City Council | ALXnow

City Council requests April 21 special election date to fill vacant council seat

Published February 11, 2026 at 3:50PM

Voters at Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Del Ray on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City Council last night (Tuesday) unanimously approved a resolution asking the Alexandria Circuit Court to set an April 21 special election date to fill the council seat vacated by Del.-elect R. Kirk McPike.

April 21 is the same date as a statewide referendum, and city staff and the city’s registrar of voters recommended holding the special election on that date to “reduce election costs and avoid voter confusion associated with multiple elections held in close succession,” according to the resolution.

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JUST IN: R. Kirk McPike wins special election in landslide for House of Delegates seat

By Katie Taranto and James Cullum

Published February 10, 2026 at 9:25PM

R. Kirk McPike reacts to his House of Delegates victory at Pork Barrel BBQ on Feb. 10, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

R. Kirk McPike is trading in Alexandria City Council dockets for a newly-won seat in the House of Delegates, following today’s special election.

Alexandria’s outgoing councilman received 81.5% of the vote in a decisive win against Republican candidate Mason Butler to secure a seat in the House of Delegates. The win means McPike will fulfill the 5th District post of Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who voters concurrently elected to outgoing State Sen. Adam Ebbin’s 39th District seat tonight.

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Alexandria election officers, political parties rise to challenge of upcoming special elections

By Emily Leayman

Published February 6, 2026 at 10:30AM

Voters wait in line at the firehouse primary at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town, Jan. 13, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria has experienced a domino effect of incoming special elections since last month, but city election officials and political party leaders are rising to the challenge amid tight deadlines.

Next Tuesday, voters will decide on special elections for seats in Virginia’s 5th House District and the 39th Senate District. Eventually, they’ll also select a new member of City Council, as Councilman R. Kirk McPike departs the post Monday to run for delegate.

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Candidates in City Council special election expected to appear in upcoming forum

By James Cullum

Published February 5, 2026 at 11:00AM | Updated February 5, 2026 at 6:32PM

Voting at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library in Alexandria's West End, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s a little more than two weeks left before the Alexandria Democratic Committee conducts a firehouse primary for an open seat on City Council.

Candidates are expected to appear at an upcoming ADC meeting as well as forum hosted by the Del Ray Business Association later this month. So far, five people are running for the seat to replace outgoing City Councilman R. Kirk McPike.

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Cesar Madison Tapia, a social studies teacher and political TikToker, joins City Council race

By James Cullum

Published February 2, 2026 at 9:30AM

Cesar Madison Tapia is running for the Alexandria City Council (courtesy photo, via Cesar Madison Tapia/Instagram)

Cesar Madison Tapia, a D.C. middle school teacher with viral political videos on TikTok, is running for Alexandria City Council.

Madison Tapia announced his candidacy on Friday on Instagram, and he had planned to discuss it during the Alexandria Democratic Committee’s now-canceled meeting tonight (Monday). The 26-year-old candidate teaches social studies at MacFarland Middle School in D.C. and has made hundreds of TikToks discussing politics and criticizing the Trump administration.

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Alexandria Democrats schedule Feb. 21 firehouse primary for City Council

By James Cullum

Published January 31, 2026 at 2:13PM

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

Alexandria Democrats will conduct a firehouse primary for an open seat on City Council on Saturday, Feb. 21.

The Alexandria Democratic Committee announced the primary date today (Saturday) on its website. Polls will be open from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street) and the Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 W. Reed Avenue).

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City Council endorses regional ‘DMVMoves’ plan to secure $460M in new funding for Metro

By James Cullum

Published January 30, 2026 at 9:30AM

Escalators at the King St-Old Town Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council has unanimously endorsed a regional plan that would increase annual Metro funding by $460 million.

The “DMVMoves” plan from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) would require an estimated $136 million from Virginia, $152 million from Maryland and $173 million from D.C. before fiscal year 2029, with a 3% annual escalation, to support Metro’s capital needs.

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Heavy sleet followed by refreezes hinder Alexandria’s response to ‘unprecedented’ storm

By Katie Taranto

Published January 28, 2026 at 11:30AM | Updated January 28, 2026 at 12:06PM

Alexandria crews continue to work on snow and ice removal in late January 2026 (via City of Alexandria)

The City of Alexandria is continuing around-the-clock snow removal operations after last weekend’s winter storm brought an “unprecedented amount of sleet and freezing rain” to the region, City Manager Jim Parajon said.

The storm was “unlike anything that we’ve experienced since the mid-1990s,” Parajon told City Council last night (Tuesday) during a report on Alexandria’s snow preparedness and response efforts. Hours of freezing rain and sleet on top of the city’s 7 inches of snow had limited the effectiveness of plows.

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JUST IN: Councilman McPike announces resignation ahead of special election

By James Cullum

Published January 27, 2026 at 8:30PM | Updated January 27, 2026 at 8:54PM

Alexandria City Council Member R. Kirk McPike (staff photo by James Cullum)

R. Kirk McPike will resign from Alexandria City Council next month as he prepares to run for the House of Delegates, he announced during a legislative meeting tonight (Tuesday).

McPike made the announcement to his colleagues virtually, due to weather conditions, and said his resignation will go into effect on Monday, Feb. 9 — one day before the special election for 5th District delegate, where he’ll run against Republican Mason Butler to succeed outgoing Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker.

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City manager will give snow response update at virtual City Council meeting tonight

By Katie Taranto

Published January 27, 2026 at 3:50PM

Snow removal in Old Town, Jan. 25, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

City Manager Jim Parajon is expected to deliver an update about snow response efforts in the City of Alexandria this evening (Tuesday).

Parajon is scheduled to provide the update during City Council’s legislative meeting, which will take place virtually at 7 p.m. The update will detail how the city prepared for snow, “what we have seen, where we need to amp up the response, and what you can expect over the next few days,” Mayor Alyia Gaskins said today on social media.

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WMATA asks Alexandria for $35M to complete Potomac Yard Metro station

By James Cullum

Published January 27, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated January 27, 2026 at 4:07PM

A train arrives at the Potomac Yard Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

Nearly three years after the Potomac Yard Metro station opened to the public, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is requesting that Alexandria pay an additional $35 million to close out all construction contracts and claims associated with the project.

The proposal will head to City Council for review this evening (Tuesday). If approved, WMATA says the funding increase would be the third and final modification to its funding agreement with the city.