2024 Candidate Profile: Jonathan Huskey 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 AlexandriaEarly 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 Jonathan Huskey's responses:NameJonathan HuskeyOffice SoughtAlexandria City CouncilCampaign WebsiteHuskeyforCouncil.comAge (As of June 18 election)47EducationB.A., University of KansasOccupationCommunications Director, State Revenue AllianceFamilyWife, 2 childrenDoes anyone in your family work in politics or government? My spouse works at a firm with clients that include Democratic candidatesPrevious public office positions or appointmentsNoneWhy are you seeking this office?I love living in Alexandria. My wife and I moved here 12 years ago to raise our family. I didn’t set out to run for City Council. I was motivated to run because I believed the Potomac Yard arena project was a threat to my neighborhood and to our city at large. Now, I am running for City Council because we need to stand up for Alexandria, for neighborhoods, small business and for working families.What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?I'm the only candidate who was active in trying to defeat the Potomac Yard arena and that experience has led me to recognize an imbalance in power in this city between big business and the rest of us. I'm one of just a few candidates who would support some version of a ward/hybrid system and believe that the elimination of single-family zoning will only benefit developers, rather than adding affordable housing. In short, I'm in this race to bring some balance and diversity of thought to the Council, especially when it comes to economic development.What do you see as the top issues facing your city, and how do you address them in your campaign platform?The top three issues that I'll focus on are revenue, better representation, and supporting working families. I will focus on revenue. We need more for our neighborhoods, schools and families. I know there are tough decisions on the budget in the short term but the only long-term solution is for Virginia to have a more progressive tax system. It is possible if we fight for it, which this council has decided NOT to do, and instead, this year, spend $700,000 to lobby for the Potomac Yard arena rather than a bill that would add a new tax bracket for people who earn over $1 million, which would have brought in $1 billion for schools and other important services. I strongly believe, if we had a ward/district representative on Council for Del Ray, Lynhaven, and Potomac Yard – there’s no way that person would have acted the way our current city leaders did over the past few months. We all deserve accountability and the city-wide Council system creates an incumbent protection system that needs reform.For far too long, Alexandria’s economic development focus has been to attract big business at the expense of our neighborhoods, small businesses and working families. Too many Alexandrians are struggling to afford rent, save for their future, buy a home or start a business, but I have spent most of my career bringing thousands of people together to stand up for their rights and win union contracts that improve their lives. On the City Council, I'll look for additional ways to support worker rights and attack inequality. I favor expanding income support programs like the ARISE grants and making sure that workers are part of development and budget decisions that affect them.What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?I have to a 20+ year record fighting for progressive causes, Democratic candidates and working families on the front lines. I have stood with tens of thousands of workers as they formed their unions and bargained for a better future. I have helped state and local communities win billions of dollars in additional revenue for education, healthcare and affordable housing. I have helped tons of Democratic candidates across the country with their campaigns. I understand public policy and how it can affect people’s lives.The article 2024 Candidate Profile: Jonathan Huskey For Alexandria City Council appeared first on Old Town Alexandria, VA Patch.
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