Tag: Brian Pinkston

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News

Mack attack

Former governor Terry McAuliffe won big in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Former governor Terry McAuliffe secured the Democratic party’s 2021 gubernatorial nomination in a landslide victory on Tuesday. McAuliffe won 62 percent of primary votes, finishing 40 points ahead of his closest challenger. The longtime Dem politico will run against Republican Glenn Youngkin in the fall for a chance to reclaim the office he held from 2014 to 2018.

Locally, McAuliffe won 60 percent of votes in Albemarle County, where Jennifer Carroll Foy finished a distant second, coming in at 23 percent. In the City of Charlottesville, McAuliffe finished at 42 percent, with Carroll Foy at 33 percent and Jennifer McClellan at 21 percent.

McAuliffe’s win in Charlottesville reflects just how far ahead of the pack he ran. In recent Democratic primaries, Charlottesville has chosen progressive challengers rather than well-known centrists. Local favorite Tom Perriello hammered Ralph Northam in the city in the 2017 gubernatorial primary, winning 80-20. In the 2020 presidential primary, Bernie Sanders won the city, and Joe Biden earned just 32 percent of the vote, 10 points behind McAuliffe’s 2021 tally. 

McAuliffe’s camp will feel good about his chances in the general election. Republicans haven’t won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009. 

Further down the ballot, Delegate Hala Ayala, who has represented Prince William County in the House of Delegates since 2018, won a six-way lieutenant governor race by a comfortable margin. If she wins in November, Ayala will be the first woman of color elected to a statewide office in Virginia. (The Republican lieutenant governor nominee would also tick that box—former House of Delegates member Winsome Sears is a Black woman.) Ayala has served as the House whip for the last two years, helping to shepherd some of the Democrats’ most important bills through the legislature.

Delegate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke beat Ayala in both Charlottesville and Albemarle, but finished a distant second statewide, earning 24 percent of the vote to Ayala’s 38 percent. Rasoul fashioned himself as a progressive voice and out-fundraised Ayala by a large margin, but Ayala’s strong performance in her home area of northern Virginia, coupled with influential endorsements from people like Northam and House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, helped push her across the finish line. 

McAuliffe wasn’t the only moderate Dem to beat a younger challenger. In the attorney general primary, Mark Herring, who’s running for his third term in office, beat Delegate Jay Jones 57-43. 

Statewide, turnout in the primary was about 10 percent lower than the last Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2017, when Dems were energized in an unprecedented way by the election of Donald Trump the year before. This time around, 485,000 votes were cast, compared to 542,000 four years ago.

Closer to home

Charlottesville held a pair of local primaries on Tuesday. UVA planner Brian Pinkston and school board member Juandiego Wade won the party’s nominations for two open City Council seats in November. The odd man out was entrepreneur Carl Brown, who finished with 1,797 votes to Pinkston’s 3,601 and Wade’s 4,910. Pinkston and Wade will compete with independents Yas Washington and sitting Mayor Nikuyah Walker for two council seats in the fall. 

When we spoke to both candidates ahead of the election, Wade said he hopes to work on issues like criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and public education if elected. Pinkston says his top priority will be to “inject a level of collegiality into the council.” Read our extended interviews with the candidates here.

Just like at the state level, Charlottesville’s incumbent top cop beat back a progressive challenger. Public defender Ray Szwabowski hoped to unseat Joe Platania, arguing that Platania’s office had handed out overly stringent punishments for a variety of infractions. Platania touted his work with the Virginia Progressive Prosecutors for Justice and his handling of the post-Unite the Right rally trial of James Alex Fields as reasons he should be reelected. Platania won 59-41. Read more about that race here. 

Locally, the roughly 6,000 votes cast in Charlottesville in this year’s primary represents a significant drop from 2017, when more than 8,400 voters participated. Trump’s election, coupled with the presence of former 5th District representative Perriello on the ballot, may have been responsible for the historically high 2017 turnout. There was no primary in 2013, but in 2009, just 3,000 city residents participated in the primary. 

