Walter Tejada Announces He Won't Seek Reelection to County Board

Arlington County Board Member and Vice Chair Walter Tejada has announced he will not seek another term. Tejada was elected to the County Board on March 11, 2003, in a Special Election. He was re-elected on Nov. 6, 2007. He served as Chairman to the Board in 2008 and 2013 and Vice-Chairman in 2007. He was re-elected in 2011 and completed his second term as Chairman of the Board on Dec. 31, 2013.

Born in El Salvador, Tejada moved to the United States at the age of 13. He studied Government and Communication at George Mason University and has worked as an investigator, a business consultant and as an aide to Congressman Jim Moran.

He was a big proponent of the Columbia Pike streetcar and released this statement when it was shelved.

He made his announcement Wednesday afternoon, on his Facebook page:

Amigos/Friends, I want to let you know that I have decided not to run for reelection to the Arlington County Board. I want to THANK ALL OF YOU as well, regardless if you live in Arlington or not, as your support has always been and will always be important to me. Please also know that I’ll continue involved in the causes I believe in, fighting for immigrant rights and others, and especially helping the community. Here is the statement I sent to the Chair of the Arlington Democratic Committee:

Kip Malinosky, Chair

Arlington County Democratic Committee

Dear Kip,

It has been and continues to be an enormous privilege to serve in elected office and I’m very proud that during my tenure, Arlington has been recognized time and again as one of the best run governments and one of the best communities in the country. After proudly serving the Arlington community for twelve years on the County Board, I have decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for another term.

Serving on the County Board has allowed me the opportunity to tackle a broad range of issues that have strengthened our community. It has also been a real privilege and honor to seek ways to empower low income, minority and immigrant residents in Arlington, the region, the state, and across the country, and to encourage their participation in our society. I remain committed to all of Arlington, in particular ensuring that the least privileged are heard, protecting our safety net, fighting for affordable housing, and providing a voice for many who frequently go voiceless. I have enjoyed upholding these core values, and will continue to do so in the future.

A more comprehensive statement will be forthcoming, but for now I wanted to let you know of my intentions. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the February ACDC monthly meeting, but look forward to addressing the committee in the future, perhaps at the March meeting.

At the moment I do not anticipate a need for a special election for my seat as I’m planning on fully serving my current term through December 2015.

I am, and always will be, grateful to the Arlington County Democratic Committee and to the Arlington community for their support. While on the County Board I’ve tried to serve as an unapologetic progressive, and will look forward in another capacity to always continuing to support those Democratic values. Please feel free to share this message as appropriate.

Sincerely,

J. Walter Tejada