Three candidates have submitted the paperwork necessary to run for Alexandria City Council, meeting the city’s 5 p.m. deadline today (Friday).
Democrat Sandy Marks, independent candidate and former Republican City Councilman Frank Fannon, and independent Alison O’Connell have each turned in the necessary paperwork to be on the April 21 ballot, Director of Elections & General Registrar Angie Maniglia Turner confirmed to ALXnow shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.
With today’s 5 p.m. deadline fast approaching, Alison O’Connell is working to submit 125 signatures needed to file an independent candidacy to run for Alexandria City Council.
O’Connell, a founding member of Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights, is hoping to run for City Council with platform issues that include affordable housing, ethical investment and anti-immigration enforcement measures. She and her team have been collecting signatures and turning them in throughout the day to the city’s registrar’s office, she told ALXnow this afternoon (Friday).
Gerry Chandler, the Alexandria Republican City Committee’s nominee in the April 21 City Council special election, is withdrawing from the race.
Chandler, an educator and computer scientist, told ALXnow that he will not be running due to the “financial disclosures” he would have to submit. So far, Democratic nominee Sandy Marks and independent candidate Frank Fannon are the only people running to replace former Councilman-turned-Delegate R. Kirk McPike.
Officials kicked off the residential conversion of the long-vacant Victory Center yesterday (Wednesday) with a symbolic wall demolition, as the site is expected to welcome hundreds of housing units along Eisenhower Avenue.
The project at 5001 Eisenhower Avenue by property owner Stonebridge, the City of Alexandria and Amazon’s Housing Fund promises to bring 377 housing units to the 9.73-acre Victory Center property, including committed affordable and workforce units.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon unveiled his proposed $977.3 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget last night (Tuesday).
While the budget is a 2.2% increase from the current FY 2026 budget, Parajon’s proposal keeps the real estate tax rate of $1.135 per $100 of assessed value, and does not change the city’s refuse rate. He was able to achieve the feat through $9 million “in efficiency reductions, cost cutting savings, and vacant position reductions to balance the budget.”
Republican Gerry Chandler intends to enter the April 21 race for City Council, the Alexandria Republican City Committee has announced.
Chandler is slated to run against Democrat Sandy Marks and independent candidate Frank Fannon in the upcoming special election to replace former Councilman-turned-Delegate R. Kirk McPike. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit paperwork to the General Registrar to appear on the ballot.
The City of Alexandria has confirmed the April 21 special election date for an open seat on City Council, and candidates are required to file by the end of this week.
Candidates are required to have all paperwork submitted to the General Registrar by 5 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 27 in order to appear on the ballot, according to a city announcement this afternoon (Monday).
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).
Democratic candidates for Alexandria City Council shared their views on economic development, traffic and parking, housing growth and more during a forum last night (Wednesday).
The event was hosted by Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations at Immanuel Church on the Hill ahead of Saturday’s Democratic firehouse primary. About two dozen people turned out and several more attended via Zoom to the event, which was moderated by Bill Rossello, president of the Seminary Hill Association.
Sparks flew last night (Tuesday) as City Council candidates debated topics like immigration enforcement and budgeting at the Departmental Progressive Club in Old Town.
The event was hosted by DPC and the Alexandria branch of the NAACP, and it was the second debate in two days for the five Alexandria Democrats vying for their party’s nomination in the upcoming Feb. 21 firehouse primary. Independent candidate Frank Fannon, a former Republican member of City Council, also participated and received significant pushback from several candidates for his opinions on governance, housing and immigration.
Five Democratic candidates for an open seat on the Alexandria City Council participated in their first forum together on Monday night in Del Ray.
The Del Ray Business Association’s forum was held in a packed house at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub (2300 Mount Vernon Avenue). All five candidates running in the firehouse primary on Feb. 21 participated in the event and discussed a wide array of issues affecting Del Ray in particular and the city in general.
