2023 Candidate Profile: Barbara Favola For State Senate District 40

ARLINGTON, VA — Sen. Barbara Favola, who has served in the Virginia state Senate since 2012, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the new 40th District seat in the June 20 Democratic primary election.

Favola, who served for 14 years on the Arlington County Board prior to her election to the state Senate, is a whip in the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus and chairs the Virginia Senate’s Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee

Favola is running against James DeVita in the Democratic primary 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.

Early voting in Arlington County in the Democratic primary began Friday, May 5. Voting on primary election day will happen from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20.

Patch asked the two candidates for Senate District 40 for their answers to the same questions. Here are Favola's responses:

Name

Barbara Favola

Campaign website

https://barbarafavola.org

Age (as of Election Day)

67

Family

I am married to Douglas Karl Weik, a retired federal employee from the Environmental Protection Agency. We have one son, Donald Patrick Weik, a graduate of Arlington public schools and a mental health counselor serving youth in the Lancaster Public School system in Virginia’s Northern Neck. Donald is married to a first generation Thai woman, Suttinee Sangyut.

Education

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

Occupation

Policy analyst and advisor on maternal and child health care. I served in the federal department of Health and Human Services for 15 years prior to my elected service. My federal service started as a Presidential Management Intern, now referred to as a Presidential Fellow.

I also served on the Budget Committee for the U.S. House of Representatives. During my service on the Arlington County Board, I worked part-time at Marymount University.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I served on the Arlington County Board from 1997 to 2011 and chaired that body three times. In my capacity 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 and am currently serving as a state senator. When I was first elected, I represented portions of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun. The Virginia Supreme Court recently redrew the district lines and my Senate district is now completely contained within Arlington.

My top priority in the next session of the General Assembly is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

My top priority in the next session of the General Assembly is to pass legislation that would place an amendment to the Virginia constitution before the voters to 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 in-depth knowledge of Arlington County government, a strong commitment to public service and a passion for the progressive values that Arlington residents 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 have a diverse network of friends and community leaders in Arlington from whom I gather perspectives on “quality of life” issues. This grounding, coupled with extensive experience in crafting solutions makes me a very good choice to continue representing you in Richmond. I have earned a reputation as an effective lawmaker, a compassionate and fair leader, and an individual who has developed relationships across the aisle. In the senate, I chair the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee and the Woman’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 to the state Senate. It is also worth noting that because of my collaborative and effective approach to lawmaking, I have earned endorsements from organized LABOR groups, the VA Sierra Club, Emily’s List, VA NOW 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 the majority of Arlington residents. I am fortunate because my constituents understand the process of governing and the need to compromise. Constituencies that are less aware of the governing process expect lawmakers to solve problems in one swoop. However, meaningful legislation always takes a few sessions to pass because lawmakers must be educated and advocacy groups engaged to help spread the word about the “problem being addressed” and the value of the solution being proposed.

What are some of the concerns and requests that you've heard from Arlingtonians that have
resonated with you as you have campaigned in 2023?

I have been canvassing with my team for the past 8 weeks in the 22 precincts that are new to the re-drawn 40th district. For the most part, voters are content with their quality of life but maintaining access to safe and legal abortion care is top of mind for many voters. I also hear about the need to ban assault weapons and to strengthen gun safety laws. Several constituents have asked me to investigate the possibility of providing charging stations in their neighborhoods to support their electric cars.

Additionally, the topic of tree replacement and minimizing the building envelope on single family zoned lots comes up in conversations during my walks. I will continue to work on granting greater authority to localities regarding tree replacement requirements.

Describe other issues that define your campaign platform for Senate.

I want to continue my work in making healthcare more affordable and accessible and increasing access to mental health services. Fortunately, I have enjoyed bi-partisan support in these efforts and have passed bills to eliminate surprise medical bills, even if care is provided out-of-network, contain medical debt and extend maternal and child healthcare to low-income families.

I am a strong believer in public education and will fight to support our teachers, ensure that our complete history can be taught and push back on efforts to stigmatize transgender youth in schools. Schools must be a welcoming place for all children and a place where every child can grow, thrive and succeed.

I have received recognition for several years from the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club for my work to make public schools greener and healthier for our children. I succeeded in establishing a large grant program to enable school systems to upgrade their HVAC systems and roofs, using federal COVID related dollars. I also guided Virginia’s electric car legislation through the Senate. I want to continue to work on climate change policies.

Gun violence is a major public health threat. In fact, gun violence is the top killer of children under the age of 18. I have succeeded in passing legislation to remove firearms from those convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member but much more needs to be done. In this upcoming session, I will sponsor legislation to ban assault weapons, outlaw ghost guns and require safe storage of firearms.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Sharing credit will bring many friends and lay the groundwork for future successes.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Thank you for reading this biography. Please connect with me at my website: https://barbarafavola.org/ and follow me on social media. I ask for your vote in the June 20th primary.

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