Nobody expected he would do any differently, but the announcement yesterday by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer that he intends to seek re-election means that race is already over.
Oh, we’ll all play along — there are likely to be challengers both in the Democratic primary and in the general election — but let’s stick a fork in this one. It’s done.
Beyer sits atop the political food chain in Arlington and Alexandria; there are politicians galore in each community salivating over the prospect of getting his job when he decides to retire. But that day doesn’t seem near at hand, so the pipeline for elected Democrats to move upward is a little stopped up, to say the least.
Politically we may not be simpatico, but I am something of a Beyer fan, as I was a fan of Jim Moran before him. And given all the other things on our community’s plate this year, maybe it’s a good thing that this race is over before it begins.
On the other hand, there are always other local races. The Arlington County Republican Committee meets this Thursday and the Arlington County Democratic Committee meets next Wednesday, so perhaps will get a first look at some 2022 candidacies then.
- Scott McCaffrey