Live Interviews Sunday, January 18 Give Alexandria Voters a Look at House District 5 Candidates

Alexandria, VA — As Alexandria voters prepare for Tuesday’s Democratic firehouse primary for House of Delegates District 5, they have an opportunity Sunday to hear directly from the candidates seeking the nomination.

The Alexandria Brief  is hosting a series of live, virtual, one-on-one interviews today, Sunday, January 18, with the three Democratic candidates currently in the race: Kirk McPike, Eileen Cassidy Rivera, and Chris Leibig.

The live conversations are intended to give voters insight into why each candidate is running, the issues they see as most pressing for Alexandria, and how they would represent the city in Richmond if elected. Viewers will be able to submit questions during each broadcast.

The filing deadline for the Democratic primary is Sunday, January 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Alexandria Democratic Committee office on Mount Vernon Avenue. If additional candidates file before the deadline, they will also be invited to participate in the interviews, according to The Alexandria Brief.

The interview schedule is as follows:

At 4:30 p.m., Alexandria City Council member Kirk McPike will join the conversation. McPike has served on Council since 2021 and previously spent 13 years as chief of staff to Rep. Mark Takano of California. His campaign has announced endorsements from Rep. Don Beyer, Delegates Paul Krizek and Laura Jane Cohen, and several local elected officials. If elected to the House of Delegates, McPike’s departure from City Council would trigger a separate special election to fill his seat.

At 5:30 p.m., Eileen Cassidy Rivera will take part in the live interview. Rivera previously served on the Alexandria City School Board and worked in the Clinton administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration. She has identified affordable housing, school funding, climate protection, and support for the federal workforce as key priorities. Rivera was the first candidate to announce her candidacy for the District 5 seat.

At 6:30 p.m., criminal defense attorney Chris Leibig will appear. Leibig worked at the Alexandria Public Defender’s Office from 1996 to 2002 before opening a private practice in Old Town. He is currently president-elect of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has focused his campaign on criminal justice reform, labor rights, and reform of the mental health system.

The live interviews will stream on thealexandriabrief.com as well as on The Alexandria Brief’s YouTube, Facebook, and X channels. Recordings of all three conversations will be available afterward online, through the outlet’s newsletter, and as a podcast.

The Democratic firehouse primary will be held Tuesday, January 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting will take place at two locations: the Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library at 5005 Duke Street and the Charles Houston Recreation Center at 901 Wythe Street. Only voters registered in House District 5 are eligible to participate. Residents can confirm their district at whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will advance to the February 10 special election, where the Democratic nominee will face Republican candidate Mason Butler. Butler, a business executive and former Alexandria City Council candidate, was named the Republican nominee after the Alexandria Republican City Committee canceled its planned canvass when he emerged as the sole applicant. He has said his campaign will focus on economic development, fiscal responsibility, and cost-of-living concerns affecting Alexandria residents.

Reporting includes information from The Alexandria Brief.