Arlington Election Results 2016: County Chair Libby Garvey Survives

Embattled Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey fended off a challenge from local businessman Erik Gutshall with all 53 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary Tuesday night.

With all votes cast, Garvey earned 8,343 votes, or 55.17 percent, to Gutshall's 6,779, or 44.83 percent.

Garvey is chair of the county board, and has held public office in the county for almost 20 years. Erik Gutshall is a small business owner from Lyon Park and an Arlington Planning Commission member who announced on New Year's Day that he would run against Garvey in today's primary.

Garvey has enjoyed plenty of power in Arlington as chair of the board, but she has come under fire from other Democrats for opposing the Columbia Pike streetcar project and endorsing an independent against a Democrat in a county board race.

In a statement conceding the election to Garvey, Gutshall praised her for a "hard-fought campaign" and added that she "loves this community."

"Campaigns are about a battle of ideas where we outline our visions for the future," Gutshall said. "Though we didn't always agree on how to achieve Arlington's full potential, I look forward to continuing to work with Libby to address our rising school enrollment, improve our transportation network, revitalize our commercial sector, and ensure our community preserves its diversity by allowing families of all incomes the ability to live here.

"Because we share these overarching goals, tonight I endorse Libby Garvey for County Board and look forward to voting for her in November," he continued. "Now that the primary is over, it's important that we come together as Democrats to ensure we keep Arlington blue, from the White House to the School House. I look forward to working to elect Democrats in the fall, and to continuing to serve the community I love so dearly on the Planning Commission."

The Arlington County Democratic Committee issued a statement congratulating Garvey on the win and thanking Gutshall for a "spirited, grassroots campaign."

"I am proud to go on to November to represent you as the Democratic nominee for County Board," Garvey said in the statement. "I have based my campaign, as I have my service, on my idea that Arlington is a great community, but we have the potential to be even better.  It means working together to support each other in friendship, knowing that together we can achieve so much."

Image via Wikimedia