In recent years, Alexandria has been aggressively urbanist. Democrats who control all six seats on the City Council have supported increasing density and adding new transit options. That's created a backlash, and now the conflict will be resolved at the ballot box.

Democrats who vote in the June 18 primary have a choice between a slate of candidates who supports the current direction and a rival slate who says government is trying to do too much too fast without listening to opposing viewpoints. Eleven candidates are seeking six seats on the City Council. The six with the most votes will be the Democrats on the November ballot. 

"Voters are really being offered a choice in this election, which is nice," said Clark Mercer, former Democratic Party chairman who is now executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. "The candidates in this election are offering a clear contrast."

On one side are the incumbents who voted in favor of Zoning for Housing, a controversial proposal to eliminate single-family only zoning and allow more units on suburban blocks. For the most part, they support bus-only lanes, and they say the pace of development in Alexandria is not fast enough. It's a group that has the support of former Mayor Bill Euille, who has endorsed Alyia Gaskins for Mayor as well as six council candidates: incumbents Kirk McPike, John Taylor Chapman, Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley as well as candidates Jesse O'Connell and Jacinta Greene.

"I've had the opportunity over the years to get to know them all and work with them," said Euille. "And I feel that this would be a solid group of folks who could continue the progress that's been made and manage future challenges."

The opposition is led by former Mayor Allison Silberburg, who is supporting a rival slate of candidates who opposed Zoning for Housing and the ill-fated arena proposal for Potomac Yard. For mayor Silberberg is supporting Vice Mayor Amy Jackson, who tried to delay changes to single-family zoning. For the City Council, she is supporting Charlotte Scherer because of her opposition to Zoning for Housing, bus lanes and the arena.

"We are at a crossroads," said Silberberg. "And we've got some important choices to make."

Jesse O'Connell

raised: $109,000

top contributors

$2,000 from Debra Humphreys at the Lumina Foundation

$2,000 from Jennifer Walker of Rehoboth Beach, Del.

$1,000 from Ryan Berni of Berni Consulting

$1,000 from Nancy Drane of the DC Access to Justice Commission

$1,000 from Kristen Gentile, federal government employee

Kirk McPike

raised: $104,000

top contributors

$7,500 from Reginald James Brown of Kirkland & Ellis law firm

$6,600 from Kirk McPike

$5,000 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$3,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

$2,000 from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters

John Taylor Chapman

raised: $101,000

top contributors

$7,500 from Reginald James Brown of Kirkland & Ellis law firm

$5,000 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$5,000 from Danielle Romanetti of fibre space

$3,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

$2,000 from Jack Taylor of Alexandria Toyota

Canek Aguirre

raised: $81,000

top contributors

$7,500 from Reginald James Brown of Kirkland & Ellis law firm

$5,000 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$3,000 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

$2,000 from Guadalupe Silva-Krause

$2,000 from United Brotherhood of Carpenters

Abdel Elnoubi

raised: $73,000

top contributors

$12,000 from Elnoubi for School Board

$5,000 from Farrukh Hameed of CWS

$2,500 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$2,000 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

$1,500 from Allam Al-Alami, DC government employee

Sarah Bagley

raised: $73,000

top contributors

$5,000 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$2,000 from Searles Bagley of Chesapeake

$2,000 from Eastern Atlantic States Council

$1,000 from Bradley Beychok of Washington, D.C.

$1,000 from Lillian Pace of KnowledgeWorks

Jacinta Greene

raised: $51,000

top contributors

$15,000 from Earl Wardell Stafford of the Wentworth Group

$2,500 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$2,100 from Robert Greene of Arlington

$1,750 from Nicole Johnson of Cober Johnson & Romney law firm

$1,500 from James McNeil of Alexandria

Jonathan Huskey

raised: $45,000

top contributors

$10,000 from Jonathan Huskey

$2,500 from Patricia Hoppey of the Pivot Group

$1,950 from Paula Huskey of Dallas

$1,000 from William Goodman of Applied Research Associates

$750 from Melissa Connolly of the Association of American Railroads

Charlotte Scherer

raised: $43,000

top contributors

$18,000 from Charlotte Scherer

$12,000 from Alma Scherer of St. Paul, Minn.

$2,500 from the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund

$1,000 from Scott Corzine of CohnReznick

$1,000 from Bill Rossello for City Council

James Lewis

raised: $42,000

top contributors

$4,200 from Mark Williams of Mayer Brown

$2,500 from NOVA Area Labor Federation

$1,000 from Ira Lechner of Escondido, Calif.

$1,000 from Northern Virginia Association of Realtors

$1,000 from Bill Rossello for City Council

Kevin Harris

raised: $20,000

top contributors

$2,500 from the NOVA Area Labor Federation

$500 from Ollie Poindexter of Woodbridge

$480 from Alexandria Firefighters

$480 from Veronica Nolan of Alexandria

$480 from Art Witebsky of Seasons Culinary Service

Source: Virginia Public Access Project

City of Alexandria

Sample Ballots

https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/sample_ballots_combined_with_24.2-530.pdf

Because voters in Virginia do not register by party, any voter can vote either the Democratic primary ballot or the Republican primary ballot but not both.

Democratic Primary Election 

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Mayor 

Vote for only one 

Alyia Smith Parker Gaskins 

Amy B. Jackson 

Steven B. Peterson 

Member City Council 

Vote for not more than six 

R. Kirk McPike 

James C. "Jimmy" Lewis Jr. 

Abdel S. Elnoubi 

Sarah R. Bagley 

Canek Aguirre 

Jesse D. O'Connell 

Kevin J. Harris 

John Taylor Chapman 

Jonathan P. Huskey 

Jacinta E. Greene 

Charlotte A. Scherer

Republican Primary Election 

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Member United States Senate 

Vote for only one 

Hung Cao 

Edward C. "Eddie" Garcia Jr. 

Jonathan W. Emord 

C.L. "Chuck" Smith, Jr. 

Scott Thomas Parkinson