Candidate Profile: Jesse O'Connell For Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria's Democratic primary will choose the Democratic nominees for the six City Council seats along with mayor during the June 18, 2024 election.

Democratic candidates who win in the primary will go on to the general election for the six City Council seats. Candidates are Councilmembers John Taylor Chapman, Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley and Kirk McPike; 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; nonprofit leader Jesse O'Connell and progressive tax policy staffer Jonathan Huskey.

The City of Alexandria will have the Democratic City Council and mayoral primaries, along with a Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

SEE ALSO: Mayoral, City Council Primaries 2024: Early Voting To Begin In Alexandria

Early voting for the general election began on May 3 and continues through June 15. More information on how to vote is available from the Alexandria Office of Voter Registration & Elections.

Patch asked candidates for Alexandria City Council and mayor to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Jesse O'Connell's responses:

Name

Jesse O'Connell

Office Sought

Alexandria City Council

Campaign Website

www.jesseforalx.com

Age (As of June 18 election)

42

Education

Georgetown University (BA & MA)

Occupation

Chief Advancement Officer at the American Council on Education

Family

Wife and two kids (5th grade, 2nd grade) and an 18 month old golden doodle

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Previous public office positions or appointments

Past chair, City of Alexandria Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee; past member, City of Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission; current member, Alexandria Transit Company (DASH Bus) board of directors

Why are you seeking this office?

Every day I reflect on how fulfilled I am by living in Alexandria, and how fortunate I feel to be a part of this community. I know that places like this don’t happen by accident, and that they are sustained by the efforts and dedication of all of us who live here. With that in mind, I’ve worked to get involved and volunteer and serve the city since the first moment we moved here. I was raised to believe that when you see something that needs to be done, you don’t wait for someone else to do it—you step forward and help do the work.

I decided to run for office because as much as I’m excited and confident about Alexandria’s future, I also see us dealing with real challenges. We’re a great place to raise a family, yet many parents struggle with access to high-quality childcare, affordable activities, and housing sufficient for their needs. Our parks, athletic facilities, and open spaces are not on par with the rest of the region and are strained to bursting by insufficient capacity.

We’re facing a city budget future with too many important priorities and obligations, yet too few effective tools at our disposal to meet those financial demands. I believe we can successfully address all those challenges and more – but only if we turn to serious leaders with serious solutions, and I think that I am such a person.

I’m friendly and optimistic, I’m pragmatic, I listen and work well with others, and I see public service as an opportunity to solve problems for people, big and small. I care a lot about the things that local governments do best—filling potholes, collecting trash, maintaining our public spaces, supporting strong public schools—because when people see the results of government delivering on small everyday things, they believe in our ability to deliver on the big things too.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

I have a lot of experience across a wide range of city functions and services, and have built and maintained the relationships I gained from those experiences. I’ve chaired the city’s budget commission, and served on the parks and rec commission in addition to planning implementation groups for the Braddock and Old Town North neighborhoods, and I currently serve on the board of the Alexandria Transit Company. I’ve also served on the boards of local nonprofits like the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, Alexandria Little League, and Hopkins House Preschool Academy, and I was a co-founder of a civic association in the Braddock neighborhood. Through all this work I’ve gotten to know city staff and engaged with community leaders across a variety of areas of interest. The relationships and experience I’ve built make me confident I would be ready to get to work for Alexandria on day one.

What do you see as the top issues facing your city, and how do you address them in your campaign platform?

1) Continue to increase housing supply throughout the entire City of Alexandria, across a variety of types of homes to rent or own, and over a broad range of price and affordability. 2) Advance the thriving of children and youth in the city by increasing access to affordable high-quality child care and after care programs, and the creation of new youth engagement and mentorship opportunities. 3) Grow and keep talent in the city by collaborating with labor early and always, investing in a range of learning and workforce development programs, and supporting small businesses by shortening the path from inspiration to success. 4) Increase and improve the number, variety, and ongoing maintenance of the parks, open spaces, and sports fields and facilities in the city to sufficiently meet the variety of demand from residents of all ages and interests.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My record of service in the city demonstrates that I show up for people, I show up prepared, I listen and learn, and I'm ready to face unexpected challenges and pursue creative solutions. Roles like this are hard - they require focus and determination. As a former athlete and Olympic Trials finalist I have shown that I have the drive and stamina it takes to achieve hard things.