Charniele Herring

Spanberger signs Alexandria legislators’ bills on guns, immigration, national popular vote

Published April 14, 2026 at 12:30PM | Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:43PM

(Left to right) Virginia House Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4th), State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39th) and Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) at the Alexandria Democratic Committee's Labor Day Picnic at The Garden Alexandria, 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Sept. 1, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Numerous pieces of legislation from Alexandria lawmakers are officially set to become law or are heading back to the General Assembly with amendments after action by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

Among the approximately 1,200 bills passed out of the 2026 session, legislation on guns, housing, the national popular vote, energy and immigration enforcement all came by way of state senators and delegates representing Alexandria. Most signed bills will take effect on July 1, 2026, unless otherwise specified.

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Va. education secretary, elected officials to make listening tour stop at ACHS

By James Cullum

Published April 7, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated April 9, 2026 at 11:54AM

Inside the new Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus, May 29, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Virginia Secretary of Education Jeffery O. Smith will stop at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (3775 W. Braddock Road) on Wednesday night (April 8) as part of a statewide listening tour organized by the Virginia Department of Education.

Smith will be joined by Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway, House of Delegates Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4), Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3), and Alexandria City School Board members. The event at 6 p.m. is a stop on the statewide Commonwealth Listening Tour: Speak Up for Virginia’s Future. Registration is available for families seeking to attend.

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Alexandria to host free expungement clinic Oct. 18

By James Cullum

Published September 29, 2025 at 1:45PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Looking to clear your criminal record? Some of Alexandria’s top legal minds will meet next month for a free expungement clinic in the city’s West End.

The clinic will be held at Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Avenue) on Oct. 18 (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with volunteer pro bono attorneys, as well as Del Charniele Herring (D-4), Sheriff Sean Casey, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter, Circuit Court Clerk Greg Parks, and Public Defender Megan Thomas.

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Early voting begins Sept. 19 in Alexandria for statewide races

By James Cullum

Published September 9, 2025 at 1:30PM

A voting sign at the Alexandria Registrar of Voters, 132 N. Royal Street, in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Early voting for November’s general election starts on Friday, Sept. 19, across Virginia. Here’s what you need to know in Alexandria.

Early voting starts 45 days before election day, and the only contested elections voters can decide on in Alexandria are for the Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.

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PHOTOS: Thousands attend No Kings Rally in Old Town, Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 14, 2025 at 10:21PM | Updated June 15, 2025 at 5:53AM

The No Kings Rally at Market Square in Old Town, June 14, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria leaders railed against the Trump administration at Alexandria’s Market Square on Saturday, just across the Potomac River from the military parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, which also coincides with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

Alexandria’s No Kings Rally was attended by thousands. The rally also comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly preparing to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and four major cities across the country.

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Report: ICE preparing to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and four big cities

By James Cullum

Published June 11, 2025 at 3:00PM | Updated June 14, 2025 at 3:04AM

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement logo (via Facebook)

Northern Virginia is reportedly among the “five cities run by Democratic leaders” that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to deploy tactical units to, according to MSNBC.

Citing two unnamed sources “familiar with the planning of future ICE operations,” MSNBC reported that ICE is preparing to deploy tactical response teams in New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Northern Virginia.

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Alexandria elected officials to speak at anti-Trump protest outside City Hall

By James Cullum

Published June 10, 2025 at 10:45AM

There's a "No Kings in Alexandria" protest against the Trump administration on Saturday, June 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Market Square at 301 King Street in Old Town (via AlexDems)

Alexandria leaders will participate in an anti-Trump protest in front of City Hall at Market Square (301 King Street) on Saturday.

Confirmed speakers at the event, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m., include U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8), Virginia House majority leader Charniele Herring (D-4), Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39), and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter. Mayor Alyia Gaskins is tentatively scheduled to speak.

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Beyer, Herring, Ebbin launch speaking tour to combat billions in threatened federal health care cuts

By James Cullum

Published May 30, 2025 at 12:15PM

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) at the ribbon cutting for Metro's Integrated Command and Communications Center in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood, Oct. 27, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Facing billions in federal health care cuts in Virginia, Alexandria Congressman Don Beyer (D-8) is joining Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4) and State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39) next week for three in-person panel discussions across Virginia.

The $715 billion in federal health care cuts would impact Medicaid and Planned Parenthood. The trio of Northern Virginia legislators will hold their first panel at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke St, Alexandria). The trio will then conduct similar panels later in the day in Norfolk and Richmond.

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With just two Democratic races on the ballot, Alexandria’s early primary votes start trickling in

By James Cullum

Published May 8, 2025 at 12:15PM | Updated June 18, 2025 at 6:05AM

'I voted' stickers on Election Day in Alexandria, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

There are only 40 days left until the June 17 Democratic primary for Virginia lieutenant governor and attorney general, and early votes are trickling in in Alexandria.

Early voting started on May 2, and 7,309 mail-in ballots were sent to early voters, according Alexandria’s election dashboard. So far, 71 Alexandria residents have cast in-person ballots, and 19 have returned mail-in ballots.

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Virginia House Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring kicks off reelection campaign

By James Cullum

Published April 4, 2025 at 3:15PM

Del. Charniele Herring at her campaign kickoff at Clyde's at 1700 N. Beauregard Street on April 3, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Facing no opposition in November, Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4) launched her reelection campaign in Alexandria on Thursday night (April 3).

Herring was joined at Clyde’s (1700 N. Beauregard Street) in the West End by prominent Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-7th) and Don Beyer (D-8th), members of the General Assembly, as well as Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and members of City Council.

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Virginia Tech Innovation Campus celebrates grand opening in Potomac Yard neighborhood

By Vernon Miles

Published February 28, 2025 at 1:30PM | Updated March 1, 2025 at 3:05AM

Alexandria's elected leaders at the ribbon cutting for the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard, Feb. 28, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After years of planning and construction, Alexandria’s Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard celebrated a grand opening today (Friday).

The Virginia Tech campus broke ground in 2021 and opened to students in January. A three-building campus is planned, with the first building coming online being an 11-story, 300,000-square-foot academic building that visitors toured today as part of the grand opening.