Favola Draws Two Challengers

TWO THIRD-PARTY candidates have entered the race for Arlington County Board and are looking to unseat incumbent Board Member Barbara Favola (D).John Reeder and Tibo Van der Does, both of whom are running in their first campaigns, have announced that they will be challenging Favola, an 11-year incumbent, in this fall’s general election.

Reeder, a retiree, is running on the Green Party ticket. Van der Does, a teaching specialist with Arlington Public Schools, is aligned with the Independent Green Party.

“It’s my civic duty,” Van der Does said about running for public office. “It’s part of my fulfillment.”

The Independent Green Party is a Virginia-based offshoot of the Green Party. It was established in four years ago and seeks to create more public transportation options. It also seeks to increase the amount of people running for local office across the commonwealth.

“My platform is more trains, less traffic,” Van der Does said. “If you follow the development of the old west you’ll see that commerce developed around the railroads. Given our oil crisis, it’s more and more important. We need to limit our exposure to petroleum and figure out other ways to move about.”

Van der Does also said that he was in favor of installing a streetcar on Columbia Pike and said that Favola has done a “very good job. I can’t say anything negative about her at the moment.”

Reeder is opposed to the Columbia Pike streetcar, calling it “a waste,” and said that County spending is “excessive and clearly in the wrong direction.”

“It’s just gotten to be explosive growth and the County just can’t afford it,” he said. “The County isn’t doing a good job finishing projects that it commits to do… That goes along with the fact that you have one party ruling for so long. They’ve lost balance with the voters.”

Reeder is also advocating the creation of a local housing authority, which would have the power to purchase and own residential properties.

In 2006 and 2007, the Green Party nominated political activist Josh Reubner to run for County Board. Reubner has said that he will not run for local office this year but Reeder said that Ruebner would be involved in his campaign.

Favola said that she is eagerly anticipating facing her two opponents. “I’m always looking forward to the campaign,” she said. “I think it’s healthy to talk about the issues.”

The Arlington County Republican Party has yet to nominate a candidate to run for County Board but has until June 10 to do so. Favola does not have a primary challenger.