The Virginia headquarters for the presidential campaign office for Elizabeth Warren sits at 450 W. Broad Street in Falls Church.
Tysons Reporter reached out to Warren’s campaign and connected with Rylie Cooper, an organizer from the office, to hear her opinions on the campaign’s progress and base in Falls Church.
Below are Cooper’s answers to questions from Tysons Reporter.
Tysons Reporter: How many people are engaged with the Falls Church campaign office overall?
Cooper: We’ve had literally hundreds of volunteers come through our Falls Church office. On any given weekend, we launch canvasses with more than 30 people scheduled for each shift. One of my favorite events to launch out of this office was our Foreign Policy Professionals for Warren Canvass!
We had nearly 40 foreign policy professionals from all over the D.C. area ranging from professors and their students to foreign service members who organize themselves into a group and come together on a Sunday afternoon to knock on doors and talk to Virginia voters about Elizabeth and her plans to bring big, structural change to the Commonwealth.
TR: How have outreach efforts been going in the area?
Cooper: The enthusiasm on the ground for Elizabeth Warren and her message for big, structural change has been very well received both here in Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth. This area was especially really active following the 2016 election.
The people here are incredibly excited about the opportunity to elect a woman who represents their values. There was a significant organic and grassroots movement for Elizabeth Warren in place even before any of our staff even hit the ground. This is the same group who helped elect the most diverse state legislature in Virginia in 2017 and take it back for Democrats in 2019 and now they’re activating their networks for Elizabeth.
TR: What are the borders of the outreach area?
Cooper: Our campaign is organizing everywhere. In addition to the Falls Church office, we have an office that focuses on Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach area and we have grassroots hubs in Central Virginia.
TR: What have been some successes?
Cooper: I think our biggest success has been training our volunteers and empowering them with the tools they need to do this work on their own time, in their own communities and in the way that feels most impactful to them. We have nearly 1,000 people who have raised their hands to volunteer in over 100 cities, towns and counties across the commonwealth — including in every single congressional district.
We’ve knocked on nearly 75,000 doors and made over 43,000 calls since Jan. 1. We’ve had over 150 volunteer phone banks and canvass and over 700 one-on-one conversations with people wanting to get involved with the campaign. People are also really happy to be connected with other Elizabeth Warren supporters in their communities.
TR: Are there full-time staffers at this office? Are they paid? Volunteers?
Cooper: We have several full-time staffers — all the staffers are paid. We also have several volunteers who come in to help around the office when they can. We’ve trained more than 100 volunteers. They come to our office when it makes sense, but they also organize out of their own garages and homes and with their neighbors.
TR: How are the outreach efforts different in the NoVA area compared to other places in the country?
Cooper: Our campaign has been organizing in traditionally red and blue areas of states who will be voting in the next few weeks. Here in Virginia, we are reaching as many communities as we can across the state and that is how we are organizing across the country too.
TR: As a team leader what are your responsibilities?
Cooper: My responsibilities range from training and managing our organizers to preaching Elizabeth’s message to every single person I meet to working with our leadership team to make sure we have a happy and productive work environment to making sure our volunteers have a great experience every single time they volunteer.
TR: Has Warren visited the HQ or does she plan to make a stop anytime soon in the area?
Cooper: She was in Arlington last Thursday for a town hall! It was so amazing to see people come from all over the D.C. area ready to get involved for that last final push leading up to Super Tuesday!
I just wish everyone could see her in a town hall like we did. It’s reassuring to know that a lot of the people who were able to witness the magic of an Elizabeth Warren Town Hall are now signed up to help us talk to Virginians all over the commonwealth and share that energy of the Arlington town hall with voters at the doors and on the phones.
The interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.
Photo courtesy Rylie Cooper
Editor’s Note: Tysons Reporter does not endorse any specific candidate for the upcoming 2020 election.
With the upcoming November presidential elections, several candidates have campaign offices and events in Tysons’ backyard.
Tysons Reporter found local groups, campaign offices and activities supporting three Democratic presidential candidates.
Elizabeth Warren
The headquarters for Elizabeth Warren’s Virginia campaign located in the heart of Falls Church at 450 W. Broad Street.
The campaign is looking for volunteers to canvas later this week on Saturday (Jan. 25) and Sunday (Jan. 26), as well as on Feb. 1 and 2. Each day there will be two timeslots from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 12 until 3 p.m. Sign-up is available online.
Also this Saturday and Sunday, there will be a phone bank at a Starbucks in Vienna (362 E. Maple Ave) from 1 to 3 p.m.
For those wanting to canvas for Warren in Vienna, there will be a group meeting at Starbucks (362 E Maple Ave) this Saturday from 10 to 1 p.m. and 12 to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 3 p.m.
