Bike Friendly Arlington

Election Day is Saturday, May 12th, but early voting is going on now (every day!) and lasts till Tuesday, May 8th. See our post on early voting information.

Considering that only 10, 514 people or 5% of registered voters actually voted in last years election, it cannot be stressed enough that a few votes can have a drastic impact on an Arlington election.

And the stakes are high again this year considering that the main opposition to bicycle infrastructure, Buddy Saunders, has come out in support of several candidates that could unseat incumbents that voted for the plan, but also fill vacancies that would allow for anti-bike infrastructure voices to influence future infrastructure decisions.

About the Candidates

While we are not going to tell you who to vote for or endorse specific candidates, we will provide a summary of what they have said in response to our short questionnaire about bicycle transportation, and in the absence of a response to our questionnaire, sourced quotes, and past voting records.

Address specific (only those in the district can vote)

• District 1 (formerly Mel Leblanc)
• District 2 (Sheri Capehart incumbent)

At-large (everyone votes)

• District 6 (incumbent Robert Shephard)
• District 7 (incumbent Jimmy Bennet)
• District 8 (formerly Gene Patrick)

The City’s secretary has campaign finance information here. You can learn about all the candidates through the Chamber of Commerce’s website: VoteforArlington.com. The League of Women Voters has a good candidate handout (PDF).

And here are some news articles that can inform you on the positions of various candidates and what they’ve said to the press:

Star Telegram

• District 1
• District 2 (updated 05/08/12)
• District 5
• District 6
• District 8 (updated 05/08/12)

The Shorthorn

• Article

GO VOTE – Polling Locations

_____________________________________________________

************************************************************