Karantonis Wins Re-Election to Arlington County Board
Incumbent earns 65% of first-choice votes in ranked choice race.
This piece has been lightly revised to reflect the final results after all ballots were counted.
Arlington, VA — Takis Karantonis won re-election to the Arlington County Board on Tuesday, earning nearly 65% of first-choice votes. The race featured five candidates. Independent Audrey Clement finished second with 15%, followed by Republican Bob Cambridge at 12%. Independents Carlos "DC" De Castro Pretelt and Jeramy Olmack each earned less than 5% of votes cast.
Because Karantonis earned a majority of first-choice votes outright, no additional rounds were needed to determine the winner in this ranked choice election. Under ranked choice voting, rounds continue until a candidate secures majority support and is declared the winner.
Tuesday's election marked the second time Arlington has used ranked choice voting in a County Board general election, following the victory by Julius "JD" Spain, Sr. in 2024. Arlington has also used ranked choice ballots in County Board primaries since 2023, when Arlington became the first locality in Virginia to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV).
To gauge community support for continued use of RCV, the County Board has commissioned post-election polling of Arlington voters, which will be conducted in the coming week. Results will be published in early 2026 as the Board considers whether to extend RCV to future County elections.
