De Ferranti Re-Elected, Sutton Wins School Board Seat In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Incumbent Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti won re-election over his two challengers Tuesday, while Bethany Sutton won a seat on the Arlington School Board, according to preliminary results.

With 56 out of 57 precincts reporting as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, de Ferranti, a Democrat, received a total of 50,341 votes (60.55 percent), while independent Audrey Clement received 23,521 votes (28.29 percent). Another independent, Adam Theo, received 8,198 votes (9.86 percent).

"I’m honored, humbled and deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve," de Ferranti said in a statement about his election victory. "I love working for Arlington residents and will work my heart out over the next four years to be as good as they are — smart, thoughtful, compassionate, and forward-looking."

Clement said she expected to get more than 30 percent of the vote for the county board seat, "given the perceived widespread opposition to Missing Middle, especially in North Arlington."

Arlington County’s Missing Middle proposal was one of the top issues for many voters across the county. The county board is considering whether to amend the zoning code to allow for buildings with two to eight units on lots that are currently zoned only for single-family detached homes.

"However, 30 percent is far and away the best I've ever done in a three-way race," Clement said in an email to Patch.

Clement won four election precincts in Arlington on Tuesday, with her largest percentage of votes — 58.3 percent — coming in the Madison precinct in North Arlington. She also won the Thrifton (51.83 percent), Rock Spring (47.35 percent) and Yorktown (48.31 percent) precincts.

READ ALSO: Arlington's 'Missing Middle' Housing Debate Looms Large In Election

The voters in these precincts "stood fast in their opposition to Missing Middle and voted for me," she said.

For the Arlington School Board position currently held by Barbara Kanninen, who did not seek re-election, Sutton, who received the Democratic Party endorsement, received 54,226 votes (67.75 percent), while James Vell Rives IV received 24,240 votes (30.29 percent).

"I am excited that so many Arlingtonians came out to vote in the election this fall and grateful that the vision and values I hold for our schools are resonating across our community," Sutton said in a statement Wednesday. "I believe the election results are a great indicator that we can come together as a community in support of our schools."

Sutton said she hopes the "strong outpouring of support will ensure that we can work together on achieving equitable learning outcomes for students, supporting mental health and well-being for our community, and having policies & practices that help everyone feel a sense of belonging in our schools."

For the 8th congressional district, Rep. Don Beyer (D), in his re-election bid against Republican Karina Lipsman and independent Teddy Fikre, easily won another term in Congress.

In Arlington, Beyer received 67,615 votes (77.36 percent), followed by Lipsman with 18,123 votes (20.73 percent) and Fikre with 1,531 votes (1.75 percent).

The six bond questions on the ballot covered Metro and transportation, local parks and recreation, community infrastructure, Arlington Public Schools, stormwater, and utilities. Each of the bond questions received overwhelming support from Arlington voters.

REAL-TIME RESULTS FOR ARLINGTON COUNTY ELECTIONS

Results For Arlington County Only

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