As a nearly 25-year resident of Alexandria and a long time member of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, I pay close attention to political future of the Port City. I have heard that some voters don’t always go to the polls for local and state elections because they believe that Alexandria is so strongly Democratic that they don’t need to vote. In 2018, the cost of being wrong about that is too high to take the risk. The decisions City Council makes aren’t partisan. Sewers and potholes aren’t Democratic or Republican issues. But Democratic elected officials make decisions based on our shared values, and that impacts our daily lives.
Even though our elected officials are Democrats, we still have to vote to protect basics like Civil Rights, environmental sustainability, and education. Since we all agree on our foundational principles, we can spend our time pushing forward, working to expand Civil Rights, write better environmental policy, and fully fund ACPS.
We must also reaffirm Alexandria’s commitment to inclusivity in the face of Trumpism. We want to send a clear message that we do not ascribe to the politics of the current occupant of the White House — not just to our foes, but also to the most vulnerable members of our community.
Every major political figure starts somewhere, often in local politics. When we elect people to represent us locally, we are giving them training, experience, and credentials to possibly pursue higher office. That’s a big responsibility. We need to be sure that the seeds we plant here, in Alexandria, are Democratic. This is how we create a bench of future leaders.
Having Democrats in City Hall means pushing forward a progressive agenda that includes national issues that can be implemented on a local scale: equal pay, gender inclusion, traffic/infrastructure/clean transportation, senior care, housing affordability, educational equity, green space, eco-friendly building, police transparency, and gun violence prevention. Every election matters, so get out and vote this year.
Gail Gordon Donegan
Alexandria