Andrew Yang
Every Monday, the MATH Mondays Organizing Night brings people together in support of Andrew Yang’s campaign. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Urbanspace (2001 International Drive) and lasts until 9 p.m.
Attendees can get involved with the campaign at various levels, depending on interest.
“This includes texting, making calls and writing letters to Iowa voters as well as orientations on how you can recruit your friends and help the NoVA Leadership Team with local events and activities,” according to the event page.
Anyone considering volunteering is advised by the event page to bring their phone and laptop.
Bernie Sanders
Although there isn’t a central office in the area, staffers and supporters of Bernie Sanders are hosting events in the area.
On Sunday (Jan. 26), the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Bernie group will be canvasing at the Lunar New Year Celebration in Tysons Corner Center from 11:50 a.m. until 4 p.m., according to Bernie Sanders’ campaign website.
The Bernie Sanders campaign is also hosting an event around 7 p.m. in Pimmit Hills (2021 Griffith Road) to organize individuals who want to spread knowledge of the campaign to friends and family.
Attendees will walk away with the skills to rally others, according to the event listing.
Nearby, President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg have campaign offices in Arlington.
Photo via Element5 Digital on Unsplash
“Super Tuesday” is in March — but Fairfax County is reminding voters about absentee voting and seeking election officers now.
Absentee voting for the 2020 presidential primary starts later this week on Friday, Jan. 17.
The deadline to register to vote in the March 3 primary is Feb. 10. People can check their voter eligibility on the Virginia State Board of Elections website.
Last week, the county announced that it needs 2,100 election officers for the primary.
The Office of Elections especially is looking for bilingual officers who speak Korean or Vietnamese for the Falls Church area, along with Annadel and Centreville, according to the county.
Election officers help set up voting equipment, check photo IDs and tabulate poll results. Compensation starts at $175 or people can choose to volunteer their time.
The Falls Church City Council re-elected Mayor David Tarter and Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly.
Both were re-elected unanimously at last night’s meeting.
“Falls Church is a great community that we all love but our city is not standing still,” Tarter said, adding that the new high school and infrastructure changes will improve the city. “I am optimistic for the future.”
Tarter was first elected to the Falls Church City Council in July 2012 and has been been the city’s mayor since 2014, according to his city bio.
Connelly was first elected to the council in 2014 and has been the vice mayor since 2016, according to her city bio.
Tarter said that Connelly’s “collaborative approach to solving problems brings out the best in everyone.”
Images via City of Falls Church
Two Vienna Town councilmembers plan to run for the mayor’s seat in the spring election.
Councilmembers Linda Colbert and Howard Springsteen announced their campaigns at the council meeting last night.
Colbert has been on the council since 2014 and has previously served on the Transportation Safety Commission and Hunter Mill Transportation Advisory Council, according to her town bio.
“I care about the future of Vienna, and I am going to run for mayor,” Colbert said. “I am looking forward to meeting and listening to as many residents as possible.”
Springsteen was first elected to the Town Council in 2009 and has served on the Transportation Safety Commission for eight years, according to his town bio. He currently works for Fairfax County.
Springsteen said last night that he is running to maintain the “small town feel” of Vienna.
“I have a reputation for getting things done and focusing on residents’ concerns and issues,” he said. “I think Vienna should be determined by tax paying residents and not non-tax paying developers.”
Colbert’s term expires in June this year, while Springsteen’s expires in June 2021.
Current Mayor Laurie DiRocco announced in December that she will not seek re-election. She was first elected to the Town Council in 2009 and has been the mayor since 2014.
The Vienna election is May 5. Voters will elect three councilmembers and the mayor this year.
Images via Town of Vienna
(Updated 12/28/19) Come Jan. 1, the Fairfax County School Board will have a lot of new faces.
The 12-member board will see eight newcomers in 2020.
Half of the school board’s incumbents decided not to seek reelection, including: Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, Jane Strauss, Pat Hynes, Sandy Evans and Dalia Palchik. The two Republican incumbents — Elizabeth Schultz and Thomas Wilson — lost their reelection bids.
At-Large Member Karen Keys-Gamarra won reelection, along with:
- Braddock District Representative Megan McLaughlin
- Lee District Representative Tamara Derenak Kaufax
- Mount Vernon District Representative Karen Corbett Sanders
Here is information on the new incoming members, who took their oaths of office on Thursday (Dec. 12) at Jackson Middle School.
At-Large Members Abrar Omeish and Rachna Sizemore Heizer
Omeish and Heizer, along with incumbent Karen Keys-Gamarra, beat three opponents for the At-Large seats.
