restaurant in Alexandria.
Photo by Bill Starrels
Allison Silberberg’s mayoral victory in Alexandria highlighted a banner election night for Jewish candidates in Northern Virginia.
The vice mayor, who upset four-term Mayor William Euille in June’s Democratic primary, won the general election last week with 63 percent of the vote, easily overcoming a write-in challenge from Euille supporters.
“I’m extremely grateful for the city’s support. It is a new day and a time for change, and that’s what voters said across the city. We have a shared sense of purpose that I will stand for going forward,” Silberberg told supporters at an election night victory party, the Alexandria Times reported.
In Arlington, Katie Cristol, a Democrat who promised to bring a young and progressive voice to the Arlington County Board, won a seat with 34 percent of the vote. Her ticket mate seeking the other open seat, Democrat Christian Dorsey, won with 36 percent of the total vote. They defeated Mike McMenamin, a Republican running as an Independent, and former Green Party candidate Audrey Clement, who also ran as an Independent.
Also in Arlington, Reid S. Goldstein cruised to victory in the only school board race, capturing 78 percent of the vote.
Fairfax County School Board candidate Dalia Palchik pulled off an upset win in her race to unseat Providence District incumbent Patty Reed. The Argentina native, who immigrated to Fairfax County when she was 6 years old and was educated in the county’s public school system, bested Reed, capturing 58 percent of the vote while Reed took 41 percent.
While the school board positions are nonpartisan under Virginia law, Palchik was endorsed by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), and several Democratic state representatives, including Dels. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church) and Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Springfield).
In a pre-election interview with the Washington Jewish Week, Palchik said her youth was an advantage.
“As millennials, we really are the collaborative generation, so I’m optimistic that we’ve got some hard work ahead, but that we can do it and we have to do it in a positive and much more hands-on proactive and collaborative manner,” she said.
In 2013, Stacey Kincaid became Fairfax County’s first female and first Jewish sheriff. On Nov. 3, the Democrat retained her position, winning over Republican challenger Bryan Wolfe with 58 percent of the vote.
In other Northern Virginia election results, radio talk show host Mark Levine, a former chief legislative counsel to former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), ran unopposed to represent the 45th District in Virginia’s House of Delegates, which includes portions of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County. A Democrat, he won with 92 percent of the vote.
In the race for the 43rd District House of Delegates seat, covering southeastern Fairfax County, Anna Urman, a Republican born in Belarus, lost to Mark D. Sickles, a Democrat serving his sixth term. The final vote count was 63 percent for Sickles versus 33 percent for Urman.
Across the Potomac River in Maryland, Jewish candidates were also on the ballot.
In Montgomery County, Sima Osdoby was unsuccessful in her bid to become mayor of the city of Rockville. She was defeated by incumbent Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton. Preliminary results showed that Newton received 65 percent of the vote.
Council member Beryl Feinberg retained her seat and will serve a second term. She was the highest vote-getter of the four winning candidates.
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Senior writer Suzanne Pollak contributed to this report.
