House District 014

Alyia Gaskins grew up in Pittsburgh and earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. She received her master’s degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh and recently completed a master’s degree in urban planning from Georgetown University. Gaskins currently works as a senior program officer at Melville Charitable Trust, a national philanthropic organization. She is an Emerge Virginia and the New Leaders Council graduate. She and her husband welcomed their first child last year.

If elected, Gaskins wants to address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Brown communities. She sees recovery from the pandemic as a unique opportunity to discuss historical inequities in Alexandria. She plans to boost community engagement with city council by making sure the voices of people of color are heard and advocates for increased transparency so residents understand how decisions are made. She also wants to support city workers as the city discusses collective bargaining rights for municipal employees.

As a member of the city council, Gaskins will work to address educational and social inequities in the city. She will push for initiatives that provide quality, affordable childcare to working families, including the development of a program to identify and support informal providers with grants, free or subsidized training, and tax credits. Gaskins will work with educators and businesses to find funding to invest in educational infrastructure. She also hopes to collaborate with local companies to develop workforce readiness programs that will give youth access to high-paying, quality jobs following graduation.

Gaskins also plans to address the increasing costs of living and affordable housing crisis in the city. She will push for housing developments that are more inclusive of Alexandria’s diverse age community and income levels. She wants to modernize older buildings, making them safer and healthier for residents. Gaskins will actively work to expand homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents. She advocates building upon the work of the Alexandria Eviction Prevention Partnership to expand its current operations.

Gaskins is committed to addressing the consequences of climate change in Alexandria. If elected to the council, she will abide by the commitments in the Environmental Action Plan as environmental policies are created and enforced. She will support initiatives that call for more community engagement in creating environmental policies and hopes to address the intersection of Black and Brown communities and environmental justice. With the addition of more housing developments, Gaskins supports green building and clean energy options for citizens and commercial buildings. She hopes to collaborate with local businesses to reduce private-sector carbon emissions.

Due to her support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, Gaskins is a progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Amy Jackson is seeking reelection to her second term on the Alexandria City Council. A native of Alexandria, she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from Virginia Tech and two master’s degrees in education from George Mason University. Jackson worked as an educator in Fairfax County Schools for 16 years. She serves on multiple committees and boards, including the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission, and the INOVA Alexandria Hospital Task Force. She and her family reside in the Seminary Hill neighborhood.

Jackson is making recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic a priority and understands the racial disparities involved in the response to the pandemic. Jackson pursued passing a mask mandate ordinance in the city before Governor Ralph Northam had issued one for the state. She supports requiring vaccination for all city employees and public school employees. Jackson also advocates for keeping our communities safe from gun violence and pushed for an ordinance that prohibits firearms on city property.

Jackson plans to continue centering race and social equity in every issue she considers as a council member. She promises to fund much-needed social programs geared toward services like women’s issues, mental health, and youth at risk. During her time on Council, she has advocated for “All Alexandria,” a resolution that commits the city to racial and social equity. She supports holding police accountable for abusing its power by establishing a citizen review board and body cameras for police officers.

As a former educator, Jackson understands that strong schools are the backbone to thriving communities and is committed to fully funding Alexandria’s public education system. Seeing that the pandemic exposed the lack of access to the Internet, she advocates for the creation of a municipal broadband network. She will address obtaining more funding for Pre-K programs and investing in declining school infrastructure. She believes that getting to the root of Alexandria’s achievement gap involves understanding how educational inequalities start in kindergarten.

Jackson wants working families to live with dignity in Alexandria and supports the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees. She wants to encourage the construction of affordable housing units by getting rid of a waiver that incentivizes developers not to build affordable housing. She also believes in securing housing for the city’s aging population and homeless community members. She supports the use of co-location to build affordable housing on school property.

Due to her support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, Jackson is a progressive choice in this race.

Canek Aguirre was first elected to Alexandria City Council in November 2018, making him its first Latino representative. He holds several leadership positions in the city council, including vice-chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), Alternate Director of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and chair of Alexandria’s 2020 Census Complete Count Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Canek lives in the West End.

A primary concern of Councilman Aguirre is the affordable housing problem in Alexandria. He supports various options to create more housing opportunities, including colocation on school grounds, which involves building affordable housing units on school property. Aguirre has actively worked during the pandemic to address affordability issues by helping form the Alexandria Eviction Prevention Task Force. Prior to being elected, Canek served as president of Tenants and Workers United and chair of Alexandria’s Economic Opportunities Commission, where he worked to ensure Alexandria remained affordable for families across the city.

