Republican Bob Cambridge is one of five candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot running for the at-large seat on the Arlington County Board.
ARLINGTON, VA — Bob Cambridge was unaware of Arlington County’s debt burden until he began looking into it as part of his campaign.
“It is scary and possibly out of control,” he said. “Arlington County’s finance shave a major impact on affordability, the success or failure of Arlington’s school system, and the continuation of a current arrangement which results in a very favorable place to live.”
Cambridge 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), Jeramy Olmack (I), and Carlos De Castro Pretelt (I). Early voting began on Friday and runs through Nov. 1.
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 Cambridge’s responses.
Your Name
Bob Cambridge
Position sought:
Member, Arlington County Board
Age (as of Election Day)
80
Family: Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.
Wife, Mary, not quite as old as I am.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any
relatives who work in the government you’re a candidate in.
No
Education
B.S.T.M., M.S.T.M., Juris Doctor
Occupation
Attorney since 1979, did legitimate work too.
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office
None
Why are you seeking elective office?
Opportunity to meet nice folks, to learn by listening, and to make my concerns better known. I was not aware of Arlington County’s debt burden until looking into it for my campaign. It is scary and possibly out of control. Please email bcesq@verizon.net for more detail.
The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do
about it.
I was not aware of Arlington County’s debt burden until looking into it for my
campaign. It is scary and possibly out of control. Arlington County’s finances
have a major impact on affordability, the success or failure of Arlington’s school
system, and the continuation of a current arrangement which results in a very
favorable place to live. Please email bcesq@verizon.net for more detail. If you
can prove me wrong, I would be very grateful. Like any major problem, we need to
address it one bite at a time. That is not what is being done and that is my
concern. What I intend to do about it is make the issue known and encourage
others to pass on the information. That is more important to me than winning this
election.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this
post?
I do have lots of experience, much gained by making mistakes which I hope not to
make again. Better that such mistakes only impact my life, not the lives of all
Arlington citizens. I appreciate the importance of different perspectives,
particularly when problems need to be solved. I have learned that I learn much
more by listening than by talking. I have learned to appreciate and learn from
those with whom I disagree. I do not always end still in disagreement.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the
community (or district or constituency)?
One party has had a controlling position (4 to 1 or 5 to 0) since 1978. Not
necessarily totally bad, but there has been what I perceive as a tendency to
engage in debt financing in a manner that no household could safely maintain.
The symptom is a debt load that is refinanced with more debt, not a sustainable
policy. I see several factors in the situation that force continuance on a path with
poor long term consequences. For example, Moody’s rewards municipalities with
an AAA rating if debt service (principal and interest due on bonds already sold)
can be kept below 10%, not of revenue needed to pay that debt service, but
expenditures! So if you spend more, you can stay below the 10% level. One way
to do that is to spend more! Arlington has done so, particularly in recent years.
That cannot go in indefinitely. Arlington citizens have paid more in real estate
taxes, either directly in taxes or indirectly as additions to rent demanded, each and
every year for the last forty-two with the exception of two years where the tax
amounts due stayed the same as the prior year. Those taxes have never gone
down in the last 42 years. I know because I have been paying my share of them.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
While LGBTQ+ students should not be bullied, their interests must be balanced with the interests of all other students, not asserted while ignoring the interests of others. That has led to much effort criticizing each other’s positions, effort better utilized in finding a resolution acceptable to all.
We very much need to have middle grounds developed and discussed. Both sides
are currently on the barricades and that will not result in resolutions that lay the
issues to rest.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this
job?
I was a Captain in the Army and had management experience in several units. I
taught information science topics at the Central Intelligence Agency where I
learned the importance of making a major effort to see problems from several
perspectives. If I could present an idea from two perspectives, I got feedback that
demonstrated that many of the participants understood the point. If I could
present an idea from three perspectives, I never failed to get understanding from
any participant.
I was in Japan for three years, 1970 to 1973. The Japanese had implemented
management techniques advocated by an American professor named W. Edwards
Deming. Deming emphasized getting input from employees who had hands on
experience with the source of the problem. Who knows better what needs to be
improved on the assembly line than someone working every day on that assembly
line? Constant search for improvement was also an issue. The Japanese ended
up producing cars that were, in the early 1970’s, clearly better than American cars,
and also less expensive. Thank goodness American manufacturers adopted
Deming’s techniques too.
I am an attorney and have served as General Counsel for local government
contractors. I have had some experience with the burden to a business of
government regulation. I have also served as a defense counsel for individuals
charged with criminal matters and individuals defending against mental health
commitment petitions. I understand what such individuals face and, often, why
they are where they are.
The best advice ever shared with me was:
From my father: do what you enjoy and take pride in a job well done.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?