The Alexandria City Council incumbents held onto their seats in a hotly contested Democratic primary, and will be joined by three new faces to the Council if the results carry over into the November election.
Alexandria City Councilman John Taylor Chapman received the most votes in Tuesday night’s Democratic primary, winning 12.07% of the vote. Alyia Smith-Parker Gaskins won the second most, with 11.96% of the vote.
Results
- John Taylor Chapman
- Alyia Smith-Parker Gaskins
- Amy Jackson
- Canek Aguirre
- Sarah Bagley
- Kirk McPike
“I’m so grateful for the trust that people still have in me,” Chapman said. “We have an amazing campaign team. It was hardworking hours with our team, talking about the issues and how we solve problems in Alexandria. We took issues to the voter and talked about issues — and issues people were interested in talking about. We didn’t always agree with each and every person, but I feel that we showed our passion for the city and making sure the city moves forward.”
“I’m very excited to move forward and continue the work that we’re doing,” said Aguirre, an incumbent who came in fourth.
Bagley, who came in fifth, said volunteers helped make up the difference in campaign funding.
“We didn’t have the most money or machine, but we had a core of dedicated people and I knocked as many doors as I could,” Bagley said. “I had volunteers write 9,000 handwritten postcards.”
Kirk McPike, who made it into the sixth slot by a little over a little over 700 votes, said he was nervous as the results were coming in.
“Little bit of drama there for you,” McPike said, “We didn’t know if we were going to finish in the top six. We do have five months where we can talk as a democratic slate about the vision that we have for the City of Alexandria. We have a Democratic slate that is pretty united in how we want to move the city forward, and it aligns with city values and will result in more success in November.”
The Democratic slate will face off against Republican Darryl Nirenberg and Independent Florence King.
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story.
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ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
Family Fun Fall Fest
Mark your calendars and join us for the Family Fun Fall Fest on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 11am – 2pm!
This FREE in-person event will be held at the Shoppes at Foxchase, located at 4641 Duke St, Alexandria, VA
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
