Jeramy Olmack is one of five candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot running for the at-large seat on the Arlington County Board.
ARLINGTON, VA — Voter suppression is the single most pressing issue facing Arlington voters, according to Jeramy Olmack.
“I plan to start a cultural shift away from party politics, reground politics within reality, and empower people, not wealth or influence,” he said. “I’m not worried about being popular, I’m worried about doing what’s right, and I’ll drag my community along to a better life even when they don’t see the rainbow forming after the thunderstorm.”
Olmack is one of five candidates running in the Nov. 4 general election for the at-large seat on the Arlington County Board. He faces incumbent Takis Karantonis (D), Audrey Clement (I), Carlos De Castro Pretelt (I), and Bob Cambridge (R).
Early voting for the Nov. 4 election begins on Sept 19.
As part of its coverage of the 2025 election, Patch has asked each of the candidates in the Arlington County Board race to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they’re the best person to fill the job for which they’re running. The following are Olmack’s responses.
Your Name
Jeramy Olmack
Position Sought
Arlington County Board, At-Large
Age
27
Family: Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.
Scotty Olmack, 27, Husband | Rae Toombs, 45, Mother | Jeramy Toombs, 46, Father | Ryan Toombs, 25, Brother | Gray Toombs, 19, Sister
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you’re a candidate in.
My Husband is an Air Force Veteran and current DOD Employee. | My Father is a Retired Air Force Master Sergeant and current Government Contractor. |My Grandfather on my moms side retired out of the Army. | My Grandmother on my moms side separated from the Army. | My Grandfather on my dads side retired out of the ARMY. | My Grandmother on my dads side is a retired school bus-driver.
Education
Greenville Senior High School
Occupation
Change Maker, 6 Years
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office
N/A
Why are you seeking elective office?
I feel a call to duty because I see that our world is on fire, and how our elected leaders are more worried about pulling the party line than using their power to do anything about it. Our culture is dictated by an institutionalized authoritarian government supported by blind loyalty. I am dedicated to speaking up about the cultural, systematic, and institutional root causes over advocating for feel-good policy band-aids. I am standing up to be the leaders our community deserves.
The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
The most pressing issue is Voter Suppression. I plan to start a cultural shift away from party politics, reground politics within reality, and empower people, not wealth or influence. I’m not worried about being popular, I’m worried about doing what’s right, and I’ll drag my community along to a better life even when they don’t see the rainbow forming after the thunderstorm. I’m not crafting policy or an agenda to change our material conditions for tomorrow, but to start fighting for the material conditions of people 100, 500, 10,000 years from now. My goal is not peace or inclusiveness; my agenda is to make a cultural shift towards acceptance and a sustainable democracy.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Other candidates only seek to advance their policy positions while I am committed to advancing representative and progressive democracy. I won’t be bought by those with money. I am not going to sit on my hands and wait. I will take action and use the platform provided to me to affirm democratic ideals without ignoring oppressive reality.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?
Instead of regulating development in our community, the county board has allowed the market to exploit the community. Arlingtonians should be able to invest in their community instead of living, working, and eating at wall street/corporate owned enterprises. Our community should not be left up to the whims of out of touch c-suite executives.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
I am a governance and organizational structure activist and will be committed to resigning the Arlington County Government to be representative and responsive to all the needs of our community and world.
I am committed to making Arlington a people and environment focused community that is not “friendly’ to pedestrians and cyclists but built around pedestrians and cyclists.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
When it comes to public office, We should be building a society where anyone, no matter their background is qualified enough to serve. I don’t think there is a specific accomplishment ANYONE can cite as evidence they can handle this job. Not only does questions like this create unrealistic barriers to entry, it dismisses the entire life I and others have lived that has been shaped by people in these public offices. We don’t need public policy specialists or lawyers, or 20 years in business to serve in public office, WE NEED GOOD, REGULAR, AND CONSIDERATE PEOPLE TO STAND UP TO SERVE IN THIS JOB.
The best advice ever shared with me was:
“If you give up, THEY WIN.” This is the advice I have received from examining life. Every right we have is because of someone refused to give up and continuously persisted despite the struggles they faced.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
The narrative needs to shift to be that power rests not in offices, but in the people. There needs to be collective change away from corporations and the top 1% and instead, reinvest into our local businesses and small communities. Politicians should be loyal to and represent everyday people, not billionaires and corporations. I am reclaiming the narrative towards an inclusive, progressive future that addresses the root causes of systemic issues, rooted in lived experiences, instead of simply putting band-aids on bullet holes. There needs to be deliberate measures within policy, not just reactive outrage once a policy or event happens. Politics is a pendulum, and we are at the far right. It takes intentional organizing, coalition building, and policies beyond party boundaries to work to shift the pendulum towards the left. This requires a collective effort not to comply or compromise with the current Regime that is actively seeking to undermine American democratic processes. I am committed to being the leader you deserved.
Also See …
Early Voting For Nov. 4 Election In Arlington: What To Know
Missing Middle Voters’ Prime Concern: Board Candidate Audrey Clement
1st District House Of Delegates Primary Results: Incumbent Patrick Hope Wins
Arlington Co. Board Primary Results: Democrats Choose Takis Karantonis