Republicans cancel canvass, name Mason Butler as House District 5 nominee
2024 City Council candidate will face Democratic primary winner in Feb. 10 special election
The Alexandria Republican City Committee has canceled today’s planned canvass and named Mason Butler as its nominee for House District 5, ARCC Chairman Chris Howell announced Sunday morning.
Butler, a business executive who ran for Alexandria City Council in 2024, was the sole applicant for the nomination. He currently serves as head of precinct operations for the Alexandria GOP.
“When I ran for City Council, my message was one of economic development and fiscal responsibility,” Butler said in a statement. “That, along with cost of living, will be my focus in my race to represent Alexandria’s 5th District in the General Assembly.”
Butler said he would work across party lines to “make our streets safer, broaden our commercial tax base, and fortify Alexandria as a global tourist destination.”
He has lived in Alexandria for more than 10 years and in Northern Virginia for more than 20 years. His volunteer work includes The Campagna Center, the Alexandria Rotary Club, Jones Point Park Gardens and Founders Park. He lives in Old Town with his wife, Kristin, and their dogs Derby and Lily Rose.
The move mirrors what happened last week with the Senate District 39 nomination — Republicans canceled a planned Jan. 13 canvass and named realtor Julie Lineberry as their nominee after she was the sole applicant.
Butler will face the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic firehouse primary in the Feb. 10 special election. Three Democrats are competing for the nomination: City Councilman Kirk McPike, former School Board member Eileen Cassidy Rivera and criminal defense attorney Chris Leibig.
House District 5 is located entirely within Alexandria and is considered solidly Democratic — Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who is resigning to run for Senate, ran unopposed in her last two elections.
The Alexandria Brief has reached out to Butler for comment.