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Arlington Democrats dramatically split their votes in the County Board race Tuesday, demonstrating their typically strong support to top-of-the-ticket races for U.S. Senate and Congress, but turning away from their partys nominee for the most contested local office.

The countys voters, well known for their strong backing of Democrats, supported Sen. Mark Warner (D) with 71 percent of the 65,764 ballots cast, and congressman-elect Don Beyer (D) with 66 percent of the 63,147 ballots cast in that race.

Arlingtonians didnt then abandon the ballot 62,386 voted in the contest between Alan Howze (D) and John Vihstadt, a Republican running as an independent. But in that race, Howze took only 44 percent to Vihstadts 56 percent.

Howze won only 13 of the countys 53 precincts, mostly around Columbia Pike and the Metro corridors. He had lost a special election to Vihstadt in April when only 22,000 voters turned out, and Democrats hoped that he would surf to victory on the strength of the bigger electorate Tuesday, when a four-year term was at stake. Despite the 48 percent turnout, that did not happen.

Vihstadt, who based much of his campaign on opposition to the Columbia Pike streetcar which Howze supported, said his three-part message worked.

Arlington voters, Vihstadt said late Tuesday night, were yearning for a fresh perspective on a County Board many felt was an echo chamber and were concerned about spending priorities on a streetcar at a time when schools are overcrowded. He also credited the Washington Post endorsement which he said got the attention of a number of voters.

Jay Fisette (D), chairman of the Arlington County Board, said Wednesday that he and other board members have to take stock of what happened.

The voters sent a message, mostly about the Arlington-Fairfax streetcar, he said. I commit to fully digesting everything that happened yesterday and crafting a response.

Local Democratic chairman Kip Malinosky said Wednesday that some voters may have thought that Vihstadt was a Democrat, because his literature prominently featured endorsements from some Democrats, and he presented himself as a fusion candidate. Voters also expressed a desire for balance on a County Board that for 15 years (until the April election) was entirely made up of Democrats, Malinosky noted.

But Vihstadt, Malinosky said, ran a strong campaign and weve got a lot, a lot of work to do before the next county election a year from now.

Originally posted here:
Arlington Democrats split votes to keep Vihstadt in office