Evan Bernick is withdrawing today from April’s special election for county commissioner in Arlington, Virginia, and endorsing libertarian Independent John Vihstadt. Vihstadt has been endorsed by the Arlington County Republicans and was endorsed last night by the Arlington County Young Republicans.
The Libertarian Party of Virginia and its northern Virginia affiliate, LPNOVA, have no plans to endorse Vihstadt. The Libertarian Party of Virginia is recruiting an unprecedented full slate of 2014 candidates, led by Robert Sarvis for U.S. Senate, who will face either Karl Rove ally Ed Gillespie or tea party candidate Shak Hill, who are competing in an upcoming GOP primary.
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Update: Message from the Bernick campaign
Thank you for your support of the Bernick campaign. Below is a message from Evan. Please let Evan or me know if you have any questions.
-Laura Delhomme
A message from Evan Bernick:
I announced my run for Arlington County Board because I wanted to make freedom work for Arlington. I believe in giving people the opportunity to make their own decisions about how to pursue and achieve their dreams and strengthen their communities.
After careful consideration, however, I’ve decided to withdraw from the race and defer to someone with both the right vision for Arlington and the right experience to realize that vision.
I know that I haven’t been in Arlington very long. And one of the candidates for office not only shares my views concerning the need for responsible and responsive government, but has decades of experience in local government. That candidate is John Vihstadt, whom I am proud to endorse in this special election.
Arlington needs someone on the Board who is willing to challenge prevailing assumptions about how the government should spend our money, is prepared to cooperate with fellow Board members, and has first-hand knowledge of what the business of local government in Arlington consists in. I think that John Vihstadt will serve our community well.
Notwithstanding my endorsement of John, I wish the best of luck to all the candidates. I think that the participation of many voices in our political process makes our community strong. I’ll be following the debates closely, and I’m excited to see the results. I hope that the election brings out the best in us.
Sincerely,
Evan Bernick
The Insomniac Libertarian 