For most candidates, getting 5 percent of the vote would be a devastating loss. For Josh Ruebner, the Green Party’s candidate in the Arlington County Board race, getting 5 percent of the vote was a resounding victory. This victory has emboldened the Green Party to prepare to again challenge the stranglehold Democrats have had on elected offices in Arlington in recent years. Ruebner said members of the party are gathering this weekend to discuss strategies and possible candidates to compete in local and state elections next year.
Ruebner gotmore than 3,000 votes out of more than 72,000 cast. Arlington County Board chair and winner Chris Zimmerman received more than 43,000, and Republican Mike McMenamin got just more than 19,000.
“I’m very pleased by the effort that the Green Party made in its first-ever contested election in Arlington,” Ruebner said. “Before the election, we had a small core of about 10 members. We’ve grown as we’ve gotten more visibility.” Much of the visibility is due to Ruebner’s performance in debates. He said many people responded well to his message of providing more affordable housing and environmentally friendly transportation solutions, and calls to stop what he characterized as over-development in Arlington.
He also argued that the five-member board has been all-Democratic for too long. A member of a different party has not sat on the board since the early 1990s.
“I don’t think [a one-party board] is healthy for any democracy,” Ruebner said. “Regardless of what the party is, the situation leads to group think.”
“People who disagree with the county board’s direction don’t have any representation on the board and don’t have any effective ways to change policy,” he added.
Republican candidate Mike McMenamin said Ruebner’s presence brought a fresh perspective to the typical debates about taxes and spending.
