Potomac Yard Arena Proposal Prompts Resident To Enter City Council Race

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Del Ray resident Jonathan Huskey is the latest candidate to enter the Alexandria City Council race in 2024. Huskey said the Potomac Yard arena proposal motivated him to enter the race.

Huskey is running as a Democrat in the June 18, 2024, primary election. A first-time candidate, he is the communications director at the State Revenue Alliance, which advocates for progressive tax policy and additional revenue for community needs. He's also worked with Service Employees International Union members and held positions in support of electing Democratic candidates in Virginia and around the U.S. He and his wife, Mandy, have lived in Virginia for over two decades and have been in Alexandria since 2012 to raise their family.

Huskey decided to run after months of discussion on the Washington Capitals and Wizards arena and entertainment district. The arena proposal's future is uncertain after the Virginia General Assembly did not include the arena financing in the state budget.

"Sports arenas are bad public investments and this one would be no different. That’s why I was shocked when Alexandria’s elected Democratic leaders — people I have supported and voted for —rushed into a deal with Ted Leonsis and Glenn Youngkin that residents never asked for and we don't need," said Huskey in a statement. "Despite Council's good intentions, the Potomac Yard project shows the need for new voices at City Hall. We should never threaten Alexandria's fiscal health and quality of life with a secret handshake agreement."

However, Huskey believes City Council needs to find more sources of revenue to fund community needs.

"I’m a firm believer that you can’t just be against something, you need to be part of finding a solution," Huskey said. "In this case, the problem is revenue – Alexandria needs more of it to fund the things we need for our community, our safety and our kids' future. When budgets are tight, we have to stop thinking there’s nothing our City Council can do except raise property taxes or cut services."

The Democratic candidate plans to meet with voters in each city precinct to share neighborhood concerns and ideas for the next City Council.

For more information, visit huskeyforcouncil.com.

There are numerous Democratic candidates running for the six City Council seats in the June primary. Councilmembers John Taylor Chapman, Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley and Kirk McPike are seeking re-election, while Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and Councilmember Alyia Gaskins are running for mayor. Mayor Justin Wilson will not seek a new term.

Other candidates for City Council are Alexandria School Board members Jacinte Greene and Abdel Elnoubi, Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board chair James Lewis, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority commissioner Kevin Harris, former magistrate Charlotte Scherer, and nonprofit leader Jesse O'Connell.