Democrat Sandy Marks has claimed victory in the special election for City Council Tuesday, and Alexandrians overwhelmingly voted yes on the redistricting constitutional amendment.
According to unofficial election results, Marks leads with 53.37% of votes over independent candidates Frank Fannon (29.41%) and Alison O’Connell (15.02%), 32 precincts reporting vote tallies. There have been 51,256 ballots cast out of 116,366 registered voters, representing 44% turnout.
Results are unofficial until certified by local and state electoral boards.
Marks, the former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, appeared at Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ (2000 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray for the election results.
“I am absolutely honored to be your next City Council member,” Marks said in remarks. “This may be our fifth election in four months, but you would never know it. From the energy and the turnout today, Alexandria, you showed up.”
Marks noted her addition to City Council will make history in the city.
“My election makes this the first ever in our 276-year history, female-led city government,” Marks said.
The new City Council member will serve a term expiring Dec. 31, 2027.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to work on policy that I’ve been advocating for for a long time and getting to represent all the people whose doors I’ve been knocking on for a decade here in the city,” Marks told ALXnow.
Del. Kirk McPike (D-5), who had resigned from the City Council seat to seek the House of Delegates seat, called Marks “an incredible asset to our city.”
“It’s important who sits next to Sarah Bagley, our vice mayor, and cast votes on housing, on transit and traffic policy, on our budget priorities here in the city,”McPike said at Democrats’ election night event in Del Ray. “It needs to be somebody who reflects our values, who cares about our schools, who lives here in the city, works every day alongside some of the hardest-working people in Alexandria to keep our city moving forward.”
O’Connell, a founding member of Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights, conceded in a statement.
“Our city government is important — that is why I ran for office, and why we engage with them around policy issues – but ultimately we shape the character of our city,” O’Connell said in a statement. “We are Alexandria, and we can make a choice to be a city that prioritizes human rights, affordability, and community care. I’m honored to be with people who see what our city can be and work every day to build that future.”
Fannon, a former Republican member of City Council from 2009 to 2012, held an election night watch party at Vola’s Dockside Grill (101 N. Union Street) in Old Town. ALXnow has reached out to Fannon for comment.
The redistricting amendment, which asked voters whether the General Assembly should redraw Virginia’s congressional districts for the 2026 midterm elections, has been approved. At 8:49 p.m., the Associated Press called the race in favor of the amendment.
In Alexandria, 78.89% voted in favor of redistricting with all 32 precincts reporting votes.
The redrawn maps proposed by Democrats in the General Assembly could give the party a 10-1 advantage in congressional races. Democrats have pursued the mid-decade redistricting in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states encouraged by President Donald Trump.
Democratic officials shared support for the redistricting election result.
“There are millions of people across America who know that Congress is going to be back in the hands of the American people, and we’re going to hold Donald Trump accountable,” McPike said. “And that is the case because of you, because people like you across Virginia came together and said that we’re willing to take a risk. We’re willing to vote to change our Constitution to level the playing field, and that is amazing.”
The amendment proposed returning to the normal once-a-decade redistricting process after the 2030 U.S. Census. Even if the amendment is approved, redistricting still faces a lawsuit led by the Republican National Committee.
