WASHINGTON — Arlington Democrats will decide on June 12 which of two blue contenders is going to fight to reclaim a seat on the County Board taken four years ago by Republican-turned-independent John Vihstadt.
Chanda Choun and Matt de Ferranti both present formidable opponents for Vihstadt, given the area’s Democratic proclivities.
Arlington County Democratic Committee chairman Jill Caiazzo told Inside Nova that each candidate brings “fresh perspectives and new ideas.”
“Each has the proven energy and experience to move Arlington forward,” she said.
Both men are first-time candidates.
Chanda Choun
Choun describes himself as a “refugee immigrant” originally from the Cambodia-Thailand border in Southeast Asia. He arrived in America, his family settled in Connecticut, before the age of 2.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17.
In 2015, he moved to Arlington, working for the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Cybersecurity in nearby Rosslyn.
His 2018 platform focuses on jobs, affordable housing, transit, schools, safety and community service.
Matt de Ferranti
De Ferranti is a McLean, Virginia, native and has spent much of his professional career as an advocate for operations like Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, which focus on low-income homeownership.
He currently works as legislative director for the National Indian Education Association, an organization that centers on opportunities for Native American students.
De Ferranti moved to Arlington in 2013. There, he serves on the county’s Housing Commission and Arlington Public Schools Budget Advisory Council.
His 2018 platform focuses on transportation, education, housing, public safety, parks and sustainability for Arlington.