Heizer has worked as a college professor, disability justice advocate and lawyer, according to her campaign website. Omeish is the co-founder of Give, a youth-led nonprofit and led the county-wide campaign for an anti-bullying campaign, according to her campaign website.
Hunter Mill District: Melanie Meren
Meren, a former U.S. Department of Education employee, beat her opponent, Laura Ramirez Drain. Meren is a parent and small business owner who has lived in Fairfax County for more than 15 years, according to Reston Now.
Dranesville District: Elaine Tholen
Tholen beat three opponents. A resident of Fairfax County for 25 years, Tholen most recently served as the director and treasurer for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, according to her campaign website.
Mason District: Ricardy Anderson
Anderson beat opponent Tom Pafford. She has been a community volunteer, a veteran of the National Guard Army Reserve and lived in Annandale for more than 10 years, according to her campaign website.
Providence District: Karl Frisch
Frisch beat opponent Andrea Bayer in the election. Frisch has served as the executive director of consumer watchdog Allied Progress, was a small business owner and worked as a staffer for the Committee on Rules in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to his campaign website.
Springfield District: Laura Jane Cohen
Cohen beat two opponents, including Republican incumbent Elizabeth Schultz. Cohen has been a resident in the county for nearly 20 years and is a former preschool teacher, according to her campaign website.
Sully District: Stella Pekarsky
Pekarsky beat Republican incumbent Tom Wilson. She was previously an FCPS ESOL teacher, small business co-owner and trustee on the Fairfax County Board.
Come 2020, the school board seats will all be filled by Democrats.
“Corbett Sanders will remain chair of the School Board and Derenak Kaufax will remain as vice-chair,” according to FCPS. “School Board officers are elected at the first meeting in July of each year.”
The board also includes a non-voting student representative who is selected by the Student Advisory Council.
Photo via Facebook
Little City Incumbents Celebrate Reelection — “All four incumbents won handily in Tuesday’s City of Falls Church City Council and School Board elections and their success was touted as a ‘vote of confidence.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Tysons Building Off The Market — Rubenstein Partners and Griffith Properties “completed the sale of Centerstone at Tysons, a six-story office building located at 1550 Westbranch Drive… The sale follows the announcement earlier in 2019 that Centerstone at Tysons was brought to full occupancy through a single 150,000-square-foot lease at the property.” [Cision]
French Cuisine Coming to Mosaic Soon — “Parc de Ville, a French bistro set to feature classic cuisine for brunch, lunch and dinner… is set to open for dinner service on Monday, Nov. 18.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Women-Owned Businesses Booming in Falls Church — “Across the Washington metropolitan area, the highest rates of business ownership for are in Falls Church City, and Prince George’s County, as 12 percent of establishments. In Falls Church City, 12 percent of workers work at business establishments owned by women.” [DC Policy Center]
Vienna IT Firm Working With Defense Department — “Vienna IT consulting firm Rightstar Inc. secured a spot on a $820.45 million blanket purchase agreement (BPA) Friday [Nov. 1] to supply the Department of Defense with commercial-off-the-shelf software.” [Washington Business Journal]
Former Falls Church City Attorney Dies — “Paul Terrence ‘Terry’ O’Grady, age 81, formerly of Falls Church, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Soaking Up The Sun in Vienna — “Vienna’s zip code is the top place for solar energy system installations in Northern Virginia, according to numbers from the Solarize NOVA program.” [Patch]
The three incumbents for the Falls Church City Council — David Tarter, Phil Duncan and Letty Hardi — won reelection yesterday.
The city announced the official results today, saying that 45% of the 9,910 active, registered voters in the city voted in the election.
“The last ‘off-year election’ (with no federal or gubernatorial races on the ballot) was Nov. 3, 2015, where 42.1% of active voters participated,” the press release said.
Here are the results for the City Council race:
- Letty C. Hardi: 31.1%
- David Tarter: 30.3%
- Philip Duncan: 25.2%
- Stuart Whitaker: 12.5%
The councilmembers will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers (300 Park Avenue). The City Council will then vote on the mayor and vice mayor on Monday, Jan. 6.
For the city’s school board, Philip Reitinger was re-elected and will be joined by newcomers Susan Dimock and Laura Downs.
Here are the results for the school board race:
- Laura Downs: 31.5%
- Susan Dimock: 30%
- Philip Reitinger: 24.1%
- Douglass Stevens: 13.7%
Democrat Parisa Dehghani-Tafti was newly elected as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.
Come January, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to see four new faces — and all of them are Democrats.
Democrat Dalia Palchik defeated her Republican opponent for the Providence District seat, which represents Tysons and Merrifield.
