Bennett-Parker, Lineberry outline competing visions at Senate forum
Candidates address taxes, immigration and housing at League of Women Voters event as early voting gets underway
Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Republican Julie Robben Lineberry offered contrasting visions for Senate District 39 on Sunday during a virtual candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria.
The hour-long forum, held one day after early voting began, covered taxes, immigration, housing, unions, and energy policy. The Feb. 10 special election will fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Adam Ebbin, who is resigning to join Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
On taxes
Asked about proposed new taxes in the General Assembly, the candidates diverged sharply.
Lineberry said she would vote no on most proposals.
“You can’t make things more affordable by always increasing taxes, especially on taxes that come that are laid directly on the local people,” Lineberry said. “They’re not wealthy people, they’re working people.”
Bennett-Parker said she supports adjusting the tax rate on those earning more than $1 million a year, which she said would generate approximately $1.5 billion annually for the state.
“Currently, someone earning $17,001 a year pays the same tax rate as a billionaire, and that’s not fair,” Bennett-Parker said.
She also pushed back on Lineberry’s claim that Democrats had proposed 77 new taxes, noting that almost all of the proposed service taxes are contained in one bill that has been introduced for at least five years. “It has never even made it out of committee,” Bennett-Parker said.
On immigration
Bennett-Parker said she supports bills to ban 287(g) agreements with federal immigration authorities, restrict ICE enforcement in schools and hospitals, and protect children’s access to public education regardless of immigration status.
“Virginians deserve to live in communities where they know that masked, armed and unaccountable agents cannot simply murder or snatch them and their neighbors,” Bennett-Parker said.
Lineberry questioned the premise of the question.
“I’m just not exactly sure where — since we’re talking about the 39th district — what violence and what Minneapolis horrors have you seen happening in Virginia?” Lineberry said, referring to recent ICE enforcement actions. “The fear is by other adults that are telling them they should be afraid.”
Lineberry, who said she substitute teaches in Alexandria public schools, added: “Nobody is afraid.”
On redistricting
Asked about HJ4, the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade redistricting, the candidates again disagreed.
Bennett-Parker said she supports the amendment, calling it “a one-time exception that is ultimately up to the voters.”
“President Trump has demanded that Republican controlled states across the country take the unprecedented step of drawing new congressional maps to rig the midterm elections,” Bennett-Parker said. “This amendment was very narrowly crafted. It can only go into effect if another state has taken that action, which has happened.”
Lineberry said she opposes the amendment.
“I think actually at least for the people, the voters in the 39th district, they’ve had plenty of pop-up elections,” Lineberry said. “Every time that the election, the previous election doesn’t go the way they want... we now make the voters and the states spend money on new elections.”
On the National Popular Vote
Asked whether Virginia should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would award the state’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, the candidates disagreed.
“Yes, I do,” Bennett-Parker said. “The candidate who has won the most votes should win the presidency. And candidates should have to campaign everywhere and not just in swing states.”
Lineberry said she would not support joining the compact.
“Virginia has a very, very good voting system,” Lineberry said. “We don’t need to be joining keeping up with the Joneses by every new group that wants to organize.”
On coalitions
Asked whether Virginia should keep its right-to-work laws, Lineberry said yes.
“Virginia has always been a right-to-work state since I lived here and it’s been very productive,” Lineberry said.
Bennett-Parker said she supports repealing the law.
“The UN calls the right to collectively bargain a universal right,” Bennett-Parker said. “We can thank unions for things like eight-hour days, holidays, 40-hour work weeks and things like that.”
On the car tax
Both candidates expressed support for reducing the personal property tax on vehicles, though they differed on the details.
“I think it should be gotten rid of,” Lineberry said.
Bennett-Parker noted the House passed a bill Friday to begin repealing the tax but flagged concerns about the $4 billion it provides to localities.
“We do need to figure out how we are adjusting for that because otherwise localities will not be able to pay teachers and police officers and have to raise real estate taxes essentially to make up for that revenue,” Bennett-Parker said.
On the Tysons Corner casino
Asked about SB756, which would put a referendum on a new casino on the ballot for Fairfax County voters, Lineberry expressed skepticism.
“I don’t really think we need another casino here in the Commonwealth at the moment,” Lineberry said.
Bennett-Parker noted that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors opposes the casino in its legislative package and said she is interested in other economic development approaches, citing the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s proposals to invest in sectors like AI, quantum computing and biotech.
On utility bills
Asked about the best path to keeping utility bills down, Bennett-Parker cited several bills she is supporting to promote energy efficiency and expand solar energy. She also voiced support for Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which she said provided $250 million in its first two years to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing.
Lineberry questioned whether that money had actually helped residents.
“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Lineberry said. “The low-income people just like the middle-class people like the upper-class people like everybody have seen increasing electric bills.”
She suggested sending direct payments to low-income residents instead.
On mental health in schools
Asked whether they would support legislation guaranteeing students access to a school-based licensed mental health professional, both candidates expressed general support.
“I absolutely support making sure that all of our students have access to mental health supports that are appropriate to what they need,” Bennett-Parker said.
Lineberry said she would support such a measure “depending on what it was caused and how much red tape and how many more agencies you’d have to create.”
On housing
Asked about affordable housing for older residents, Bennett-Parker cited her legislative record.
“I’ve long been a champion for making housing more affordable, both on city council and now in the legislature,” she said, noting bills to preserve existing affordable housing and prevent evictions.
Lineberry criticized new residential development in the district.
“None of it is affordable. None of it is inexpensive,” Lineberry said of senior housing being built in the area. “And that is a very big problem because the developers are in there to make a profit.”
On snow removal
Asked whether snow removal should be privatized following last week’s storm, Bennett-Parker acknowledged “there are probably some lessons that can be learned” but praised workers who “are working around the clock.”
Lineberry pivoted to criticism of parking and zoning policies.
“You can’t clear streets when you allow, when there’s so much on-street parking,” Lineberry said. She claimed Bennett-Parker is sponsoring a bill that would reduce parking requirements for new housing. Bennett-Parker’s campaign said she has not introduced or co-patroned any such legislation.
Closing statements
In her closing statement, Lineberry thanked the League of Women Voters for hosting.
“I would like to thank the league for even putting this thing on,” she said. “Other than that, you know, the voting population out there would not have any opportunity to hear both sides.”
Bennett-Parker also thanked the League and Lineberry for participating. She emphasized her legislative record.
“In two terms in the House of Delegates, despite our divided government during that time, I passed 21 bills into law,” she said. “I’m honored to have the endorsements of Senator Adam Ebbin, Governor Abigail Spanberger, Congressman Don Beyer, and many others.”
How to vote
Early voting runs through Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, 132 N. Royal St., Suite 100. Hours vary; Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration is Monday, Feb. 3. Same-day registration is available beginning Feb. 4 at the early voting location or on Election Day at assigned polling places; those who register same-day must cast a provisional ballot.
Senate District 39 includes all of Alexandria and portions of Arlington and Fairfax County. Voters can check which district they live in at whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov.
Election Day is Tuesday, Feb. 10. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
More information on the upcoming election can be found here.
The League of Women Voters also held a forum on Sunday for House District 5 candidates Kirk McPike and Mason Butler. The Alexandria Brief will have coverage of that forum following the event.
This story was updated at 9:40 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, to clarify that Bennett-Parker was responding to Lineberry’s claim about proposed taxes, not describing a bill she sponsored, and to note that Bennett-Parker’s campaign said she has not introduced or co-patroned legislation to reduce parking requirements for new housing.