Aguirre will continue his efforts to improve access to healthcare in the city. He voted to reallocate funds from the school resource officer program to a new teen wellness center program, which will provide schools with mental health resources such as mentoring, nurses, and therapists. The councilman has also been a key factor in prioritizing multilingual information and multilingual healthcare workers for residents. Aguirre believes that health encompasses more than just physical well-being. He has put into place efforts to address emotional and environmental health as well by supporting infrastructure that would promote pedestrian safety and address climate change.

The son of a retired school teacher, Aguirre advocates for quality education for all students. The councilman has pushed for budgets that provide more funding for school resources and infrastructure. Aguirre wants to reduce overcrowding in schools and guarantee students’ access to the Internet. He supports increasing teacher wages and will work to retain the most qualified educators for students. He continues to address the growing achievement gap in the Alexandria school system and disproportionate suspension rates amongst Black and Brown students.

Aguirre is working to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic by pushing for equitable responses to the racial disparities in healthcare. In addition to his work on the Eviction Prevention Task Force, Aguirre voted to provide housing and rental assistance to those in need. He prioritized small businesses by approving additional funding and grants to entrepreneurs. Aguirre said that in his next term he hopes to continue working toward equity in language access, vaccine distribution, transportation, and identification of women and minority-owned small businesses for COVID-19 funding.

Due to his support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, Aguirre is a progressive choice in this race.

John Chapman was first elected to Alexandria City Council in 2012 and is currently seeking his fourth term. His family has lived in Alexandria for four generations. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in social studies education from Saint Olaf College. Chapman works as an educator in Fairfax County Public Schools and owns Manumission Tour Company. Before serving on the city council, Chapman was president of the Alexandria NAACP. He and his wife currently live in the Taylor Run neighborhood with their son.

As an educator and council member, Chapman has experience working on budget advisory committees for the city and the school system. He believes more funding could attract more teachers, hire more teachers, and invest in the system’s infrastructure needs. His plans include providing more apprenticeship opportunities for Alexandria City Public Schools students by partnering with local private businesses. He advocates for increased access to pre-K education and after-school education opportunities. He supports safely reopening city schools based on the advice from health experts and in compliance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

During his three terms on the city council, Chapman fought for more affordable housing by supporting the Alexandria Housing and Redevelopment Authority’s (ARHA) efforts to increase the number of affordable housing units. Chapman believes the city should demand more from developers to guarantee the construction of affordable units. Recognizing that many working-class residents cannot afford the cost of living in the city, Chapman has promised to devote more resources to homeownership and expand the city’s Homebuyer Program.

As a small business owner, Chapman understands that local businesses were hit hard by the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He wants to assemble a Small Business Recovery Task Force to create a policy framework aimed at helping the local economy regain its footing. He is interested in working with local financial institutions to expand access to capital for small businesses. Chapman will continue to push for training and workforce development programs to provide residents with skills, training, and entrepreneurial support.

Chapman advocates for updating the city’s aging infrastructure with an emphasis on the sewer system, transportation, and school facilities. He also wants to refocus efforts on developing digital infrastructure. He believes the city can pay for the upgrades by shifting the burden of revenue from residential property owners to commercial property owners. He wants to make the city more pedestrian-friendly, and improve transportation options for those who work and live in Alexandria and in neighboring communities.

Due to his support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, Chapman is a progressive choice in this election.

Originally from Texas, Kirk McPike earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and his master’s degree from George Mason University. He came to live in Alexandria to work on a state senator’s campaign for office and is currently the chief of staff to Congressman Mark Takano. He previously served as chair of the Alexandria Economic Opportunities Commission, which supports low-income residents of the city. McPike and his husband reside in the Seminary Hill neighborhood of Alexandria with their beagle.

If elected, McPike will prioritize the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. He advocates for supporting businesses to recover lost revenue and restoring the social safety net so people can rely on the government more. He supports using federal funds to pay for equity initiatives and improved infrastructure. He agrees that the city needs to expand broadband access, but believes the city could offer different choices for consumers beyond just a municipal broadband infrastructure.

McPike wants to guarantee access to affordable housing that reflects the city’s diverse needs in an eco-friendly way. He is committed to finding diverse solutions to affordable housing, including investing in affordable purchasable units and subsidizing rent. McPike also supports developing affordable assisted living facilities in the city so senior residents aren’t pushed out by skyrocketing housing costs.

McPike sees that the city’s problems with flooding are worsened by climate change and believes the city should act more quickly to address the issue. He believes that funding can be pulled from outside sources to address this problem rather than residential taxpayer dollars. He believes that using money sources such as the American Rescue Plan and federal and state dollars will expedite the process to improve Alexandria’s sewer system.

