Arlington Board Chair Libby Garvey Opts Against Re-Election Bid

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said Tuesday that she will not be seeking re-election to a fourth term on the county board in 2024.

Garvey, a Democrat, was first elected to the County Board in 2012, after serving on the Arlington School Board for 15 years.

At a county board meeting on Tuesday, Garvey said she plans to spend the final 11 months of her tenure on the board working on the Arlington 2050 Initiative, a year-long effort to engage residents and other county stakeholders on their visions for the next 25 years.

Garvey also said she will focus on making the county more energy resilient before she retires at the end of December.

Three candidates — local Realtor Natalie Roy, Arlington Ridge Civic Association board member Julie Farnam, and attorney James DeVita — have announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for Garvey’s county board seat.

"I express my sincere gratitude to Libby Garvey for her 28 years of dedicated service to Arlington County," Roy said in a statement Tuesday after Garvey announced her retirement. "Arlington has benefited from Libby’s long years of service on the Arlington County Board and School Board."

Farnam also thanked Garvey for her nearly three decades of service to Arlington.

"From the many years she served our students on the School Board, to steadfastly navigating the challenges of the pandemic while a member of the County Board, the manner in which Ms. Garvey handled problems as they arose and found practical solutions with ease is inspiring," Farnam said. "The people of Arlington are grateful to have had Ms. Garvey’s leadership for so many years."

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