Matt de Ferranti

Meet Matt
A Commitment to Service

Matt has over 20 years of experience working to help people build better lives for themselves and their children. He has used his skills as a lawyer in positions at Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, focusing on improving opportunities for low-income homeownership. He has served in the senior team at the Education Trust, helping close the achievement and opportunity gaps that leave far too many students without the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy. He has worked with Feeding America, the country’s network of food banks, seeking to end hunger in America. He now works for the National Indian Education Association, where he serves as Senior Legislative Counsel, seeking to improve educational opportunity and outcomes for Native American students.

Matt serves on Arlington County’s Housing Commission (since 2013) and the Arlington Public Schools Budget Advisory Council (since 2014). He is a member of the Joint Facilities Advisory Board, which brings Arlington County, Arlington Public Schools, and the community together to plan for our future. Matt is a 2015 Leadership Arlington Graduate, a 2016 graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and a 2017 graduate of Arlington Neighborhood College.

Matt’s first job, after getting his BA from Duke University, was as a teacher in Houston’s Fifth Ward, an extremely disadvantaged community that also happens to be the hometown of civil rights leader and Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. He went on to get a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law and a Master’s degree from LBJ School of Public Affairs. His experience practicing law has included serving as attorney for municipalities in Texas and for school districts in California.

Tireless Advocacy

Matt grew up in northern Virginia and has been living in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood since 2013. Like him, his parents have dedicated their careers to public service. Matt’s father worked in the international development field and his mother was a lawyer at the Department of Justice and also taught in D.C. public schools. From his family Matt picked up a strong commitment to community service, a keen understanding of the importance of improving economic opportunity, and a deep sense of responsibility for leaving things better than they were before.

Matt has served as a Precinct Captain, Area Chair, and, most recently, as Joint Campaign Co-Chair to elect Democrats from the School Board all the way to the Governor’s Mansion. He was Chief of Staff for a Texas State Representative, worked for former Secretary of State John Kerry’s campaign for President in the 2003 Iowa primary, and headed up one of the northern Virginia offices for Barack Obama’s Presidential election campaigns. He believes in the democratic values that the Democratic Party stands for and that are part of his DNA.

A Love for Arlington County

Matt loves Arlington – and loves living here. He is committed to the core services that make our County a great place to live: economic opportunity, fine schools, an excellent transportation system, housing affordability, a safe and inclusive community, a nationally recognized park system, and forward-thinking policies to address climate change.

Matt is running for County Board to keep Arlington a great place by investing in economic opportunity. As a lifelong advocate for the American Dream, he is dedicated to serving others and believes that Arlington must bring the values that make us such a great place to the new challenges we will face over the years to come.

Campaign Code of Ethics

Matt is committed to running a campaign that is worthy of all of the extraordinary people in Arlington County.