City Council | ALXnow

BREAKING: Sandy Marks wins Democratic firehouse primary for City Council seat

Published February 21, 2026 at 10:55PM

Alexandria City Council candidate Sandy Marks (center) with her supporters outside the Leonard "Chick" Armstrong Recreation Center on the day of the Democratic firehouse primary, Feb. 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

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).

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City Council candidates explain more policy stances in forum ahead of Democratic primary

By Katie Taranto

Published February 19, 2026 at 5:00PM

Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations hosts a City Council candidate forum (photo courtesy of James Minichello Photography)

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.

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City Council candidates spar in second debate before Democratic firehouse primary

By James Cullum

Published February 18, 2026 at 3:45PM

(Left to right) Independent City Council candidate Frank Fannon speaks alongside Democratic candidates Roberto Gomez, Tim Laderach, Sandy Marks, Charles Sumpter and Cesar Madison Tapia at the Departmental Progressive Club in Old Town, Feb. 17, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

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Democratic City Council candidates lay out differences in first forum in Del Ray

By James Cullum

Published February 17, 2026 at 3:00PM

(Left to right) City Council candidates Sandy Marks, Tim Laderach, Cesar Madison Tapia, Charles Sumpter and Roberto Gomez at the Del Ray Business Association's candidate forum at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub, Feb. 16, 2026 (courtesy photo by James Minichello)

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.

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

By James Cullum

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.