2023 Candidate Profile: Barbara Favola Running For Senate District 40

ARLINGTON, VA — Sen. Barbara Favola, who has served in the Virginia state Senate since 2012, is running for re-election in the newly drawn 40th District in the Nov. 7 general election.

Favola, who served for 14 years on the Arlington County Board prior to her election to the state Senate, is seeking a fourth term in the Senate. She serves on the Local Government, Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources, Rules, and Transportation committees and chairs the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee.

Favola is running against Republican David Henshaw in the general election for the Senate seat.

Because of mandated redistricting that happened after the 2020 Census, Virginia's legislative district maps have been redrawn. The redistricting placed Favola in the new 40th District, which represents about 85 percent of Arlington and no other jurisdictions.

The general election ballot in Arlington County will also include races for two seats on the County Board, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, School Board, Clerk of the Court, Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue.

Early voting for the general election began on Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Arlington County Elections Office.

Patch asked the two candidates running for the newly drawn 40th state Senate district to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Favola's responses:

Name

Barbara Favola

Campaign Website

https://barbarafavola.org

Age

68

Family

I am married to Douglas Weik, a retired federal employee from the Environmental Protection Agency. We have one son, Donald Weik. Donald graduated from the Arlington public schools, George Mason University, and Marymount University. He serves as a public school administrator in King and Queen County, Virginia. Donald is married to a first-generation Thai-American.

Education

I graduated from Saint Joseph's College in West Hartford, CT, in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Political Science and from New York University in 1980 with a Masters in Public Administration.

Occupation

In 1980 I was accepted into the Presidential Management Intern Program, now referred to as the Presidential Fellows Program. I served 15 years as a senior advisor in the federal Department of Health and Human Services. In that role, I oversaw health care and social service programs that served women and children. During my tenure, I also accepted several assignments as the health care staff analyst on the Committee for the Budget in the U.S. House of Representatives. My knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid financing programs enabled me to pass landmark legislation protecting consumers from surprise medical bills. This Virginia law became a model for recently passed federal legislation.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I served on the Arlington County Board from 1997 to 2011 and chaired that body three times. As a County Board member, I served on many regional bodies and chaired the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Washington Council of Governments' Chesapeake Bay Committee. I was elected to the Virginia Senate in 2011 representing portions of Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties. The Virginia Supreme Court recently redrew the district lines, and my senate district is now entirely contained within Arlington County.

My top priority in the next session of the General Assembly is to pass legislation that starts the process for enabling Virginians to vote on an amendment to Virginia's Constitution that would ensure bodily autonomy in making health care decisions, including the decision to access abortion care.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate?

I bring first-hand knowledge of how local government intersects with state government and a passion for the progressive values that Arlingtonians embrace. As a long-time Arlington resident (37 years) and elected official representing Arlington at the state and local level for a combined 25 years, I offer voters a deep understanding of the issues that matter most, the ability to work across the aisle in Richmond, and a record of accomplishments. My reputation as an effective lawmaker and someone who brings all the stakeholders to the table to craft common-sense solutions are characteristics that will serve my constituents and the Commonwealth very well. I currently Chair the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee, which focuses on child welfare and prison reform, and the Senate Women's Healthcare Caucus. I also serve as the Democratic Whip. With the unprecedented number of retirements from Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth, it is more important than ever to re-elect me as the "Senator from Arlington," which is my formal salutation on the Senate floor. It is also worth noting that because of my collaborative and practical approach to lawmaking, I have earned endorsements from organized LABOR, the VA Sierra Club, Emily's List, VA NOW, a candidate distinction from Moms Demand Action, and many other organizations.

What makes representing Arlington in the state Senate unique compared to senators who represent other parts of Virginia?

It is a privilege and honor to represent Arlington in the state Senate because my personal views and values align with those held by a majority of Arlingtonians. Fortunately, my constituents understand the governing process and the need to start with incremental progress. Constituencies that are unaware of the governing process sometimes expect lawmakers to solve systemic problems in one legislative session or even sooner. However, meaningful reforms always take a few sessions to pass. Lawmakers must be educated, and stakeholder groups must be engaged to ensure that a specific legislative action would work without any unintended consequences.

What are some of the concerns and ideas that you've heard from Arlingtonians that have resonated with you as you have campaigned that you will bring to Richmond if elected in November?

In my interactions with voters during this campaign, I have regularly heard concerns about Governor Youngkin's proposed abortion ban. I have assured voters that I will continue to ensure that abortion ban proposals do not pass the Senate. I will also do everything I can to get a constitutional amendment before the voters that guarantees bodily autonomy in making health care decisions. The next most common issue I have heard is the need to increase teacher pay and acknowledge the value of public schools to our democracy. I wholeheartedly agree with these points and will act accordingly as the senator from the 40th district. I have also heard concerns about the need for more gun safety laws. Again, I will continue my work to require the safe storage of firearms and to remove assault weapons from our streets. I am proud to say that I passed legislation signed into law by Governor Northam that removes firearms from those convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member. This work is an extension of my efforts as an Arlington County Board member when I created Project Peace, a coordinated community response to domestic violence.

In 2021, I was recognized by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance with a HOPE award. The write-up presented by the Alliance is noted below: I will continue to work on preventing domestic violence and supporting survivors.

"For the past decade, Sen. Favola has been a steadfast champion in the Senate for children, families, and survivors of violence. Serving as Chair of Virginia's Sexual & Domestic Violence Advisory Committee, she has cultivated a close relationship with the field, leading to her sponsoring numerous bills limiting abuser access to firearms, reforming systems responses, and establishing the first-ever sexual and domestic violence prevention fund in Virginia. She has also worked to amplify our issues on the national stage, urging our Congressional delegation to reauthorize VAWA and to pass the much-needed VOCA Fix Act while advocating for the inclusion of stop-gap ARPA funding to sexual and domestic violence."

Describe other issues that define your campaign platform for the Senate.

I authored the Commonwealth Clean Energy Plan to help ensure that Virginia becomes net carbon neutral by 2045. The Clean Energy Plan creates pathways for companies to transition to renewable energy sources and emphasizes the benefits of a carbon-neutral economy. I am also strongly committed to keeping Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

I have bolstered services for youth exiting our foster care system for several years. Young people at the age of 18 cannot care for themselves without a safety net. I mandated that Virginia participate in a Fostering Futures Program, which provides housing, job training, and educational opportunities to former foster youth until their 21st birthday. I will continue to work to provide services and funding to relatives and fictive kin who are caring for youth who would otherwise enter the foster care system.

My campaign has emphasized the funding for mental health (MH) services in public schools that I have shepherded through the Senate. I have also crafted legislation to strengthen access to co-located primary care and MH services. Moreover, I feel strongly that transgender youth need to be treated with dignity and respect. For example, MH services must be available to transgender youth at our schools whether they have "come out" publicly or not.

I will continue to work on reforming our juvenile justice system so young people who intersect with the system receive the services they need and opportunities to enter job-training programs. It is imperative that these youth find a pathway forward that leads to a brighter future.

What is the best advice that was ever shared with me?

The best advice I have been given is: It doesn't matter who gets credit for something. In fact, making others believe that an idea was their idea is a good recipe for success.

What else would you like readers to know?

I ask for your vote in this November 7th election.

RELATED: 2023 Candidate Profile: David Henshaw Running For Senate District 40