Interestingly, Frank made his own sample Republican ballot for the polls that lists only himself for city council. He did not include Bob Wood or Alicia Hughes. I'm told the Republican committee is very angry about this and that Alicia had words with one of Frank's volunteers. I don't blame Frank one bit...no one wants to be associated with Hughes. Leaving Bob off was just for consistency.

My husband and I have met Frank Fannon, and, despite what Mr. Friedman says about him, he is a guy who understands what's going on with Alexandria, more than many others running for city council, right now. Both my husband and I are Democrats, but in Alexandria, we believe that sometimes it's good to have other opinions, that is, even if you have to go to the other party to get them. Looking at Mr. Fannon's actions while on council, he has worked tirelessly for our city to get stronger financial stability through these very tough economic times. For myself, being a moderate Democrat, I don't like the far left liberal or far right conservative extremes. Apparently neither does Mr. Fannon, who, to me, seems like he works his own political agenda to suit Alexandria, where he was born, raised and has a flourishing business. I'm voting for Frank Fannon, and I know a LOT of other Democrats who have told me that they already have or are going to do so on Election Day. I also support Allison Silberberg, John Chapman, Paul Smedberg, and Tim Lovain, but I absolutely do not support Justin Wilson, or Del Pepper, both who are nice people, but their time has come and gone, and even more so with Del. I'm also voting for President Obama, Tim Kaine and Jim Moran, too. So, once again, I'm asking Democrats to join with me in voting for Fannon, Silberberg, Champman, Smedberg and Lovain, and Obama, Kaine and Moran. To vote for Frank Fannon, by the way, will be a good thing for our great city!

I'd like to see a Pepper, Fannon, Chapman, Wood, Silberberg, Wilson council. I think that would be the best cross section of interests from the City and would see that there are some checks and balances on each council member.

Soon-to-be 'former' Alexandria City Councilwoman, Alicia Hughes, might as well pack up her stuff and move back to Baltimore, especially after she loses here in Alexandria, tomorrow night.

I'd like to see Hughes, Fannon, Wood, Kraus, Smedberg & John Chapman win. The City needs fresh eyes & thinkers on Council. Some of the candidates at the debates mentioned they can envision City spending going north of $1 Billion dollars annually. With one of the highest commercial vacancy rates in the region, think your taxes are high now?

Lee Hernly, my point was, and is, that on the sample ballot that Frank Fannon is sending out to folks, he's telling people to vote for him, and no other Republicans are checked off, none, absolutely, no one else! Frank Fannon is smart to distance himself from other Republicans who can only bring him down! http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102397539463-75/Sample+Ballot+2.pdf

Lee thanks for clarifying the facts with a link to the sample ballot in question. I'm with you on city council needing a transfusion of fresh blood- like your sample ballot!

Lee, how can you support Alicia after all of her nonsense?? If a Dem didn't pay their rent, had misdemeanor driving charges, drove around with another state's plate on their car and was registered to vote in another state while running for office in VA, had been sued multiple times in multiple states over unpaid amounts due, lied about being a lawyer, etc. etc. etc., you'd be screaming from the rooftops!

The article is certainly not an opinion piece from a disinterested Alexandria observer. Isn't Friedman a Democratic activist? If so, his article is essentially a political commercial attempting to suppress voting for Fannon. I thought you folks at Patch were smart enough to recognize such efforts.

Paul is a member of the ADC, but that is all. He's a private citizen and entitled to his opinion just like all of you..and me. There have been plenty of letters published on Patch that were very pro-Republican and 1000s of comments.

For anyone who hasn't voted yet, while I'm not on the ballot this year, as I was in 2009, I would be honored by your write-in vote tomorrow. We need a bi-partisan council. If you are voting strictly party lines when it comes to the city's government, you do us all a disservice. My votes for council (other than myself) are: Fannon, Wood, and Chapman. - Phil Cefaratti

I'm voting for Hughes.

My husband and I both voted, this morning, and as Democrats, we voted for other Democrats, as well as for Frank Fannon, who is a good man for our city! Here's even a commercial for Frank's reelection campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3wvqnWhwzo

seems to me that when a LOT of folks vote, democrats win, when only a few can be bohered, republicans win. That explains the voter suppression laws clearly. It also explains why the republicans need to look into a mirror, and rethink the strategy I know they are not insane, and that is what they will do

Okay, as a Democrat who actually voted for Frank Fannon, here comes the HUGE tax increases and our City of Alexandria budget explodes upwards, out of control, once again. I'm a progressive Democrat, and I realize that Frank Fannon ran as a Republican, but wake up people! Now we have a one-party politburo on the dais at Alexandria City Hall! And for what? Just so Tim Lovain and Justin Wilson could get reelected? Unreal, just unreal. In these economic times people are watching their spending, as many of our neighbors are out of work, or severely underpaid, and some are working two to three jobs just to make ends meet. And now Bill Euille, and the rest of our Alexandria politburo, collectively, have elected to spend money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Most of the members of our Alexandria City Council have never run a business before, and many of them are not that well off, either. At least Frank Fannon has been a very successful local businessman in Alexandria, and he has also made a great deal of money as the senior mortgage broker at SunTrust Mortgage at Duke and Henry Streets. Is Frank perfect? No, none of us are perfect, but I can at least say he's a much better man to be on the Alexandria City Council than Justin Wilson, who likes to pontificate and foam at the mouth at how much better he is over everyone. Justin Wilson is one of the coldest political personalities I have ever met. At least with Frank Fannon he is a warm-hearted man who cares about people.