Justin Wilson (politician)

Justin Marshall Wilson (born March 11, 1979) is an American politician who has been mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, since January 2, 2019.[1] He was previously on the Alexandria City Council, including a term as vice mayor from 2016 to 2019.[1] He is a member of the Democratic Party. On December 1, 2023, he announced that he would not seek re-election in 2024.[2]

Justin Wilson
Wilson in November 2015
Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia
Assumed office
January 2, 2019
Preceded byAllison Silberberg
Vice mayor of Alexandria, Virginia
In office
2016–2019
Member of the Alexandria City Council
In office
2012–2016
In office
2007–2009
Personal details
Born (1979-03-11) March 11, 1979 (age 45)
Cheverly, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAlex Crawford-Batt
Children2
Alma materVirginia Commonwealth University

Biography

Wilson was born in Cheverly, Maryland, to a Caucasian mother and African-American father, and grew up in Washington, D.C., and Fairfax County, Virginia. He graduated from John R. Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia, when it was named Robert E. Lee High School, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He began in politics in the Virginia Young Democrats and was later a page for Don Beyer during Beyer's tenure as lieutenant governor of Virginia.[3]

Wilson was elected to the Alexandria City Council in 2007 but lost his bid for re-election in 2009. He was elected to the council for a second time in the 2012 election, and was re-elected in 2015. As the council member with the highest vote total in the 2015 election, he served as vice mayor for the following council term.[1][3]

In the 2018 Democratic mayoral primary, Wilson defeated the incumbent mayor and fellow Democrat Allison Silberberg, by a margin of 52% to 47%.[4][5] No other candidate qualified for the November general election ballot, so Wilson ran unopposed, although write-in votes were permitted; Wilson received 93% of the votes cast.[3]

In a rematch, Wilson defeated Allison Silberberg in the 2021 Democratic primary, 57% to 43%. Wilson defeated the Republican nominee, Annetta Catchings, in the general election, by a margin of 68% to 31%.[6]

Because Alexandria's mayor is only part-time, Wilson also works for Amtrak as a senior director of vendor and contract management.

Personal life

Wilson married Alex Crawford-Batt in 2001, three years after meeting her at a Democratic state convention while in college.[7] They have two children.[3][8]

Electoral history

2009

2009 Alexandria City Council Election, general election[9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticKerry J. Donley 7,713 11.7
DemocraticK. Rob Krupicka 7,707 11.7
RepublicanFrank H. Fannon, IV 7,220 11.0
DemocraticRedella Del S. Pepper 7,175 10.9
DemocraticPaul C. Smedberg 7,096 10.8
IndependentAlicia R. Hughes 7,042 10.7
DemocraticTimothy B. Lovain (incumbent)6,87410.4
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson (incumbent)6,73510.2

2012

2012 Alexandria City Council Election, Democratic Party primary election[10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticTimothy B. Lovain 5,388 9.1
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson 5,192 8.7
DemocraticAllison Silberberg 5,168 8.7
DemocraticRedella Del S. Pepper (incumbent) 7,175 8.5
DemocraticPaul C. Smedberg (incumbent) 4,957 8.3
DemocraticJohn Taylor Chapman 4,644 7.8
2012 Alexandria City Council Election, general election[11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAllison Silberberg 36,761 12.3
DemocraticRedella S. Pepper (incumbent) 35,197 11.8
DemocraticJohn Taylor Chapman 33,713 11.3
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson 31,550 10.6
DemocraticTimothy B. Lovain 31,338 10.5
DemocraticPaul C. Smedberg (incumbent) 30,015 10.0

2015

2015 Alexandria City Council Election, general election[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson (incumbent) 15,852 11.7
DemocraticJohn Taylor Chapman (incumbent) 15,437 11.4
DemocraticPaul C. Smedberg (incumbent) 14,914 11.0
DemocraticRedella S. Pepper (incumbent) 14,733 10.8
DemocraticTimothy B. Lovain (incumbent) 14,597 10.7
DemocraticWillie Fitzgerald Bailey, Sr 13,514 10.0

2018

2018 Alexandria, Virginia, mayoral election, Democratic Party primary election[13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson 11,451 53.0
DemocraticAllison Silberberg (incumbent)10,18647.1
2018 Alexandria, Virginia, mayoral election[14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson 51,750 92.4
Write-in4,0667.3

2021

2021 Alexandria, Virginia, mayoral election, Democratic Party primary election[15]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson (incumbent) 13,176 57.2
DemocraticAllison Silberberg9,85742.8
2021 Alexandria, Virginia, mayoral election[16]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJustin M. Wilson (incumbent) 36,276 67.7
RepublicanAnnetta Michelle Catchings16,58430.9

References

External links