election | ALXnow

Mayoral candidates announce intentions to Alexandria Democratic Committee

Published January 3, 2024 at 3:30PM | Updated January 4, 2024 at 12:04AM

Alexandria mayoral candidates City Council Member Alyia Gaskins (on left) and Vice Mayor Amy Jackson speak at the Alexandria Democratic Committee meeting about their campaigns on Jan. 2, 2024 (staff photos by James Cullum)

(Updated at 11:45 p.m.) The race for the next mayor of Alexandria has officially begun, sort of.

Last night, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson formally announced her candidacy to the Alexandria Democratic Committee (ADC), a rite of passage in Alexandria elected politics since the city has only ever elected a Republican mayor once, in 1872. Jackson’s opponent, City Council Member Alyia Gaskins, made her own announcement to the ADC on Dec. 2, and used the opportunity last night to announce her latest endorsements.

News

Alexandria podcast returns to tackle 2024’s big elections

By Vernon Miles

Published December 29, 2023 at 3:10PM

Liberally Social podcast (image via Democratic Social Club/Facebook)

A group of women Alexandria women are on a mission to ensure no candidate is just a name on a ballot in Alexandria.

The Liberally Social podcast, started back in 2021 to explore the 13 candidates running for City Council, has come together again to profile two candidates who could shape policy in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS).

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Traffic and Parking Board chair James Lewis announces City Council campaign

By Vernon Miles

Published December 18, 2023 at 10:05AM

City Council candidate James Lewis (photo via James Lewis/Facebook)

With two City Council members throwing their hats into the ring to become Alexandria’s next mayor, there will be at least two new faces on the Council next year: James Lewis wants to be one of them.

Lewis, chair of the Traffic and Parking Board, previously ran for City Council in 2021.

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Alexandria reconfiguring elections office to shorten early voting lines

By Vernon Miles

Published December 12, 2023 at 11:10AM

Voters line up to vote early in Old Town (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The wait for early voting should be a little shorter next year.

The City of Alexandria is working to expand its Office of Voter Registration and Elections in Old Town (421 King Street) to accommodate a surge in early voting.

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Alexandria School Board special election candidates focusing on teacher retention and board transparency

By James Cullum

Published December 7, 2023 at 3:30PM

The candidates for the Alexandria School Board special election for District A are Tim Beaty and Gina Baum (staff photo on left by James Cullum, courtesy photo on right)

A longtime city commissioner and a retired labor leader are facing off in the special election for Alexandria’s School Board District A seat, and both want to improve teacher retention and board transparency.

Candidates Gina Baum and Tim Beaty have vastly different backgrounds and strengths.

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Here’s who’s running in the Alexandria School Board’s special election (so far)

By James Cullum

Published December 5, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated December 5, 2023 at 5:04PM

Voting at Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) By the time this story is published, candidates will have just an hour-and-a-half to file the necessary paperwork to run in the Jan. 9 special election to fill the vacant seat on the Alexandria School Board.

The deadline is 5 p.m. to file the following with the city’s Office of Voter Registration & Elections:

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JUST IN: Two City Council members vie to replace Alexandria Mayor

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2023 at 9:55AM | Updated December 4, 2023 at 10:59AM

(L-R) Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson, Council member Alyia Gaskins and acting Police Chief Don Hayes at a retirement ceremony for former Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, April 5, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 10:50 a.m.) With Mayor Justin Wilson announcing last week that he won’t seek reelection, two members of Alexandria’s City Council have tossed their hats into the ring to replace him.

City Council member Alyia Gaskins announced this morning (Monday) that she would be running for mayor.

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BREAKING: Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson won’t seek reelection

By James Cullum

Published December 1, 2023 at 6:52AM | Updated December 1, 2023 at 3:27PM

Mayor Justin Wilson introduces former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in Del Ray on May 9, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson will not seek a third term in office.

Wilson made the announcement in his monthly newsletter on Friday.

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ELECTION: Virginia Democrats win big in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published November 8, 2023 at 9:45AM | Updated November 8, 2023 at 4:15PM

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (center) with Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and State Sen. Adam Ebbin outside Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray on election night, Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Democratic members of the Virginia’s General Assembly were swept back into office on election night.

There were no surprises from the unofficial election returns Tuesday night. Facing no opposition, Democratic incumbents Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (5th) was reelected to a second term with 21,622 votes, and Del. Charniele Herring (4th) was reelected to her eighth two-year term with 10,368 votes. Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) was also reelected with 81% (16,837 votes) and defeated independent candidate Major Mike Webb.

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30% voter turnout expected today in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published November 7, 2023 at 2:30PM | Updated November 7, 2023 at 9:16PM

Casting a ballot at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center precinct on election day, Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

About 30% of Alexandria voters are expected to turn out at the polls on election day today, Nov. 7.

As of 10 a.m. — four hours after polls opened — 21,661 voters cast their ballots, which is about 23% of the city’s 96,232 active registered voters. A vast majority of those ballots, 13,927 votes (64%), are from absentee voters. Also as of 10 a.m., 7,734 voters cast their ballots in person, according to the city’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections.

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Election Day is Tuesday, with state legislature seats on the ballot

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 6, 2023 at 3:30PM

Voting at Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, which brings to an end an entire season of voting that kicked off in September.

Alexandrians voting on Tuesday will face few decisions tomorrow, as the only contests on the ballot are for the 39th District of the Virginia State Senate and three House of Delegates districts.