Alexandria Primary: Wilson Upsets Silberberg In Mayor's Race

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Vice Mayor Justin Wilson defeated Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg in an upset victory Tuesday, June 12, in the Democratic primary race. The two mayoral candidates were locked in a tight race as results came in, but Wilson secured 52.87 percent of the vote with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Voters had two distinct choices in Silberberg, elected as mayor in 2015, and Wilson, a council member since 2012 and vice mayor since 2016. The two candidates often clashed on the topic of development during the election. Silberberg, the dissenting vote on a number of development proposals that came before the city council, defended her careful approach to development while Wilson touted the opportunities to improve the city.

Six at-large City Council nominations were also up for grabs in the Democratic primary race. With all precincts reporting, the six top vote-getters were Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, John Taylor Chapman, Mo Seifeldein, Canek Aguirre, Del Pepper and Amy Jackson.

Voter turnout is close to the turnout from the last mayoral and city council primary in 2015. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 15,553 ballots have been cast for the Democratic primary (totaling a 16 percent turnout) and 1,540 for the Republican primary (2 percent turnout). Turnout for the June 2015 Democratic primary was 16.32 percent. Citywide turnout for the 2015 general election was 34.24 percent.

Here's everything you need to know about the primary elections:

The Mayoral Candidates (Democratic primary)

Mayor Allison Silberberg

Background (from campaign website): "Allison Silberberg, the Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, is a writer and lifelong advocate for social justice issues. She has worked to promote civic engagement and address unmet social needs. She has served as Mayor since January 1, 2016. Prior to serving as Mayor, Allison served as the Vice Mayor of Alexandria. Endorsed by EMILY’s List and many local leaders for her Council seat, she served as Vice Mayor of the Alexandria City Council from 2012 to 2015."

Vice Mayor Justin M. Wilson

Background (from campaign website): "Vice Mayor Justin Wilson is a progressive leader working to protect the City's fiscal health, identify transportation solutions, and support the success of every child. A three term city councilman, Wilson has fought for a more accessible, transparent, and accountable city government. He remains laser focused on making Alexandria a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Prior to his election to the City Council in 2007, Justin has served our City, our region and our Commonwealth in a variety of policy Boards and Commissions, including appointments by both Governor Warner and Governor Kaine."

The City Council candidates (Democratic primary)

• Incumbents
  • John Taylor Chapman
  • Willie F. Bailey Sr.
  • Redella S. "Del" Pepper
  • Paul C. Smedberg
• Challengers
• Amy B. Jackson
• Mo Seifeldein
• Matthew S. "Matt" Feely
• Canek Aguirre
• Derek M. "Dak" Hardwick
• Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker
• Robert Ray IV
• J. Chris Hubbard

Images via City of Alexandria