McPike believes that transparency and communication are essential parts of government. He believes that Alexandria’s government has disconnected from its residence. As a member of the City Council will push for fully open communication between the city and its residents. He plans to hold virtual and physical town hall meetings in which all citizens may voice their concerns. By restoring trust between residents and local government, McPike believes the policymaking process will be more efficient.

Due to his support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, McPike is a progressive choice in this race.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Sarah Bagley is an activist, attorney, and executive director of an affordable housing nonprofit. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in government from The College of William and Mary and her law degree from The Catholic University of America. Bagley previously worked at two DC-based law firms and served as a clerk at the District Court in Montgomery County. She is a community organizer who has worked with organizations such as the Alexandria Democratic Committee, MOMS Demand Action, and Postcards4VA.

A top priority for Bagley is ensuring that safe, sanitary, and affordable housing is accessible for those unable to work or earning low or part-time wages in Alexandria. She wants to rebuild the affordable housing stock that the city has lost during the past 20 years. She also wants big corporations building in the area to consider environmental impact and commit to investing in infrastructure. In addition to preservation and redevelopment, she wants to provide a path to homeownership for first-time buyers in order to secure greater financial security.

If elected, she will work to make communities safer and more inclusive for everyone. These efforts include reducing gun violence, suicide, and guaranteeing that LGBTQ students are accepted and supported in public schools and city space. She hopes to partner with law enforcement agencies as means of providing gun training and education to owners. Bagley will also push to distribute trigger locks to provide safer storage and reduce unintended usage. She will also work to remove access barriers to technology and help break down existing language barriers. Bagley hopes to bridge a connection between historically marginalized communities and the newly formed Community Police Review Board by including community members in the review process.

Bagley is committed to addressing the impacts of climate change on the city. As a council member, she will seek funding to invest in public transportation methods that are safe and affordable. She believes incentives should be provided to businesses to convert existing structures to renewable energy sources or more energy-efficient programs. She’ll address the city’s flooding and outdated infrastructure issues by working with environmental groups knowledgeable on stormwater and stream restoration.

To combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bagley will support relief efforts geared towards communities most in need. She believes the city’s recovery plan must be equitable, transparent, and flexible. She supports individualized programs that provide rental assistance to renters, mortgage assistance to landlords, and financial assistance to businesses economically impacted by the pandemic. She also supports using relief funding to provide support to programs that tackle the city’s infrastructure needs, such as the sewer system and street conditions.

Due to her support of working families, public education, the environment, racial and social equity, Bagley is a progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Council Member David F. Snyder, who has previously served as mayor and vice-mayor, is running for reelection to City Council. Snyder was first elected to council in 1994. He was raised in Western Pennsylvania, attended Dickinson College, and came to the area to attend George Washington University Law School. He practices administrative and international trade law. He and his wife have lived in Falls Church for over 35 years and have two adult children.

Snyder has worked to implement environmental protections in Falls Church, particularly in the transportation sector. He is a member and former chair of the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, which worked to increase environmental standards in the DMV. He’s a regional leader in the Council of Governments to improve the local environment as well. The group helps create collaboration between local governments and ensure all region members are up to standard when it comes to environmental issues. He also supported a recent policy by the Metro to give free Capital Bikeshare rides to those who pay for their metro rides virtually.

Snyder is dedicated to investing in city infrastructure. As vice-chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, he successfully brought over $40 million in transportation funding to Falls Church. He also chaired the Transportation Technology Working Group, which created priorities for environmental and infrastructural improvements to the transportation system, including implementing electric and automated vehicles. Additionally, as a member of the Transportation Planning Board, he led efforts to improve highway safety in the area. He supports utilizing the latest technology to make transportation in the area as safe and efficient as possible, including utilizing electric vehicles and telecommunications.

As former president of the Falls Church Housing Corporation, Snyder has worked to improve access to affordable housing in the City’s development projects. On council, he supported investments in affordable housing and advocated for increasing opportunities for homeownership in the city. This includes increasing the number of condominium units, which allows a more affordable option to gain wealth. Additionally, he voted in favor of a new council policy to require at least 10% of units in the area to be affordable to individuals or households earning between 40 and 80 percent of the annual median income for the region. This is the highest rate in the region.

