Sumpter Drops Out of Council Race

Democrat Charles Sumpter is dropping out of the race for Alexandria City Council because of an illness in his family.

“My mom is sick and that’s where my attention needs to be,” Sumpter told Patch. “It’s just not the best time to be at the forefront.”

Sumpter, a West End resident, said he still plans to be involved as a civic activist.

“I’m going nowhere,” he said.

Sumpter announced his candidacy in December. that he wanted to give the West End a voice in and, if elected, would work toward more fiscally responsible and efficient government. He also said he wanted to make sure development projects in the city moved forward only with community support.       

Sumpter is the second candidate to drop out of the City Council race in March. Republican Scott Gordon announced on March 6 because of a family health concern.

With Sumpter’s resignation, the field of Democrats running for council shrinks to 12. Incumbents and are seeking re-election. Former councilmembers and are looking to return to office. The other challengers are , , , , , , and .

The Democrats will select six candidates to be placed on the November ballot in a primary now officially scheduled for June 12.