General elections will be held on Tuesday, November 2.

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News

Hot seats

From left to right: Carl Brown, Brian Pinkston, Juandiego Wade. Photo: File photos

By Geremia di Maro

Charlottesville’s government faces a wide array of big issues: A housing crisis. Ongoing criminal justice system inequities. A bureaucracy that’s had difficulty getting on the same page. 

This summer, three candidates are competing in the Democratic primary in hopes of securing the party’s nominations to run for two contested seats on the Charlottesville City Council in the November general election. Juandiego Wade is a member of the Charlottesville School Board and chair of the Board of Directors for United Way of Greater Charlottesville; Carl Brown is a lifelong city native with a background in youth mentorship, consulting, and nonprofit work, and Brian Pinkston is a UVA project manager with a Ph.D. in philosophy.

In the fall, the two winners will run against independents Mayor Nikuyah Walker and entrepreneur Yasmine Washington.  

Juandiego Wade

How would you address Charlottesville’s housing crisis and the rising cost of living in the city? 

My position on affordable housing is that you have to take a multi-pronged approach. You have to continue to support nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity and AHIP [Albemarle Home Improvement Program], which are out there building homes or fixing up homes to allow people to stay. 

One of the things that I would do is to get the localities to collaborate more. Charlottesville is doing most of the pulling, and we can’t do it alone. Additionally, the University of Virginia needs to have a role in this, and I think that they have, with the announcement that they’re going to be building some affordable housing I think over the next 10 years or so. 

What is the role of UVA in ensuring affordable living conditions in the city? 

Transportation is vital. I did transportation planning for [Albemarle] County for 20 years. Housing is so expensive here that many of the lower-wage workers have to commute in. But all that causes congestion on the roads. You need to provide more alternative transportation, whether it’s free bikes, preferential parking if you carpool, incentives if someone walks to work. And you also need to work with VDOT, the county, and the city. 

What changes would you make to the city’s criminal justice system and system of law enforcement? 

I am for accountability, not for micromanagement. I think that there is definitely a need to bridge the gap between the police department and particularly for communities of color that I believe was widened after the Unite the Right rally. 

The police can do more things like community policing, and getting to know the residents outside of emergencies. And I think that the community realizes this is a very difficult job that police officers have. One of the things that I would do if I’m elected is just to have some real, honest conversations and say, “It’s okay to disagree.”

What role do you think the city’s Police Civilian Review Board should play in ensuring accountability for law enforcement?

I think that we need to have the Civilian Review Board. I think that they need to have the power to review complaints, and that they need to have a diverse and wide range of representatives on that committee. I just don’t want the CRB to be telling the officer or the police chief, “We need to do A, B, and C.”

If elected to council, what would be your top priority upon assuming office? 

Criminal justice reform, affordable housing, continuous support, public education, economic development, and climate justice are what I would focus on if I’m elected. We, as councilpersons, would have to be rowing in the same direction, and I think it is vital to get to know them.

What are your thoughts on the function of City Council in recent years?

I understand that people are very passionate about whatever issues that they’re talking about, and I don’t want to quell that in any form or fashion. All that I ask of everyone is that we respect everyone’s opinion. I think that that will go a long way. I think that we all love and care for the city and want what’s best for it, and with that foundation, we can move forward.

Carl Brown

How would you address Charlottesville’s housing crisis and the rising cost of living in the city? 

I’ve been working in the [city’s] public housing, and I think, more than anything, we need to be able to provide them with resources and support within their community. Hubs where youth are able to excel in the classroom, or have that opportunity within their community. Zoning is going to play a major part, but I think that’s another conversation.

What is the role of UVA in ensuring affordable living conditions in the city? 

I see UVA as a major player in this. I think creating incentives for our public schools and things of that nature to connect with UVA—those kinds of things haven’t been done before. I currently have UVA students from Charlottesville that I support and work with, and so I know that there are different things that can be done in this community. 

