Marks first to announce Council bid ahead of potential McPike vacancy
Former ADC chair is first to enter race for seat McPike would vacate if he wins Feb. 10 House election
Former Alexandria Democratic Committee chair Sandy Marks on Saturday became the first candidate to announce a bid for City Council — a seat that doesn’t yet exist.
Marks is running for the council seat that would be vacated if Councilman Kirk McPike wins the Feb. 10 House District 5 special election against Republican Mason Butler. McPike won the Democratic firehouse primary Jan. 20.
“The people of Alexandria, like the rest of the country, are facing significant challenges,” Marks said in a social media announcement. She pledged to bring “progressive leadership, a record of working together to do hard things, and the ability to get to work on day one.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said Thursday she hopes to announce the special election timeline early this week. She is working to align the council race with the April 21 statewide redistricting referendum to save approximately $150,000 in election costs.
That plan would require the Alexandria Democratic Committee to hold a firehouse primary in late February — just weeks after the Feb. 10 general election — if multiple candidates seek the nomination, which is expected. The city would then hold the special election on April 21.
Marks served two terms as ADC chair. Her campaign is planning a kick-off event Feb. 3.
Early voting for the Feb. 10 state elections begins Jan. 31.
Smart timing to announce early and establish name recognition. The logistics of aligning the special election with the April redistricting referendum makes fiscal sence, though that compressed timeline will test campaign infrastructure. I've seen firehouse primaries turn on turnout mechanics rather than policy, especially when the window is this narrow. Marks' ADC experince could be the deciding edge here.