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ALEXANDRIA, Va - Sandy Marks has won the April 21 Alexandria City Council special election, defeating independents Frank Fannon and Alison Virginia O'Connell to fill the seat vacated when Kirk McPike resigned in January to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates. She will serve through December 31, 2027.
The Alexandria Brief is calling this race based on its analysis of unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, with all 32 precincts reporting and early voting, Election Day, and mailed absentee ballots all election night complete. Results remain unofficial pending certification by the Virginia Department of Elections.
City Council results (unofficial, 32 of 32 precincts)
Marks is leading with 53.37% of the vote to Fannon's 29.41% — a margin of nearly 24 percentage points and 11,167 votes. A total of 51,256 ballots were cast, representing 44% turnout among Alexandria's 116,366 registered voters.
The Alexandria Democratic Committee celebrated the result Tuesday night. "ADC is thrilled that Sandy Marks has won the special election to an open seat on the Alexandria City Council," the committee posted on social media. "To all of the volunteers, donors, friends, family, and fans, thank you."
YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, a housing advocacy organization that endorsed Marks, celebrated the result Tuesday night. "Alexandrians are clearsighted about what this city needs: a more affordable and sustainable future built on plentiful housing supply and safe transportation choices for all," said Alex Goyette, an Alexandria lead for YIMBYs of NoVA. The organization said voters had "roundly rejected" the candidate who focused on blocking housing — a reference to Fannon, who campaigned on reversing the city's 2023 Zoning for Housing legislation.
O'Connell, who finished third with 15.02% of the vote, posted a closing statement on Instagram Tuesday night thanking her supporters. "This campaign was run by community organizers, who usually put their energy to collective action, protest, long-term community projects and mutual aid," she wrote. "I am so grateful to every community member who took a chance on this campaign and I know we will keep working together to create a better, more inclusive Alexandria." O'Connell urged supporters to stay involved on issues including ICE enforcement, affordable housing, and support for Palestinian, Lebanese, Iranian, Arab and Muslim residents.
Fannon, in a statement released Wednesday morning, conceded the race and congratulated Marks. "Last night's election results were not what we hoped for but they are clear, and I respect the outcome of the election," Fannon said. He attributed the result in part to national issues driving turnout. "Voter turnout was driven by national issues and reconfirmed how local and national conversations can shape the voting patterns across the ballot." Fannon thanked his 13,702 supporters and said his community involvement would continue. "My 35 years of community leadership did not end with an election and will continue forward starting today."
What she ran on
Marks, an advocacy communications specialist and two-term former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, campaigned on public school funding, housing supply, and immigration protection. She made the case throughout that Alexandria needed a council member who would continue the work McPike left behind when he moved to Richmond. She won the Democratic firehouse primary on February 21 with 39.6% of the vote in a five-candidate field before turning to the three-way general election contest.
Her campaign faced a significant financial disadvantage heading into Election Day. Fannon raised $84,579 to Marks' $53,131 — a gap further complicated by the fact that Marks had to spend through a competitive primary before the general election race even began. The money did not decide the outcome.
The race
Three candidates appeared on the ballot: Marks, the Democratic nominee; Fannon, a fourth-generation Alexandrian and the last Republican elected to Alexandria City Council, now running as an independent; and O'Connell, an activist and former member of two city advisory bodies whose campaign centered on ethical investment, affordable housing, and what she called Trump-proofing Alexandria.
There was no Republican candidate in the race. The Alexandria Republican City Committee named a nominee in February before that candidate withdrew citing financial disclosure requirements. The party opted not to name a replacement.
Democrats have now swept every Alexandria City Council seat since 2012, when Fannon lost his re-election bid.
Turnout
Alexandria headed into Election Day having already seen strong early participation, and Election Day itself continued the trend. A total of 51,256 ballots were cast — 44% of the city's 116,366 registered voters — a remarkably strong turnout for a spring special election. By 4 p.m., before the final three hours of voting, 42,019 votes had already been counted.
A notable gap emerged between the two races on the ballot. A total of 51,097 Alexandrians voted on the redistricting referendum, while 46,596 cast votes in the city council race — a difference of 4,501 voters, or roughly 9%, who weighed in on the amendment but left the council race blank, or who turned out primarily for the referendum. It suggests that the statewide redistricting question may have driven meaningful turnout that the council race alone would not have generated.
How Alexandria voted on the redistricting amendment
Alexandria voters also weighed in Tuesday on the proposed statewide constitutional amendment, voting overwhelmingly in favor. Alexandria approved the amendment 40,310 to 10,787 — 78.89% in favor to 21.11% opposed, with all 32 precincts reporting.
How Virginia voted on the redistricting amendment
Virginia voters statewide approved the proposed constitutional amendment, according to the Associated Press, which called the race Tuesday evening. With 130 of 133 localities reporting, Yes led with 1,182,712 votes — 50.07% — to No's 1,179,213 votes — 49.93% — a statewide margin of just 3,499 votes. The amendment bypasses the state's bipartisan redistricting commission to allow Virginia's Democratic-led General Assembly to temporarily redraw the state's 11 congressional districts — a move that could boost Democrats' chances of winning additional U.S. House seats in November's midterm elections.
Congressman Don Beyer, who represents Alexandria, called the result a rebuke of President Trump's redistricting efforts. "Virginia's election today stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's efforts to influence November's Congressional elections by bullying Republican-led legislatures into mid-decade redistricting," Beyer said in a statement Tuesday night. "Here in Virginia, voters were given the opportunity to decide."
However, the vote may not be the final word. The Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether the redistricting plan is illegal. A Tazewell County circuit court judge previously ruled the effort unconstitutional on procedural grounds. If the state Supreme Court agrees, the referendum results could be rendered moot.
The Associated Press
What's next
Marks cannot be seated immediately. The Alexandria City Council adopted a $977.3 million FY 2027 budget on April 29 — before she can be sworn in. The city confirmed Wednesday that Marks will be sworn in on May 12. Her first votes as a council member will come after the budget has already been adopted.
This story is developing and will be updated.
All results are unofficial. The Alexandria Brief will update this story as comments are received, additional results are reported, and the Virginia Department of Elections certifies the final count. Provisional and post-election ballots have not yet been counted and will be verified in the days following the election.
Updated April 22, 2026, 12:05 p.m.: This story has been updated to include a concession statement from Frank Fannon and to reflect that Sandy Marks will be sworn in on May 12, as confirmed by the city.
Updated April 22, 2026, 11:30 a.m.: This story has been updated to include a concession statement from Frank Fannon.
Updated April 21, 2026, 10:17 p.m.: This story has been updated to include reactions from the Alexandria Democratic Committee and Alison Virginia O'Connell.
Updated April 21, 2026, 9:25 p.m.: This story has been updated to include a statement from Congressman Don Beyer on the statewide redistricting referendum result.
Updated April 21, 2026, 8:53 p.m.: This story has been updated to reflect the Associated Press calling the statewide redistricting referendum in favor of the amendment, to include updated statewide vote totals with 130 of 133 localities reporting, and to add context on the legal challenges pending before the Virginia Supreme Court.
Updated April 21, 2026, 8:35 p.m.: This story has been updated to include election night complete results for Alexandria and updated statewide referendum results with 130 of 133 localities reporting.
