election | ALXnow

Alexandria congressional candidate weighs in on federal firings in ‘Daily Show’ segment

Published June 18, 2026 at 9:15AM

Michael Duffin is running for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District seat (via Michael Duffin for Congress)

Michael Duffin, a fired State Department worker from Alexandria who is running for Congress, appeared on “The Daily Show” Tuesday to discuss federal workforce reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Duffin, who lives in the West End with his wife and two children, was one of more than 1,300 federal workers fired by the State Department in July 2025. The Democrat running in the 8th Congressional District joined Maryland congressional candidates Alexis Goldstein and Tracy Starr and New York candidate Alissa Ellman in “The Daily Show” segment on fired federal workers’ campaigns.

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VEA sets timeline for new Alexandria teachers union elections after invalidating results

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated June 17, 2026 at 6:40PM

David Paladin-Fernandez speaks at a School Board meeting on June 11, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After invalidating the officer elections for the local Alexandria teachers union, the Virginia Education Association has set a timeline for new elections that it will oversee later this month.

VEA President Carol Bauer informed Education Association of Alexandria (EAA) members of the new election timeline in an email on June 12. VEA’s decision to reject EAA’s union officer elections came after the elections were postponed from May 18 to May 21, and candidate for EAA president David Paladin-Fernandez was disqualified less than 12 hours before the elections.

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Early voting to begin this week for August congressional primaries in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman

Published June 16, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated June 16, 2026 at 12:14PM

Charles Houston Recreation Center on Election Day, April 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Early voting is set to begin Thursday, June 18 for 2026 congressional primary elections in Alexandria, according to the city’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections.

The elections on Aug. 4 will include a Democratic primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the 8th Congressional District and a Republican primary to decide who will run against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) for U.S. Senate. Virginia voters are not registered by party, so they can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

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VEA invalidates Alexandria teachers union officer elections, will oversee new elections

By James Cullum

Published June 3, 2026 at 2:15PM

School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Virginia Education Association (VEA) has invalidated last month’s officer elections held by the local Alexandria teachers union and will oversee a new election.

In an email sent this week to members of the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA), VEA said that it conducted a review of its Alexandria affiliate to see “whether the recent EAA officer election complied with the legal requirements established under the federal Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.” The news comes after an EAA’s union officer election was postponed from May 18 to May 21, and EAA presidential candidate David Paladin-Fernandez was disqualified less than 12 hours before the election.

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Alexandria teachers union candidate disqualified less than 12 hours before officer elections

By James Cullum

Published May 22, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated May 22, 2026 at 5:31PM

A second grade classroom at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School (staff photo by James Cullum)

A candidate for president of the Education Association of Alexandria was informed via Zoom that he was disqualified from the race less than 12 hours before the union’s officer elections, and that there was “not time” to go through a democratic process, according to audio obtained by ALXnow.

On Wednesday night (May 20), ACPS middle school teacher David Paladin-Fernandez was informed of his disqualification from the union president race. All candidates running in the election were on the call. Andrea Hill, chair of the EAA Credentials/Election Committee, told the candidates she had conducted an investigation and that the union’s executive committee had voted to disqualify Paladin-Fernandez.

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Alleged ‘campaign violations’ behind delay of Alexandria teachers union officer elections

By James Cullum

Published May 20, 2026 at 1:45PM

School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Education Association of Alexandria’s upcoming officer elections were postponed this week due to alleged campaign or election violations, according to the union’s communications to members.

The EAA broadly cited campaign or election violations in a Sunday (May 17) email update to its members on officer elections. Andrea Hill, chair of the EAA Credentials/Election Committee, told members the virtual elections — originally scheduled from Monday (May 18) to Wednesday (May 20) — would be postponed to Thursday (May 21) and Friday (May 22). Hill said an investigation into the allegations had taken place.

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Numerous Alexandria officials endorse Rep. Don Beyer’s reelection bid

By Emily Leayman

Published May 19, 2026 at 9:15AM

U.S. Rep Don Beyer (D-8th) speaks 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 Alexandria elected officials have thrown their support behind Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) in his reelection bid, his campaign announced Monday (May 18).

The endorsements include Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins; Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley; City Council Members Canek Aguirre, John Chapman, Jacinta Greene, and Sandy Marks; Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter; Clerk of Court Greg Parks; Sheriff Sean Casey; School Board Chair Michelle Rief; School Board Vice Chair Christopher Harris; and School Board Members Abdulahi Abdalla, Tim Beaty, Kelly Carmichael Booz, Alexander Crider Scioscia, Donna Kenley, Ashley Simpson Baird, and Ryan Reyna. Former Mayors Bill Euille, Allison Silberberg and Justin Wilson also endorsed Beyer.

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Sandy Marks sworn into Alexandria City Council, creating historic first-ever female majority

By James Cullum

Published May 13, 2026 at 10:00AM

Alexandria City Councilwoman Sandy Marks gets sworn in by Clerk of Court Greg Parks on May 12, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Sandy Marks, the former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, was sworn in to City Council Tuesday night.

For the first time in the city’s history, Alexandria’s seven-member City Council now has a female majority, as Marks joins Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley and Councilwoman Jacinta Greene. Marks won her seat on council in the April 21 special election for the seat vacated by former Councilman R. Kirk McPike, who won his own special election to fill the vacant 5th District seat in the House of Delegates.

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UPDATED: Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redrawn US House maps

By The Associated Press

Published May 8, 2026 at 11:00AM | Updated May 8, 2026 at 3:16PM

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

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.

The court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the vote’s result meaningless.

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City Council special election winner Sandy Marks to be sworn in May 12

By James Cullum

Published April 24, 2026 at 12:30PM

Democrat Sandy Marks claims victory in the City Council special election (via James Minichello Photography)

Democrat Sandy Marks, the winner of the April 21 City Council special election, will be sworn into office Tuesday, May 12, according to the city.

Marks will get sworn in before City Council at some point during its legislative meeting at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive), the city confirmed to ALXnow. An exact time for the swearing-in ceremony has not been set, although it will be administered by Clerk of Court Greg Parks.

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Turnout tops 42% as redistricting vote, City Council race draw Alexandrians to polls

By James Cullum

Published April 21, 2026 at 3:55PM | Updated April 21, 2026 at 4:29PM

Charles Houston Recreation Center on Election Day, April 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

More than 42% of registered Alexandria voters have headed to the polls to vote on today’s congressional redistricting referendum and a special election for an open seat on Alexandria City Council.

As of 4 p.m., 19,183 voters cast in-person ballots across the city, in addition to 22,836 mail-in and in-person early ballots, adding up to 42,019 total ballots cast, according to figures released by Angie Maniglia Turner, the city’s general registrar and elections director. Turner said she is expecting gubernatorial-level turnout on the decision to amend Virginia’s Constitution to allow the General Assembly to temporarily redraw congressional maps for the upcoming election and resume the normal redistricting process after the 2030 U.S. Census.