[Update, 4/27/24:]
"I am thrilled to have received the endorsement of the Arlington Greens," Roy said in a statement to supporters. "I have an extensive environmental background and a lifelong commitment to leaving this world a better place for our kids and grandkids. I am honored with this endorsement, especially during Earth Month!"
[Original coverage, 4/26/24:]
The Arlington Greens will throw their support behind Natalie Roy in the upcoming Democratic County Board primary, but will hold off on making a general-election endorsement until later in the year.
Greens chairman John Reeder cited Roy’s environmental background and strong support for advancing Arlington to a carbon-free community by 2050 as the basis for the endorsement. Roy has extensive experience in community affairs in Arlington and would be a good addition to the Arlington County Board, he added in an April 24 statement.
Greens also are generally on the same side of the Missing Middle housing upzoning fight as Roy, who has been a prominent critic of the government’s recent changes that essentially gutted single-family zoning in most of the county.
While endorsing Roy in the primary, Reeder told the GazetteLeader the party would wait until later to determine which candidate, if any, to support in November’s general election. And it remains possible Greens will field their own contender (the filing deadline is mid-June) for that race. Roy’s winning the primary would not guarantee her the support of the party in November, Reeder said.
In the race to succeed veteran County Board member Libby Garvey, who is retiring at the end of the year, Democrats will select their nominee in the June 18 primary. Republicans remain on the hunt for a candidate and independent Audrey Clement, who is making her 15th bid for local office, has qualified for the ballot.
Of the candidates on the June 18 Democratic primary ballot, two – Roy and J.D. Spain Sr. – also ran in last year’s County Board primary. While Roy would have won one of the two available seats had the primary been run under traditional winner-take-all rules, she fell to Maureen Coffey under the ranked-choice format that was used then and will be used in 2024.
Virginia does not register voters by political party, so any registered voter can cast a ballot in the Democratic County Board primary. On the same day, Virginia Republicans will select their U.S. Senate nominee in a primary. Arlington voters can take part in either primary, but not both.
