politics | ALXnow

Del Ray residents hold farewell party to park closed by JD Vance’s Secret Service protection

Published August 26, 2024 at 10:45AM

Del Ray resident Erica Toler at Judy Lowe Park in front of JD Vance's Del Ray home (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Del Ray residents did not couch their feelings about losing a neighborhood park to JD Vance’s Secret Service protection.

The City of Alexandria announced last week that, at the request of the Secret Service, it would be closing Jude Lowe Neighborhood Park in Del Ray “until further notice.” The unit block of E. Del Ray Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue and Clyde Avenue is also restricted to resident traffic only and there will be no on-street parking on the east side of the 2200 block of Commonwealth Avenue.

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Secret Service and City of Alexandria closing Del Ray park near JD Vance home

By Vernon Miles

Published August 23, 2024 at 11:00AM

Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park (image via RPCA)

We have really bad news for the commentor on the story about JD Vance becoming Trump’s running mate who said “I hope secret service doesn’t close the Judy Lowe Park to expand the security buffer!”

The Secret Service is closing Judy Lowe Park to expand the security buffer.

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Alexandria leaders journey to Chicago for Democratic National Convention

By Vernon Miles

Published August 21, 2024 at 3:50PM | Updated August 21, 2024 at 7:18PM

2024 Democratic National Convention (photo courtesy Sandy Marks)

The Democratic National Convention is a gathering this week of Democrats from across the country, including several prominent voices from Alexandria.

Attendees include Sandy Marks, Chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, Rep. Don Beyer (who is a superdelegate), Del. Charniele Herring, Del. Alfonso Lopez and City Council Member Kirk McPike.

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Alexandria and Arlington Democrats to converge on kickball field

By James Cullum

Published August 19, 2024 at 2:45PM

The upcoming kickball game between the Alexandria Democratic Committee and the Arlington Democrats is on Sept. 7, 2024 (via ADC)

While Alexandria and Arlington are widely known as Democratic strongholds in Northern Virginia, the real question is which locality’s Democratic leaders are better at kickball.

All will be revealed at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, when the Alexandria Democratic Committee faces the Arlington Democrats at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center baseball field (2701 Commonwealth Avenue).

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What’s Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney doing in Alexandria?

By James Cullum

Published August 16, 2024 at 2:55PM | Updated August 16, 2024 at 11:34PM

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

With an eye on becoming Virginia’s next lieutenant governor, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney says he’ll be spending a lot of time in and around Alexandria before next year’s election day.

With just five months left in office, the 43-year-old two-term mayor of Virginia’s capital city says that his statewide strategy to “dominate the landscape” with his presence has worked in the past, and will work again.

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Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe make “Childless Cat Lady” shirts in response to JD Vance comments

By Vernon Miles

Published July 29, 2024 at 9:45AM

Childless Cat Lady shirt (photo via Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe/Facebook)

Old Town’s Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe and Wine Bar (109 S. Alfred Street) is taking a dig at neighbor JD Vance after the Trump running mate’s “childless cat ladies” comment.

A 2021 interview in which Vance called Democrats being “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too” resurfaced. Vance also advocated for parents to cast additional votes based on their number of children.

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BREAKING: Del Ray resident tapped as Trump running mate

By Vernon Miles

Published July 15, 2024 at 3:40PM

J.D. Vance (image via U.S. Senate)

Author, Ohio Senator, Del Ray resident and yarn bomb victim J.D. Vance has been tapped as the Vice President pick for Republican Candidate Donald Trump.

Vance moved into an over $1.5 million home in Del Ray back in 2023, which was followed shortly by the home being yarn bombed and ringed with messages criticizing Vance’s opposition to LGBTQ rights. Republicans have often received a frosty reception in the predominately liberal Alexandria.

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Alexandria’s presumptive Mayor Alyia Gaskins putting together a transition team

By James Cullum

Published July 8, 2024 at 11:00AM | Updated July 9, 2024 at 9:09AM

Alyia Gaskins after winning the Democratic nomination for Alexandria mayor, June 18, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Fresh from her primary win on June 18, Alexandria’s presumptive mayor says she is starting to form a transition team and will continue campaigning until the Nov. 5 election to get the Democratic slate of six candidates elected to Alexandria’s City Council.

City Council Member Alyia Gaskins took a few days off after defeating Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and retired real estate developer Steven Peterson on June 18. She and her husband and two kids went back home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for four days.

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Four incumbents out and newcomers running for School Board in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 20, 2024 at 10:45AM | Updated June 20, 2024 at 5:57PM

Voting at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Del Ray, November 3, 2020 (Staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s 138 days until the Nov. 5 election, and there are just enough candidates running for an uncontested School Board election.

There are two vacancies in this election cycle after School Board Members Abdel Elnoubi and Jacinta Greene won their Democratic nominations for City Council on June 18. Additionally, two Board Members are not running for reelection, former Board Chair Meagan Alderton in District C, and Tammy Ignacio in District B.

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BREAKING: Alyia Gaskins wins Alexandria’s mayoral Democratic primary

By James Cullum

Published June 18, 2024 at 9:18PM | Updated June 27, 2024 at 12:56AM

Alyia Gaskins accepts the Democrat nomination for Alexandria Mayor, June 18, 2024 (via Eli Wilson)

Alexandria City Council Member Alyia Gaskins defeated her two Democrat rivals on Tuesday, effectively becoming mayor-elect as she faces no opposition in November.

The win makes Gaskins the first Black woman to be mayor of the city.

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Alexandria City Council Member Sarah Bagley wants to repay Alexandria’s ‘investment’ in her with reelection

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2024 at 11:15AM

Alexandria City Council Member Sarah Bagley at the George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town, Feb. 19, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Sarah Bagley says that Alexandria residents have invested time and energy into making her an effective member of the Alexandria City Council, and she says she’s running for reelection to honor that investment.

A lot has changed in the city since Bagley was first elected and then virtually sworn in in January 2022. Alexandria was on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since gone through a crime surge, the introduction and the failure of the Potomac Yard arena deal, a number of key changes in departmental leadership (namely the police and fire chiefs) as well as the controversial upending of the city’s residential zoning policies.