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.
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.
Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.
The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, and the court will decide sometime later whether the plan is legal.
Deadlines are approaching for voter registration and mail-in ballot requests to participate in the Feb. 10 special election.
Early in-person voting kicks off this Saturday at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal Street, Suite 100). By-mail ballot requests must be received by the office by 5 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 30, while voter registration and updates must be completed by Tuesday, Feb. 3.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge ruled Tuesday that a proposed constitutional amendment letting Democrats redraw the state’s Congressional maps was illegal, setting back the party’s efforts to pick up seats in the U.S. House in November. In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore testified for a new map that could enable Democrats to defeat the state’s only House Republican.
The latest developments are part of a national battle over unusual mid-decade redistricting attempts, launched last summer by President Donald Trump who urged Republican officials in Texas to redraw maps to help the GOP win more seats. He did so in hopes of holding on to a narrow House majority in the face of political headwinds that typically favor the party out of power in midterms.
Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker has expressed interest in participating in a virtual forum after special election opponent Julie Robben Lineberry proposed a series of debates yesterday (Tuesday).
Lineberry, the Republican nominee, “challenged” Bennett-Parker to participate in three debates in a press release yesterday afternoon. In a statement to ALXnow, Bennett-Parker said Lineberry contacted her after publicizing the challenge.
City Councilman R. Kirk McPike has been declared the winner in today’s Democratic firehouse primary to succeed outgoing Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5).
McPike secured 60.5% of the vote Tuesday among 5th District Democrats, defeating three other candidates in the running. A total of 2,115 voters participated in the primary, placing district turnout at around 3%, according to tallies from the Alexandria Democratic Committee and data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
The winner of today’s Democratic firehouse primary for a seat in the House of Delegates will run against Republican Mason Butler next month.
The Alexandria Republican City Committee canceled its party canvas and announced Butler’s candidacy over the weekend. Butler, an IT consultant who has lived in Alexandria for more than a decade, previously ran as an independent candidate for City Council in 2024.
Voters in tomorrow’s Democratic firehouse primary will have four candidates to choose from after Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Gregory Darrall entered the race this weekend.
Darrall, a self-described “proud progressive,” is a special education teacher and vice president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. His name will appear on District 5 voters’ ballots tomorrow alongside City Councilmember R. Kirk McPike, former School Board member Eileen Cassidy Rivera and defense attorney Chris Leibig.
