Former Alexandria Democratic Committee Chair Sandy Marks has won the Democratic firehouse primary for an open seat on City Council tonight (Saturday), beating four opponents to face independent candidate and former Republican councilman Frank Fannon in the special election.
Marks won with 1,573 votes (39.6%), against 947 votes for Tim Laderach (23.8%), 876 votes for Roberto Gomez (22%), 467 votes for Charles Sumpter (11.7%) and 112 votes for Cesar Madison Tapia (2.8%) out of the 3,975 ballots cast. From the time polls opened at 8:30 a.m. to closing at 7 p.m., the five candidates spent time at both polling locations: Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street) and the Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 W. Reed Avenue).
A total of 1,206 votes were cast at Armstrong and another 1,578 votes were cast at Beatley Central Library. Another 1,191 voters — nearly a third of the primary’s turnout — cast ballots online.
Marks, who chaired ADC for four years until last December, said that she and her team knocked on 2,000 doors during the short contest, which started when former City Councilman R. Kirk McPike was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates’ 5th District.
“I’m really lucky that I have a great team of patient, knowledgable people to help guide me through and hold my hand,” Marks said. “Over the years, I have given a lot of advice to candidates, and I thought I would be different. I thought I wouldn’t need it, but I do.”
This was the third firehouse primary in Alexandria since mid-January. McPike was elected on Feb. 10, after winning a six-day firehouse primary conducted by ADC on Jan. 20. McPike won the seat held by former Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who was also elected in a special election to State Senate to fill the 39th District seat vacated by former State Sen. Adam Ebbin.
A Del Ray resident, Marks has a bachelor’s degree in political science and biological anthropology from Florida State University. She has spent more than 20 years as a communications consultant and writer, according to her LinkedIn page.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, who endorsed Gomez, spoke today with voters outside Beatley Central Library.
“My first message has been thanking people for voting,” Gaskins said. “Secondly, I’ve let people know the candidate that I support, Roberto Gomez, and the reasons why, from his small business experience and expertise to his engagement in the community with our youth, to also just his work ethic and where I think and see his ability to help us get things done.”
Gomez waited for the poll results to come in with his team at O’Shaughnessy’s Sports Bar and Pub (1324 King Street). He and his team knocked on 1,500 doors and had been working on the campaign nonstop since he announced it to ALXnow at the end of January, he said.
“The one thing I’ve consistently heard around the city is that people feel left out,” Gomez said. “They feel like their voices aren’t heard. I’m interested in changing that.”
Laderach, who watched the results at Piece Out Del Ray (2419 Mount Vernon Avenue), said he and his team knocked on more than 2,000 doors.
“I feel a lot more confident in having learned how to connect with voters and how to communicate my policies and my vision,” Laderach said. “I’ve been speaking with people, listening deeply and then translating what I feel, what I believe, to something that resonates with them. That’s really how I’ve grown throughout this process.”
Today marked the second firehouse primary race in two months for Sumpter, who had unsuccessfully pursued the Democratic nomination for State Senate.
“I’m not going anywhere, and there are other ways I can serve,” said Sumpter, who is currently under consideration to be a board member of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. “I enjoyed this process [in the second election] a lot more. We got an extra week-and-a-half on the first one, which makes a lot of difference.”
Madison Tapia said the election was an eye-opening experience.
“It was special seeing my name on the ballot,” Madison Tapia said. “I wouldn’t have imagined seeing something like that five years ago. It was a special moment. Now that I have my name out, win or lose, I’m going to consider this a win, because I got to learn so much about the city. And for next time — I’m not saying I’m running yet, but for next time, I feel like I’m gonna be more prepared.”
After three firehouse primaries within two months, ADC Chair Jon DeNunzio said he was tired.
“It’s been an interesting experience, and it’s nice to see so many people voting and caring about democracy,” DeNunzio said.
Marks now faces independent candidate and former Republican City Council member Frank Fannon in the upcoming special election. The election date has not been announced, but City Council recently requested it to be Tuesday, April 21.