What changes would you make to the city’s criminal justice system and system of law enforcement? 

[I hope to have] programming in the jails that’s going to be more catered to less incarceration, which is what we’ve been working on by providing more technical and vocational training and by being more supportive. 

De-escalation training has been something that’s been major. So when I see the budget breakdown, that’s what I’m really looking for. And if you don’t have that, that’s something that should be incorporated. I am totally for looking at [the police budget] and reallocating money to those areas in need.

What role do you think the city’s Police Civilian Review Board should play in ensuring accountability for law enforcement misconduct?

I think it needs to be a little more representative and a little more balanced. I think they’re going in the right direction. There are a lot of people in this community who have been working in that entity for a long time. I think it’s a work in progress, but I think it’s going in the right direction.

What would be your top priority upon assuming office? 

The most important aspects from my standpoint are leadership, trust, respect, creativity, and excellence. I’m going to bring that to the table. This is not a situation where my aspirations are to be a politician. The direction the city needs to go in is one where we have stability, accountability, and transparency. Individuals from the community suggested that I do this for the good of the community. So I’m not doing it for me—this is much bigger than me.

What are your thoughts on the function of City Council in recent years?

My personality as a whole, I can be very straightforward. But my objective is to make City Council meetings boring when you come in, because we’re doing the work. You have to have that commitment. Coming from coaching sports teams, I understand what that brings. I’m not coming in to dominate, I’m coming in to be a part of it. 

Brian Pinkston

If elected to council, how would you address Charlottesville’s housing crisis and the rising cost of living in the city? 

It’s affordability up and down the scale. The super rich don’t have to worry about finding a place to live, but the rest of us do—even folks who make a good salary like myself. We’ve considered moving, for various reasons, but it’s a fraught proposition, particularly if you want to stay in the city. 

Then when you include the factor of equity, and the glaring inequities of the past like redlining, how the zoning that we have reflects specifically racist covenants, and then the lack of investment over decades—now we’re faced with a really significant crisis. Then you add to the fact that you’ve got a world-class institution here that’s going to continue to be this magnetic pole for folks from all over the world, and the university can pay people enough to live here, so it’s a very complicated problem. 

Now we’re getting into the [Comprehensive Plan] land-use map and zoning changes, and that’s where the rubber meets the road. We should start seeing these things like the land-use map and Comprehensive Plan as living documents as much as possible.

What changes would you make to the city’s criminal justice system and system of law enforcement? 

I’m for reforming the police, or transforming, or whatever verb we want to use…I think that the high level feedback that we got last summer, with the protests after Mr. George Floyd died, really needs to be taken on board. Particularly in a Southern city like this with a history of racism in general. 

I support the Police Civilian Review Board—I think it should have teeth—understanding that the General Assembly has [expanded its possible powers] due to laws that were recently changed. 

I want to err on the side of transparency. I want to err on the side of us being really clear about what’s in the police budget. I think that knowing what the police are tasked to do is very much within our rights as citizens. I would love to see some of the services that police are paid for put over to community services for Region Ten. 

And it’s important that we listen to actual persons of color that live in Tonsler precinct or live in some of these housing projects. I have a young Black man on my campaign helping me, and I asked him what he thinks, and he said, “Well, we need the police. We want police in certain places, and at certain times.” I think it’s important that we listen to the people actually affected, and not just do progressive wish fulfillment.

What would be your top priority upon
assuming office? 

The main thing I want to do is inject—people don’t like the word civility—but a level of collegiality into the council. I’m grateful to the current mayor for shining a strong light on our city’s past, and ways in which we thought we were so great but really weren’t. I think that she’s done an admirable job in that. I do think she’s struggled, for whatever reason, to create the positive change that she’s wanted, and I’m hopeful that the next council can do that. 

What are your thoughts on the function of City Council in recent years?

