In a collaboration between the Alexandria Brief and the Liberally Social Podcast, Charles Sumpter sat down for an interview ahead of Saturday’s Democratic firehouse primary.
Why he’s running
Sumpter said Alexandria “has increasingly just become too unaffordable for regular people” — and that’s why he decided to run.
“I had kids who were in my nonprofit who left Alexandria, Northern Virginia, went to college, came back, and are like, man, I just can’t find a job,” he said. “What’s going on?”
He also pointed to the recent Senate special election race he entered as a “fight for democracy” at a time when “things are happening so fast.”
“Who’s going to say that it’s not myself, right? I can’t look at someone else and say, you got to do it,” he said.
Four policy priorities
Sumpter outlined four main issues:
Housing affordability: “Our supply of housing, affordable housing, is just not up to par,” he said. He called for housing options across all income levels to allow people to move through the market, as well as “deeply affordable housing, not just workforce housing.”
Workforce pathways: Sumpter emphasized apprenticeship programs and trades as an alternative to college. “Going to college and school and all that is great. It’s not the only way to secure economic stability,” he said. He noted that addressing the housing shortage also requires addressing the skilled labor shortage.
Sustainable infrastructure: “These storms are going to get worse and worse as we continue to go on because climate change is real,” he said. He called for improving community resilience to mitigate damage from future storms.
Transportation and congestion: Sumpter, who lives on the West End, said he avoids Duke Street after 2 p.m. because of traffic. “The question I would ask Alexandria is what will it take to get you out of your car?” he said. He supports bus rapid transit and noted that he takes the Metro to work.
What separates him
Asked what distinguishes him from the other Democratic candidates, Sumpter pointed to his lived experience.
“I’m from the South Bronx. I’m not supposed to be here doing any of this,” he said. “I had no role model doing it.”
If elected, Sumpter would be the first Black gay member of the Alexandria City Council.
“That experience of coming up, questioning who you are, questioning is, am I okay? Do I belong?” he said. “I understand that there are a lot of people today — thankfully, I had the family support, that safety net to catch me if I fell through that. There are so many people today had it not been for this nonprofit that they would have fallen through.”
He said the government should play a role as that safety net. “It’s personal for me,” he said.
Leadership style
Sumpter described himself as empathetic and detail-oriented. “I ask a lot of questions,” he said. “Details matter.”
He said he studied management in graduate school and has worked in human capital transformation. “I will be the most studied person if brought to council. I think that’s the role. I think that’s important.”
Endorsements
Sumpter listed endorsements from former Del. Mark Levine, former Arlington and Alexandria Gay and Lesbian Association president Bruce Hightower, and multiple chairs of the Alexandria Commission on HIV/AIDS.
He noted that much of his work over the past 16 years has focused on HIV/AIDS prevention and education. “For many years, Alexandria had the highest rates of infection in Northern Virginia, and no one talked about that,” he said. “I’m proud that the work that we did helped to reduce those numbers in this region.”
On climate and equity
Asked to dig deeper on climate policy, Sumpter proposed creating a “Climate Corps” — a paid training program where participants would help businesses and communities with resilience and retrofitting.
“My job is to expose environmental conservationism to people who maybe don’t ever think about it, who haven’t been exposed to it,” he said.
He emphasized viewing climate solutions through an equity lens. “Climate change doesn’t impact people the same. Some people it’s worse,” he said. “These impacts disproportionately impact people of color, low-income communities. And that’s not just in Alexandria. That’s in the country. That’s in the world.”
Getting to know Charles
In a rapid-fire personal segment, Sumpter shared that his favorite pizza is Big Bite Pizza on the West End (“It reminds me of New York”), his go-to karaoke song is Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” and he relieves stress by walking along the Holmes Run Trail. He’s a Leo and believes in astrology: “I’m very passionate and fiery. I can be, especially when I really care about something.”
Learn more at sumpterforvirginia.com.
Listen to the entire conversation as a podcast above or wherever you get your podcasts, and/or watch the conversation below.