Synder has worked to ensure Falls Church remains a great place to live, go to school, shop, and work. On city council, he’s voted in favor of fully funding local schools and ensuring competitive compensation for school staff so that the area can retain high-quality teachers. Additionally, he prioritizes funding for the library and local parks. During the pandemic, he supported increased funding for local businesses and participated as a vaccine trial volunteer and Medical Reserve Corps participant. He also voted in favor of a ban of guns on city property, City Hall, the Community Center, the Farmers’ Market, and the library, which will work to keep community members safe and prevent gun violence.

Due to his support of the environment, transportation funding, and public education, Snyder is a progressive choice in this race.

Incumbent Debbie Schantz-Hiscott is running for reelection to the Falls Church City Council. She was elected in 2020 in a special election. Schantz-Hiscott has lived in Falls Church for 24 years and is the executive director of the Falls Church Education Foundation. She attended University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for her undergraduate degree. She and her husband, Stephen, raised three daughters in the city who all attended local schools. She volunteered in the schools and served as PTA president.

One of Schantz-Hiscott’s top priorities is pandemic recovery. She would like to work with the Development Advisory Committee to stimulate the economy in Falls Church City and bring new business to the area. She supports the council’s work with the Economic Development Authority to provide grants and ensure local businesses are supported. Working with the Falls Church Education Foundation, she’s collaborated with local businesses, ensuring she has the skills necessary to build a strong relationship between the city council and local businesses.

Schantz-Hiscott is passionate about ensuring schools are well-funded and local students are supported. Managing the Falls Church Education Foundation, she nearly doubled donations, ensuring that local schools’ family assistance funds have enough money to support all who need help. During the pandemic, she raised over $120,000 for food and supplies for community members and worked with school social workers to identify where these resources would be most needed. Additionally, she actively supported the bond referendum for a new high school in the area and is dedicated to ensuring its completion and opening go smoothing.

Schantz-Hiscott will continue to prioritize equity. She would like to initiate more research into the city allowing accessory dwelling units, which would increase housing density and decrease housing prices. Additionally, she supported a commitment by the council to increase investment into affordable housing units by $100,000. She would like for every board and commission in Falls Church to approach city issues with an equity lens, including equity in schools, housing, accessibility, and employment.

Schantz-Hiscott would also like to ensure that all development and city actions have an environmental focus. She hopes to ensure further development in the city not only takes into account the local charm but also sustainable and smart growth. She would also like to improve local stormwater management processes and ensure residents have opportunities to provide feedback. Locally, she has been involved with Recreation and Parks and the Public Works Departments.

Due to her support of the environment, pandemic recovery, public education, equity, and affordable housing, Schantz-Hiscott is a progressive choice for this race.

Incumbent vice-mayor of Falls Church Marybeth D. Connelly is running for re-election to city council. Connelly was first elected to the council in 2013. She and her husband moved to Falls Church in 1995, and their three children attended local public schools. She received her master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia and an undergraduate degree from Villanova University. She is employed as a Community Outreach Director at Falls Church City Public School.

Connelly has worked to ensure the city is able to maintain smart economic growth. She’s proud of the work the council has done in recent years, particularly citing the growth at the Spectrum, on Maple Ave, The Byron, and Kensington as examples of business areas that support the local community. She would like to see more mixed-use development and is prioritizing increasing the number of businesses in the area so that more commercial tax revenue is available.

Connelly prioritizes ensuring every child has access to well-funded and high-quality schools in the city. She understands that one of the city council’s most important roles is providing sufficient funding so that schools can maintain their high-quality teachers, programs, and facilities. She would also like to improve the city council’s relationship with the school board, school staff, University of Virginia & Virginia Tech, and the local community.

Connelly is passionate about preserving and celebrating the history of Falls Church. She is the co-founder of the Falls Church Women's History Walk, which gives local community members the chance to take a walk and learn historical information about female leaders in Falls Church. She believes history is still being made and would like to ensure that Falls Church is prepared for its growing population. She wants to make sure the City is a place where all can come to live, go to school, work, shop, and have a sense of community.

Connelly is also supportive of policies to make Falls Church more equitable. She spoke out about the need to change the name of George Mason High School and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, both named after slave-owners. The board successfully voted to change the school names to Meridian High School and Oak Street Elementary, respectively. Additionally, she initiated a discussion with the council on renaming city-owned buildings, streets, statues, and parks, making the concept part of the city’s 2021 Work Plan.

Due to her support of equity, smart economic growth, and public education, Connelly is a progressive choice in this race.

Stuart Whitaker is a local businessman running for Falls Church city council. Whitaker is originally from Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago for his undergraduate and master’s degrees. He has worked for many years as a financial economist and currently runs his own firm. He is involved with the Falls Church League of Women Voters, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society, the Falls Church American Legion, the Citizens for a Better City, and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce.

