Arlington's 2023 Democratic primary election: A guide to voting, candidates

Longtime Arlington sheriff Beth Arthur retired last year, creating an opening for the first time in a job that oversees the county jail and a staff of 160 sworn deputies. Under Arthur’s tenure, seven men died in the jail over a period of seven years.

That record has been raised repeatedly as her successor and acting sheriff faces two other candidates in the Democratic primary. There are no other candidates in the general election so far.

James Herring is a corporal at the Arlington Police Department who has emphasized his on-the-street law enforcement experience as a police officer in D.C.'s Anacostia neighborhood and his outsider perspective, saying he is the only candidate who did not build his career in a system that needs to change.

He highlighted recent deaths in the Arlington jail and said the sheriff’s office has suffered from a lack of discipline. He also claims that the acting sheriff was effectively “handed the job” because of the timing of Arthur’s retirement.

Herring has lived in Arlington since he was a child, attended local public schools and lives in South Arlington with his wife.

Jose Quiroz, who took over as the county’s acting sheriff in January, is seeking a full term. He has emphasized his relationships with other county leaders, his staff and local nonprofits that partner with the jail and says he wants to increase the office’s diversity and bring “community-based solutions” to improve safety in the facility.

He highlighted his work to help inmates struggling with substance abuse withdrawal, create a new public information officer role, implement de-escalation and implicit bias training and implementing drug screening for people committed to the jail. He also said all personal mail for inmates now goes through a third party to block contraband.

Quiroz grew up in Arlington, attended local schools and lives in the county with his wife and two children.

Wanda Younger, the former director of pretrial services in the Arlington sheriff’s office, has emphasized her three decades of work there, including time as deputy sheriff and leader of the training section. She says she would bring a track record of community involvement, compassion for detainees and a passion for staff development and highlighted that the Arlington jail has experienced recent incidents involving drug smuggling.

An Arlington resident for three decades, Younger lives in the Douglas Park neighborhood with her husband.

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