The City Council needs to function well. This turmoil we have on council spills over to social media, which has been really disruptive. It affects actual operations, because people may or may not want to work for a city that has that level of instability at the top. I want to [build] strong working relationships on council, so that people who work for the city know that we’re a credible body, that we’re going to make decisions to stick with them, that we care for them and care for their careers. 

On the money

In May, The New York Times asked each candidate for mayor of New York City to tell it, from memory, the median sales price for a home in Brooklyn. The guesses ranged widely, and some candidates wound up with egg on their face. Investment banker Ray McGuire said “It’s got to be somewhere in the $80,000 to $90,000 range.” Maya Wiley, a former aide to Mayor Bill de Blasio, said $1.8 million. The correct answer is $900,000.

With rising real estate prices an important topic in town, we put the same question to our council candidates. No googling allowed: What is the median home price in Charlottesville? 

Juandiego Wade: “I would say it’s about  $300,000 or $400,000. A couple of weeks ago there was only one house on the market under $250,000.”

Carl Brown: “Probably around $360,000.”

Brian Pinkston: “The median home price in Charlottesville is about $375,000. I know that because my home is worth about that much.”

The correct answer: In the first quarter of 2021, the median home sale price in the City of Charlottesville was $397,000, according to the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors. Congrats, all—that’s a much better showing than the New Yorkers.

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Opinion

The virtues of incivility: Looking closer at the City Council candidates

Despite the refrain from all quarters that the defining issue of this year’s City Council election is housing, this election is a referendum on the status quo.

In what feels like hundreds of candidate forums, the five candidates in the Democratic primary for City Council have spent more energy agreeing with one another than setting themselves apart from the field. Their answers to many of the questions posed to them by community groups and neighborhood associations have started to blend together, a nearly indistinguishable blur of progressive generalizations.

All five candidates agree that we have a housing problem. They’ve all voiced support for funding local schools and closing the achievement gap. They all agree that the Lee and Jackson statues are lightning rods for hate that don’t belong in downtown Charlottesville. They all agree that improvements should be made to public transit, even down to the details of establishing a regional transit authority, making stops more frequent and regular, and erecting more bus shelters. They’re all committed to the noble, if nebulous, idea of equity.

In our small blue city, the Democratic primary is the de facto election. There are no Republican candidates. As a state with open primaries, that means our Democratic candidates can coyly court Republican voters. So it’s worth examining the candidates’ messages more closely.

Lloyd Snook is running on a platform of a return to civility. Snook says he decided to run because of the “chaos and disorder” of City Council and what he sees as “decisions not being made intelligently.” He later clarified that he was not referring solely to “what goes on on Monday nights” at City Council meetings, but when asked at a Belmont-Carlton Neighborhood Association-hosted forum, he was unwilling to articulate specifically what sort of bureaucratic and departmental reforms he envisions pursuing to “get the government to work right again.”

There is a general belief, particularly among people who do not attend them, that City Council meetings are chaotic. While there have been several meetings I would certainly characterize that way, those have been traumatic exceptions.

Outside of the meetings in the immediate wake of a terrorist attack that killed a member of our community, the only time in the past two years that a recess has been called because business could not be conducted was due to armed members of a neo-Confederate group threatening other members of the audience. The idea that City Council cannot conduct its business because of ongoing disorder is a myth that could easily be put to bed by regularly attending what are, in fact, very mundane meetings.

This myth persists because it feels true. It has a kernel of truth, and believing it facilitates the larger narrative that we need to return to how things were before, before people who traditionally did not engage with politics started showing up, before advocating for racial and economic justice became mainstream talking points, before anyone started talking about making the wealthiest among us pay their fair share to make this city livable for all its residents.

Shrouding regressive politics in the language of order and gentility is not new. And in an off-year primary for a local election, much of the electorate is not engaged enough to listen beyond what feels true. It’s easy to say, as every candidate has said throughout this campaign season, that you support finding solutions for our affordable housing crisis. But listen carefully to the solutions on offer.

