website at www.arlingtonyoungdems.org or on social media by using #AYDdebate. ACDC Voice, April 2015, Page 9 Krupicka retiring from House of Delegates continued from page one • Larry Altenburg, an executive at an Al- wealth. It also inevitably creates conflict with exandria security technology manufacturing an individual’s family, financial and career he served for nine years. Then-Gov. Tim firm. needs. After 12 years, that conflict has be- Kaine selected Krupicka to serve on the Vir- In his retirement message, Krupicka said, come too stark for me. ginia Board of Education in 2009. “Having spent over half of my adult life in- “There are many good people who have In 2012, he was elected to the Virginia volved in public service in some way or an- the time and passion to serve the 45th District House of Delegates in a special election held other, it is time for me to step back from well. I know the district will be well-served after the resignation of Delegate David elected life to focus on my growing business by whomever holds the 45th District delegate Englin, and will have served in Richmond for and on my family. I don’t like to do anything seat.” a little over three years when his current term halfway and the demands on my time make it Krupicka also said, “I have had the expires. impossible for me to be the engaged, active chance to serve as an elected official in one In January, Krupicka opened Sugar public servant that I have always tried to be. of the most vibrant, diverse, civically-minded Shack Donuts, a handmade doughnut shop at “I believe in Virginia’s part-time public places in the United States. It is always hum- 804 N. Henry Street in Alexandria, an area service model. It is designed to minimize poli- bling to talk to my constituents because they that has seen a surge in redevelopment. In ad- tics as a career and to give a variety of people always know so much about so many issues dition to serving doughnuts, he plans to open the chance to serve and better the Common- and they always teach me something.” a speakeasy-style bar called Captain Gregory’s that connects to the doughnut shop. City Councilor Tim Lovain told the Al- exandria Times it was remarkable what DPVA gets new chair Krupicka has been able to accomplish, given his status as a Democrat in the Republican- Susan Swecker, a veteran Democratic ac- dominated House of Delegates. tivist and longtime supporter of Hillary “He has creative ideas and persistence Clinton’s presidential aspirations, was elected and a gift for bringing people together and March 27 as chair of the Democratic Party of working to get things done, so I think he’s Virginia (DPVA). made the most of it,” Lovain said. “With his Swecker, a native of tiny Highland expertise with issues like education, he’s made County, immediately took over the position an especially strong impact.... that Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones had held “As a Democrat in the House, it’s easy for about a year. She will formally be sworn to be sort of lost in oblivion, so it takes a spe- in at the state Central Committee’s June meet- cial kind of gift to make a mark. And he’s ing. made a mark.” A member of the Democratic National Krupicka spearheaded the fight against Committee, Swecker was executive director former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Opportunity of the state Democratic Party from 1986 to Educational Institution, a controversial state 1988. She directed John Kerry’s Virginia agency tasked with taking control of struggling presidential campaign in 2004 and backed schools until it was ruled unconstitutional last Clinton’s bid for the 2008 Democratic nomi- year. And he was a persistent advocate for lo- nation. cal education funding, from restoring funding In a statement, Swecker said: ”Virginia to teacher salary subsidies for northern Virginia will be in the spotlight nationally this year as to early childhood education. we work to grow our numbers in the House Krupicka announced his retirement just of Delegates and take back the majority in 10 days before the filing deadline for candi- the State Senate. And, of course, in 2016 we dates in the June 9 primary. Despite the short will campaign tirelessly to ensure that a period for qualifying, five candidates—all Democrat continues to hold the Presidency.” SUSAN SWECKER from Alexandria—filed papers by the dead- Swecker has a long history with the line. They are: party, starting out as the 22-year-old chair of she will take it to new and exciting heights.” • Julie Jakopic, a local management con- the Highland County Democratic Committee. Gov. Terry McAuliffe said, “I’m thrilled sultant and Democratic activist in Alexandria She currently serves as a Democratic National to have Susan at the helm of the Democratic who ran two campaigns for Krupicka. Committeewoman, serving on the Rules and Party. She’s been a consistent and effective • Clarence Tong, the chairman of the Al- Bylaws and Executive Committees. leader for many years; she knows our values exandria City Democratic Committee. Outgoing Chair Dwight Jones said, “I’ve and mission better than anyone. We have the • Craig Fifer, Alexandria’s director of known Susan for years and I am so pleased to opportunity to win key elections this fall to communications. pass the torch to such a wonderful Democrat. advance progressive policies to strengthen the • Mark Levine, a radio talk-show host I am extremely confident that she will use her middle class. Susan will be invaluable in har- who ran last year in the Democratic primary decades of experience to build upon the nessing the power of our grassroots to achieve for Congress, which was won by Don Beyer. progress made by our party. I have no doubt common-sense solutions for Virginia.”