In addition to Palchik, new faces on the 10-member board will include Democrats James Walkinshaw for the Braddock District, Walter Alcorn for the Hunter Mill District and Rodney Lusk for the Lee District, according to unofficial election results.
Voters reelected Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, along with Penny Gross (Mason District), Daniel Storck (Mount Vernon), Kathy Smith (Sully) and Pat Herrity (Springfield).
With Republican John Cook, who represents the Braddock District, retiring, Herrity will be the only Republican on the board.
Current Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay won the board’s chair.
Absentee votes now counted and Pat Herrity (R) has hung on in Springfield District in Fairfax County- the last Republican standing on a new Board of Supervisors that will be 9-1 Democratic. School Board will now be 12-0 Democratic.
— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) November 6, 2019
In a celebratory newsletter thanking her supporters, Palchik wrote, “I am proud to be the first Latina to hold this position.”
Palchik, who currently who is the Providence District member on the Fairfax County School Board, ran on a platform focused on education funding and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In an interview with Tysons Reporter, Palchik said that she wants to tackle affordable housing — “the number one challenge… in the Tysons area” — and finding solutions to the last mile challenge.
“Big Win” for Democrats
Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34) called yesterday’s election a “big win” for Democrats in Virginia. For the first time since 1993, Democrats took control of both the State Senate and the House of Delegates.
Murphy told attendees at a Democratic watch party last night to think about the “misery we felt” when former Rep. Barbara Comstock won the 10th congressional district.
“We never wanted to feel that way again,” Murphy. “So what did we do? We went out and we won.”
Virginia Democrats win majorities in both the state House and Senate, giving them control of the legislature and the governorship for the first time in 26 years. Follow our full U.S. election coverage. https://t.co/z2PXWC7DHk
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 6, 2019
Voters Approve Funding for Public School Renovations
Fairfax County voters also OK’d a $360 million school bond referendum that includes $2 million in planning funds for a new “Silver Line elementary school,” along with:
- $19.5 million in construction funds for adding an addition to Madison High School in Vienna
- $49.6 million in construction funds for renovating Cooper Middle School in McLean
- $1.7 million in planning funds for renovating Louise Archer Elementary School in Vienna
Fairfax County uses bonds to pay for renovating and building new schools.
Kalina Newman contributed to this story.
(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) School Board member Dalia Palchik defeated Republican Eric Anthony Jones to win the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Meanwhile, John Foust was reelected to the Dranesville District seat, defeating his Republican opponent Ed Martin. Foust was first elected to the county board in 2007.
Palchik received roughly 70 percent of the vote, while Foust received about 64 percent of the vote — voting figures cited are unofficial.
Palchik celebrated her win at the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge in Fairfax with Karl Frisch, who won the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County School Board, and Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, who won reelection.
Palchik will replace Linda Smyth, who announced last December that she wouldn’t run for reelection this year.
“I’m overjoyed. It’s been a long year,” Palchik told Tysons Reporter. “We’ve come out with a stronger community and a stronger county.”
Meanwhile, at the watch party at the McLean Community Center for Foust and other Democratic candidates, attendees appeared stressed around 8 p.m. when an “error” message appeared on the Virginia Department of Election’s webpage with the live results.
We are aware of the problem with the results on our website and are working to fix it. #VirginiaElection #VirginiaVotes
— VA Dept of Elections (@vaELECT) November 6, 2019
“People who care about our future are being elected to office,” Foust told Tysons Reporter. “I think the type of leadership we need to move forward in Fairfax County is in place.”
Current Lee District Supervisor Jeffrey McKay won the Board of Supervisors’ chair with roughly 65 percent of the vote, beating Republican Joe Galdo.
Democrat Steve Descano won the race for the Commonwealth’s Attorney position in Fairfax. Descano ousted current Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh in the June primary.
Democrat Elaine Tholen won the Dranesville District Seat on the Fairfax County School Board.
More from social media:
I’m here tonight at the @johnfoustva watch party – numbers still have to come in, but Fairfax Dems are feeling confident about the races. @TysonsReporter pic.twitter.com/8BdRNSVqaJ
— Kalina Newman (@KalinaNewman) November 6, 2019
UPDATE 2: @johnfoustva takes off Ed Martin, layers down to reveal his own campaign shirt underneath. Crowd goes wild. @TysonsReporter #VirginiaElection pic.twitter.com/YBY1K3L8Cp
— Kalina Newman (@KalinaNewman) November 6, 2019
Virginia Democrats win majorities in both the state House and Senate, giving them control of the legislature and the governorship for the first time in 26 years. Follow our full U.S. election coverage. https://t.co/z2PXWC7DHk
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 6, 2019
Catherine Douglas Moran, Ashley Hopko and Kalina Newman contributed to this story.