Sena Magill has campaigned on reforming the regulations on and incentivizing construction of accessory dwelling units. Michael Payne is pushing for fully funding resident-led public housing redevelopment and investing in new affordable units. Bob Fenwick has focused on what he views as the misuse of special use permits, and Brian Pinkston has committed to few specifics.

Snook, while in favor of making it easier to add accessory apartments, also said, “We don’t have room for 4,000 new units in Charlottesville.” Despite being corrected during that April 30 forum by Payne, who clarified that the housing study indicates a need for 4,000 “interventions,” rather than newly constructed units (a fundamental difference), he repeated the claim at a May 13 forum, stating “We’re not going to build our way out of this problem.”

Snook’s plan for affordable housing is regional, which is another statement that, on its surface, sounds reasonable enough. What he’s shared of that plan is the belief that affordable housing should be built on less valuable land, land in the county. His commitment to better regional transit, then, seems to be for the primary purpose of busing people his housing plan would displace into the county back to the city for their low-wage jobs.

At a May 24 student-led climate strike, Payne had this message for the youth organizers: “There will be people who push back, people who tell you you don’t know how politics really works, that you’re being uncivil. I’m telling you, don’t listen to them!”

We are a small city facing big problems. General platitudes that amount to ‘Make Charlottesville Great Again’ won’t solve our housing crisis or mitigate the coming climate disaster. It’s time to face the reality that Charlottesville hasn’t been great for many of its residents throughout its history and move forward, however uncomfortable that might be.

Conger is co-chair of the Charlottesville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which voted May 13 to endorse Michael Payne for City Council.

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News

Local races: Your primary guide

Primary day is June 11, and there’s more on the ballot than the 57th District race between Kathy Galvin and Sally Hudson.  If you live in the city, the three people who win the Democratic nomination will likely be the ones to fill the three empty seats on City Council in November because of the city’s overwhelming Dem majority—although Nikuyah Walker upended that tradition with a win as an independent in 2017.

Albemarle has two Dems facing off in the Rio District, where Norman Dill did not want a second term on the Board of Supervisors, as well as in the sheriff’s race. And there’s a lot going on in the 17th Senate District, most of which is in Spotsylvania with a sliver of eastern Albemarle. Two Dems are looking to challenge incumbent state Senator Bryce Reeves, as is a member of his own party.

City Council

Sena Magill

Age: 46

Hometown: Charlottesville

Education: Tandem; PVCC;
then UVA, B.A. in psychology

Day job: Mom and owner of Hatpindolly Vintage; previously at PACEM and Region Ten

Political experience: Volunteer for Leslie Cockburn; member Charlottesville Democratic
Party Committee of 100;
current Carver precinct co-chair

Biggest issue: Climate change and affordable housing. We
have a lot of work to do to reduce our carbon footprint.
We have to work on our public transit, city walk- and bikeability, density, and the efficiency of units, tying affordable housing and climate change together.

Special power: Problem solving, empathy, and understanding. And I can make a beautiful and tasty cake.

Lloyd Snook

Age: 66

Hometown: Born in Cranford, New Jersey. I moved here when I was 8.

Education: Venable; Walker; Lane High School; Stanford University, A.B. in economics; University of Michigan Law School, J.D.

Day job: Attorney, Snook
& Haughey, P.C.

Political experience: Chair of the Charlottesville Democratic Party, 2001-2004; on the
State Central Committee and the 5th District Democratic Committee, 2005-2013

Biggest issue: Getting city government working effectively again so that we can begin to address substantive issues like affordable housing.

Special power: Speed reading, and I stay up later at night than most normal people.

 

Michael Payne

Age: 26

Hometown: Charlottesville

Education: Hollymead and Baker Butler; Albemarle High School; William & Mary, B.A.
in government

Day job: Affordable housing advocate

Political experience: Common Good fellow; Tom Perriello’s 2010 congressional campaign; researcher, Tim Kaine’s 2012 Senate campaign; co-founded Indivisible Charlottesville; volunteer for multiple House
of Delegates campaigns in 2017; organizer with the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition

Biggest issue: Creating truly affordable housing, and preventing Charlottesville from becoming a small-town version of San Francisco.

