The Alexandria Brief Podcast

Alison Virginia O'Connell is an independent candidate for the open Alexandria City Council seat in the April 21 special election. A community organizer who has lived and worked in Alexandria for about a decade, O'Connell is running on housing affordability, ethical investment screening for city funds, and getting ICE out of Alexandria. In this conversation with Alexandria Brief publisher Ryan Belm...

Sandy Marks is the Democratic nominee for the open Alexandria City Council seat in the April 21 special election. A two-term former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee and advocacy communications specialist, Marks won the Democratic firehouse primary February 21 with 1,573 votes in a five-candidate field. In this conversation with Alexandria Brief publisher Ryan Belmore, Marks talks about...

Frank Fannon is one of three candidates running for the open Alexandria City Council seat in the April 21 special election. A fourth-generation Alexandrian who served on council from 2009 to 2012, Fannon is running as an independent — a deliberate choice he says reflects his belief that local elections shouldn't be defined by national party politics. In this conversation with Alexandria Brief publ...

The Alexandria Brief and the Liberally Social Podcast team up to interview the five Democratic candidates competing in Saturday's City Council firehouse primary. Next up: Cesar Madison Tapia. In this episode: Cesar Madison Tapia discusses why he's running to bring young voices to the table, his three policy priorities — partnering with ACPS, affordability and transparency — and his journey from un...

The Alexandria Brief and the Liberally Social Podcast team up to interview the five Democratic candidates competing in Saturday's City Council firehouse primary. Next up: Charles Sumpter. In this episode: Charles Sumpter discusses why he's running to make Alexandria more affordable for regular people, his four policy priorities — housing affordability, workforce pathways, sustainable infrastructur...

The Alexandria Brief and the Liberally Social Podcast team up to interview the five Democratic candidates competing in Saturday's City Council firehouse primary. Next up: Tim Laderach. In this episode: Tim Laderach discusses why he's running to provide "pragmatic leadership," his four policy priorities — fiscal responsibility, affordability, connectedness and equity — and his approach to breaking...

Republican Julie Robben Lineberry says she wants to win the Senate District 39 special election — but acknowledges the math is against her. “I’m no Pollyanna to politics,” Lineberry said Thursday in a live conversation with The Alexandria Brief. “I didn’t think, oh my gosh, I’m going to come in here and flip a Democratic seat that’s been a Democratic seat for... well, long ago.” Lineberry, a longt...

Watch the full conversation below or listen to the podcast version above. City Councilman Kirk McPike won Tuesday’s House District 5 Democratic firehouse primary with 60.5% of the vote, earning the right to face Republican Mason Butler in the Feb. 10 special election. Days before his win, McPike sat down with The Alexandria Brief to discuss his priorities, his record, and why he’s the right choice...

The Alexandria Brief sits down with Chris Leibig, candidate for House District 5 in the Virginia House of Delegates, ahead of Tuesday’s firehouse primary. Leibig is a criminal defense attorney who served at the Alexandria Public Defender’s Office from 1996 to 2002 before launching a private practice in Old Town. He is president-elect of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He disc...

The Alexandria Brief sits down with Eileen Cassidy Rivera, candidate for House District 5 in the Virginia House of Delegates, ahead of Tuesday’s firehouse primary. Rivera served on the Alexandria City School Board and worked in the Clinton administration at the Commerce Department and Small Business Administration. She discusses why she’s running, how she’d hit the ground running mid-session, and...

A live one-on-one conversation with Kirk McPike, candidate for House District 5 in the Virginia House of Delegates. Get full access to The Alexandria Brief at alexandriabrief.substack.com/subscribe