Alyia Gaskins

Alyia was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs but struggled to make ends meet. She and Alyia’s grandmother put all they had into ensuring Alyia had a great education. With a background in public health, urban planning, and municipal finance, Alyia Gaskins was elected to the Alexandria City Council in 2021 and has taken the lead on building a community where everyone can thrive.

During her time on Council, Alyia has led the charge to expand access to affordable housing and invest in youth by expanding after-school and summer job programs and mental health access. She has worked to pass three collective bargaining agreements for labor and trades, police, and firefighters, secured over half a million dollars to support diverse small businesses, funded critical infrastructure including broadband expansion, and addressed climate change through stormwater management, flood mitigation, and increased transit options.

As Mayor, Alyia will work to ensure that all Alexandrians are able to live and age in quality housing they can afford, strengthen education by expanding early childhood opportunities, recruiting and retaining teachers, and building new schools, and partnering with public safety to focus on prevention, detection, and intervention to reduce crime. She’ll support economic growth by investing in small businesses, helping businesses to open, stay open, and thrive, developing workforce readiness programs, and engaging unions to strengthen standards and protections.

Alexandria needs a leader who will work across the community to seize opportunities and tackle challenges head-on. Alyia Gaskins is that leader.