Special power: Bringing people together through community organizing.

 

Bob Fenwick       

Age: 73

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Education: Georgetown University, B.S. in physics

Day job: Small business owner, general construction contractor

Political experience: One term on City Council 2013-2017; numerous city and community environmental, historical, planning, and budget committees

Biggest issue: Addressing the need for City Council to set representative, common-sense city policies that have achievable goals for all citizens.

Special power: Photographic memory…except for names.

       

 

Brian Pinkston

Age: 47

Hometown: Albany, Georgia

Education: Georgia Tech, B.S. in mechanical engineering; UVA, Ph.D. in philosophy

Day job: Project manager, facilities management, UVA

Political experience: Region Ten board member; active with Charlottesville Democratic Party; volunteered on Kellen Squire’s campaign in the 58th

Biggest focus: To build strong personal relationships among council members so that it can function well.

Special power: I guess this is a power I want to have? To be able to see in the dark.

Albemarle

Albemarle County

Board of Supervisors: Rivanna District

Bea LaPisto Kirtley

Age: 69

Hometown: Keswick

Education: B.A. in American studies; M.S. in school management and administration

Day job: Retired and a volunteer for local nonprofits—Piedmont CASA, Hospice of the Piedmont, and 100+ Women Who Care

Political experience: Mayor, council member, and planning commissioner in Bradbury, California; board of directors, South Coast Air Quality Management District; Metropolitan Transit Authority; California Contract Cities Association; San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments

Biggest issues: Transportation, education, affordable housing, and climate resilience.

Special power: Energy and focus.

 

Jerrod Smith

Age: 29

Hometown: Barboursville

Education: Albemarle High School; Bucknell University; UVA Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, MPA

Day job: Grants analyst, PRA Health Sciences

Political experience: Rivanna District Democratic co-chair; member of the Places 29 North Community Advisory Committee

Biggest issue: Those that stem from income inequality throughout the region.

Special power: Facilitating collaboration.

 

Sheriff

Chan Bryant

Age: 49

Hometown: Charlottesville, member of the Scottsville community for the past 11 years

Education: Piedmont Virginia Community College, associate’s in police science; James Madison University, bachelor’s in business administration

Day job: Chief deputy for the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office for the last four years

Political experience: None, but after knocking on hundreds of doors this spring, I’m learning a lot about it.

Biggest issue: Manpower shortage. We will be adding an extra circuit court judge and a Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court judge beginning July 1. Additional staffing was requested in the FY19/20 budget, but not all requested positions were approved. If elected, I will make needed staffing a top priority.

Special power: Time traveler— I would want to travel back in time to be able to tell my dad how much I love him since I did not get the chance to tell him before his sudden passing two years ago.

 

Patrick Estes

Age: 38

Hometown: Richmond

Education: University of Virginia

Day job: Regional director,
RMC Events

Political experience: First-time candidate

Biggest issue: To push the envelope of what it means to be elected in Albemarle beyond just core responsibilities, aiming to lead this office through community engagement, green-energy initiatives, growing partnerships with state and local officials, and more.

Special power: Incredible agility. From my time on the football field, to running security at the Super Bowl and events throughout Virginia, and raising three kids, I know what it means to be flexible and adaptable in every situation.

17th Senate District

Democratic primary

Amy Laufer

Age: 47

Hometown: Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin

Education: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, B.S. in geology; Columbia Teachers College, M.Ed. in secondary science education

Day job: Math and science teacher until my second child was born with medical issues

Political experience: Commission for Children and Families as an advocate for children with special needs; Charlottesville School Board for seven years, serving as both vice chair and chair; founder of Virginia’s List, a PAC with the goal of electing women to Virginia state office

Biggest issue: As a former teacher and school board member, I am extremely passionate about education, including universal preschool, increased vocational and technical training, and [including] broadband [as]  part of access to education.

