Mayor proposes February primary for possible Council vacancy to align special election with April referendum
Plan would save $150,000 by consolidating special election with state referendum
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said Thursday she is working with City Council colleagues to consolidate a potential special election this spring to avoid spending $150,000 on a standalone election day, a plan that would require the Alexandria Democratic Committee to hold a party-run primary as soon as February if Councilman Kirk McPike wins his House of Delegates race and multiple Democrats seek his seat.
Speaking at a Rosemont Citizens Association meeting, Gaskins outlined the timing challenge: McPike won a Democratic firehouse primary for House District 5 on January 20 and faces Republican Mason Butler in the February 10 general election. If McPike wins, he will resign from Council, triggering a special election.
Under Alexandria’s charter, the city must hold that special election within 40 to 60 days of the vacancy. But Virginia will also hold a statewide referendum on redistricting on April 21. By aligning the Council special election with the April 21 referendum, the city would avoid the cost of running a standalone election.
“Every time these elections happen, that’s about $150,000 that we have to pay,” Gaskins said, referring to city-run elections. “I’d like to figure out how we can be on that same ballot so we’re not paying for February 10, for April 21 and for another election.”
The solution would require the Alexandria Democratic Committee to hold a party-run primary in February—likely late February, after the February 10 House general election—to select a Democratic nominee. The city would then hold the special election on April 21 alongside the state referendum.
A primary would only be necessary if more than one Democrat files to run for the seat, which is expected given the competitive nature of Council races in Alexandria. The party primary would be similar to the firehouse primaries held in January for the Senate and House races.
Alexandria Democratic Committee Chair Jon DeNunzio confirmed the party would administer any primary for the Council seat, not the city.
“I think the challenge with that is that means we probably need to be thinking about a Democratic primary in February,” Gaskins said. “Personally, I feel like all of this is happening—I wish it would be dragged out a lot longer, but I think we’re trying to figure out how do we find the right date in February.”
Gaskins said she is working with her council colleagues on the timeline.
“I am still working with my council in order to figure out when that election might be,” Gaskins said. She noted that unlike state legislative seats, which have strict statutory deadlines, “at the city level, we have a little more flexibility.”
Gaskins said she hopes to announce the proposed timeline “early next week so that everyone is clear on the dates, everyone’s clear on the process and the flexibilities that council has.”
The calendar crunch
The compressed timeline presents logistical challenges for potential candidates and party officials.
If McPike wins on February 10, he could resign immediately or wait. Gaskins noted that McPike “could resign at any point before that, depending on what he chooses.” Once he resigns, the clock starts on the 40-60 day window for the city to hold the special election. A late February primary would give candidates only days or weeks to organize campaigns after the House race is decided.
The financial incentive to align with the April 21 referendum is substantial. The state pays for state legislative elections, but special elections for City Council are the city’s responsibility. Each city-run election costs approximately $150,000. By consolidating the Council special election with the state referendum, the city avoids that cost.
Likely contested race
Given Alexandria’s competitive political environment and the significance of a City Council seat, multiple Democrats are expected to seek the nomination if McPike’s seat becomes vacant.
YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, a housing advocacy group that endorsed McPike in his Council races, signaled its intention to get involved in the race for his potential successor.
“With Councilman McPike’s seat likely to open up on Council, we also look forward to meeting with new candidates and endorsing the city’s next housing champion,” the group said in a statement after McPike’s January 20 primary victory.
If only one Democrat seeks the nomination, no primary would be necessary, and the candidate would proceed directly to the April 21 special election. However, this scenario is considered unlikely given past Council races, which have typically drawn multiple candidates.
McPike’s path to Richmond
McPike won the January 20 firehouse primary, defeating former School Board member Eileen Cassidy Rivera and two other candidates. That election was administered by the Alexandria Democratic Committee at two locations—Beatley Library and Charles Houston Recreation Center—and was open only to Democrats who attended in person during the voting hours.
He launched his campaign with endorsements from Rep. Don Beyer, Dels. Paul Krizek and Laura Jane Cohen, and several current and former Alexandria elected officials.
House District 5 is solidly Democratic. In 2024, Democratic presidential and senatorial nominees carried it by double-digit margins. Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who is vacating the seat after winning a January 14 Senate primary, ran unopposed in her last two elections.
Bennett-Parker is set to resign February 18 to take the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Adam Ebbin, who is also resigning February 18 to join Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Early voting for the February 10 House general election begins January 31.
What happens if Butler wins
If Butler defeats McPike, there would be no Council vacancy and the issue becomes moot. McPike would continue serving on Council, and the city would avoid the special election entirely.
Bennett-Parker faces Republican Julie Lineberry in the February 10 special election for Senate District 39.
Update, January 23, 2026: This story has been updated to clarify that the Alexandria Democratic Committee would administer any primary for the Council seat, not the city, according to ADC Chair Jon DeNunzio. The city would only run the April 21 special election.