Whitaker’s top priority is addressing the climate crisis, citing this as the top reason he decided to run for city council. He would like to see the city dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and looking at every decision through an environmental lens. He would prioritize investing in features that not only make the community more sustainable, but also enhance quality of life, such as parks, trails, and the natural environment. He is a supporter of the Green New Deal.

Whitaker would also like to see major investment in transportation. He believes the city is far too auto-centric. He would like to see the prioritization of biking and walking, so that community members are not forced to get in their cars every time they need to go somewhere. Additionally, he would prioritize options for public transportation, including buses and rail, to make transportation more environmental, accessible, and affordable. He opposed the city council’s decision to extend I-66, citing environmental concerns with the project.

Whitaker would also prioritize making council decisions through an equity lens. He would like to increase opportunities for community input and highlight diverse community voices. He wants to ensure all community members have equal and full access to opportunities. He supports anti-racist education. He would like to address residential segregation and ensure all community members have equal access to affordable housing. Additionally, he supports policies to ensure all individuals have access to the ballot box and combat voter suppression.

Whitaker would like to ensure Falls Church is a livable community, meaning all individuals can afford to live, work, and attend school in the area. He supports sufficient funding for city resources like schools and libraries, as well as community programs. He supports actions to keep communities safe, including common sense gun violence prevention legislation. Additionally, he believes that the government’s top priority should be serving the community and ensuring economic equity.

Due to his support of the environment, equity, transportation funding, and working families, Whitaker is a progressive choice in this race.

David Ortiz works for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He is a Princeton and University of Michigan graduate. During his time at the RAND Corporation, he built a program around policy research in energy and the environment. Ortiz has worked for federal agencies, developing budgets and implementing public policy. He and his family moved to Falls Church in 2013, citing the school system as the main reason for relocating. His children attend Falls Church public schools.

Ortiz seeks to help children in the city be better prepared for their future. He believes that holding the superintendent accountable is a key to better results for the school system. He has expressed support of mask mandates in schools. He also supports rights and protections for transgender students, school faculty participating in unions, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training for teachers and administrators. He does not support the use of school resource officers in schools.

No further information was available at time of publication.
Due to his commitment to protect transgender student rights, DEI training, and support for unions, Ortiz is a progresssive choice in this race.

Jerrod Anderson moved to Falls Church with his family from Jackson, Tennessee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College, a master’s degree from George Mason University, and a doctorate from the University of California. He currently works as a statistician for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Anderson previously worked in the Memphis public school system to help integrate mathematics-focused education technology. He and his wife, a data scientist, live in Falls Church with their two children.

As a member of the School Board, Anderson plans to bridge communication between the school system and other stakeholders. While he praises the Falls Church County Public School system for their actions during the pandemic, he believes they failed to communicate why decisions were made and what factors were considered. He promises to open clear lines of communication for teachers and administrators while ensuring the School Board listens to all perspectives of community members.

Anderson seeks to bring his expertise as a statistician to the School Board. He hopes to contribute efficient and systematically developed decision-making to the School Board. He believes that decisions made should be goal-driven and informed by data above anything else. He supports government efforts to keep students safe during the pandemic, including the mask mandate.

No further information was available at time of publication.

Due to his support of data-driven decision making, Jerrod Anderson is a progressive choice in this election.

Kathleen Tysse is a former public school educator and former president of Falls Church Elementary PTA. Tysee has a master of teaching degree. She currently serves on the Mary Riley Styles Public Library board. She is passionate about literacy and social justice. Tysse is a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

She supports government driven initiatives to combat climate change. Tysse is also in support of raising taxes on the rich to help raise state revenue. She is also a member of the Gifted Education Advisory Committee, which supports the superintendent and school board in identifying and educating gifted and talented Falls Church students.

No further information was available at the time of publication.

Due to her support of increased literacy rates and social justice, Tysse is a progressive choice in this election.

Lori Silverman is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and obtained her law degree from the George Washington University Law School. She owns a political consulting firm, Lori Silverman, LLC, and previously worked as an attorney for a top DC lobbying firm. She moved to Falls Church in 2016 and is mother to two children.

Silverman believes that the Falls Church City School System will benefit from more open and transparent processes for teachers and parents. She supports diversity, equity and inclusion within the school system. She also believes in keeping our communities safe by passing common-sense measures aimed at preventing gun violence.

No further information was available at time of publication.

Due to her support of transparent communication for parents and teachers, gun violence prevention, and inclusive policies, Lori Silverman is a progressive candidate in this election.