Special power: Getting three kids out the door and to school on time!

 

Ben Hixon

Age: 36

Hometown: Monroe, Louisiana

Education: NYU; Hunter College; University of Washington

Day job: Computer scientist/engineer and community activist

Political experience: 2017 Democratic nominee for the 30th district of the House of Delegates; chair of the Culpeper County Democratic Party

Biggest issue: Strengthening education, including increasing teacher pay and affordability
of higher education and investing in trade schools and vocational training.

Special power: As an engineer, I seek to understand problems, develop solutions, and implement fixes that are practical and efficient. I don’t shy away from complexity, I focus on it.

Republican primary

Bryce Reeves

Age: 52

Hometown: Spotsylvania

Education: Texas A&M University; George Mason University

Day job: Owner and operator of Bryce Reeves State Farm Agency; former Army Ranger and police detective

Political experience: Senator, Virginia’s 17th Senate District; Spotsylvania County Republican Committee chair

Biggest issues: Protecting those with pre-existing conditions, and providing a variety of affordable health care options; protecting our most vulnerable: foster children and the unborn; supporting and ensuring the well-being of our veterans and law enforcement officers.

Special power: Would be to heal the sick.

 

Rich Breeden

Age: 50

Hometown: Waynesboro

Education: American Military University, BA and MA; Henley-Putnam University,
Ph.D. candidate, 

Day job: Small business owner

Political experience: Not a politician, and have never run for public office until now

Biggest issue: Changing the way Richmond does business and bringing people from all walks of life together to solve the challenges facing the district. Defend the Constitution; protect the unborn; fight for redistricting reform, term limits, and campaign finance reforms; work with others to improve our education system; and address the challenges associated with emerging technologies and automation that will affect our job market.

Special power: My unique background working with emerging technologies gives
me an understanding of how automation is impacting today’s manufacturing, services, and transportation jobs, and how
these same technologies will threaten individual liberties.

 

For a detailed look at the 57th District Democratic primary, see our feature story.

Categories
News

Council candidate Pinkston says he works well with others

Brian Pinkston, a project manager at UVA, is running for City Council.  COURTESY SUBJECT

A UVA facilities project manager jumped into the race for City Council February 6. Brian Pinkston said to dozens at The Haven, “I’m running for City Council because I want our city to recapture this vision of the common good.”

He was introduced by former vice-mayor Meredith Richards, who noted Pinkston’s ability as a project manager to handle a lot of moving parts and to work collaboratively and effectively with others.

“I believe in this City Council election, people are looking for solid, trustworthy, unifying, and principled leadership,” said Richards.

A Georgia native, Pinkston, 47, said his work as an engineer taught him “how to dive into complex problems.” And in his late 20s, as a parent of small children, he started work on a Ph.D. in philosophy at UVA. “I can’t recommend philosophy highly enough,” he said.

He noted that he grew up in the deep South, and, pointing toward the statue of General Robert E. Lee across the street, said, “I recognize the past is still with us.”

More so than the other three Democratic candidates in the race, Pinkston also stressed his faith, and the wisdom found in religion.

He noted that 25 percent of families here don’t earn enough to cover basic needs for survival. It’s “morally unacceptable to tolerate these high levels of poverty,” he said.

Pinkston joins activist Michael Payne, RegionTen board member Sena Magill, and attorney Lloyd Snook in seeking the Democratic nomination for three open seats on City Council. Incumbents Wes Bellamy, Kathy Galvin, and Mike Signer have not said whether they’ll seek reelection.

Among those at The Haven were Magill, former councilor Bob Fenwick, and UVA associate professor Jalane Schmidt, who formed a new political action committee, Progressives for Cville, that has backed Payne and was going to endorse Don Gathers, who had to withdraw from the race because of health concerns.

The deadline to file for the June 11 primary is March 28.