Arlington candidates sound off on preliminary election results

ARLINGTON — Incumbents prevailed in most Arlington general election races, according to initial results released Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The Arlington City Council appears to have retained all but one of its members in the general election. Results show that Linda Byrnes, who had collected 1,248 votes (59.17 percent), leads incumbent Graham Smith, who garnered 854 votes (40.49 percent).

Byrnes, a former Arlington School District superintendent, said her door-belling paid off in the race for the Council's at-large position.

"I really felt like I got a chance to talk to a lot of folks," Byrnes said. "It was very educational. You don't really know a community until you literally walk through most of it."

Smith could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Council's other race appears to have been won by incumbent Scott Solla. Solla (1,407 votes, 69.9 percent) leads Brock Hecla (598 votes, 29.71 percent) in the Council's Position No. 3.

Solla was unavailable for comment as of Wednesday morning.

Hecla said he learned a lot during his campaign, and did not rule out running for office again in the future.

"I appreciated all the folks who voted for me and believed in me," Hecla said. "I heard some of the concerns out there and I'll try to stay involved. You might see me down the road in another election."

Incumbents Steve Baker and Chris Raezer are running unopposed. Preliminary results show Baker has received 1,814 votes (98.16 percent) for Council Position No. 1. Raezer has collected 1,705 votes for 98.1 percent as of Nov. 3.

Ursula Ghirardo, the lone candidate running for the Arlington School Board's Director of District No. 3, has received 3,359 votes (98.02 percent).

In District No. 5, Bob McClure has 2,337 votes, or 58.07 percent, and leads Jim O'Day (1,591 votes, 41.3 percent).

Results will be updated at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.