What Happened on Election Day?

The new Douglass MacArthur Elementary School building opened in Aug. 2023. This year, the new building was used as a poll site for the first time. (Noah Sternberg for Theogony)

Early vs. Election Day Voting

Voters cast their ballots at Alexandria's 32 poll sites on Election Day, including at Douglass MacArthur Elementary School's new building. But more than 40 percent of registered voters — and roughly 60 percent of total voters in the election — voted early, either by mail or through the in-person absentee polling sites available in the months leading up to Nov. 5.
On Election Day, Jon Danilowicz, in the red hat, predicted the shift to the Right. “It wasn’t long ago when Republicans won,” he said. “I think it will be close.” (James Libresco for Theogony)

Republicans in Alexandria

In hyper-liberal Alexandria, it's been more than 15 years since a Republican was elected to a citywide office. This year was no exception: City Council candidate Celianna Gunderson (R) finished in eighth place with roughly 6 percent of the vote. But statewide, results shifted resoundingly to the Right. In the presidential election, Kamala Harris (D) only won the state by about 5 points — half the margin Joe Biden won by in 2020.
Volunteers — of campaigns ranging from Donald J Trump’s to Kirk McPike’s — pled their candidates’ cases to voters all day. (Byron Libresco for Theogony)

The City's Busiest Poll Site?

Mount Vernon Recreation Center typically attracts the most Alexandrians to vote out of any other poll site. But this year, it was beat out by the Cora Kelley School — where 1,522 voters cast their ballots, compared to Mount Vernon's 1,425. On Election Day, Mount Vernon was slower than usual, but a large number of campaign volunteers lined up outside the entrance, and multiple local candidates made appearances.
Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park, outside of JD Vance’s home, was closed by the Secret Service earlier this year. It is now open intermittently, yet stone barriers will stay in place indefinitely. (Byron Libresco for Theogony)

Quiet Outside of JD Vance's Home

When Republican nominee for vice president JD Vance moved into a home in Del Ray earlier this year and prompted the temporary closure of a local park, residents were outraged. But on Tue., the scene outside of his home was quiet — except for chalk messages in support of the Democratic presidential ticket and liberal policies like universal healthcare, and an entourage of Secret Service agents.
Alexandria elected Democrat Alyia Gaskins to be its next mayor. (Rozalia Finkelstein for Theogony)

A Rollercoaster for Democrats

As the clock ticked past 7:00 p.m., Alexandria Democrats gathered at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray, anxiously awaiting results. The night was bittersweet for many attendees, as it slowly became clear that Kamala Harris (D) would lose her campaign for president. But at the local level, Alyia Gaskins (D) was elected as the city's first Black female mayor, prompting cheers from the crowd.

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