By Carla Branch
alexandrianews.org
City Council member Alicia R. Hughes (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
Alexandria Republican Councilwoman Alicia Hughes collected signatures at the polls yesterday in an attempt to get her name on the November ballot as a candidate for Alexandria School Board from District C. There were just two problems: she got to the Alexandria Registrar's Office just after the polls closed and they would not accept her petition and the Alexandria Republican City Committee has already certified Hughes as a Republican City Council candidate in November.
Hughes, whose landlord has taken her to court on at least 11 occasions for not paying her rent on time, and who has been fined by the Alexandria Electoral Board on more than one occasion for filing her campaign finance reports late, got to the registrar's office at 7:01, according to sources. She told several people that she plans to appeal the Electoral Board staff's decision not to accept her petition to the State Board of Elections because she wishes to keep her options open.
“You can't be a candidate for two different offices on the same ballot,” said Alexandria General Registrar Tom Parkins.
Hughes was elected to Council in 2009, and has had a series of legal problems since then. She was sued by the attorneys who represented her when some Alexandria voters challenged her residency, she got a ticket for reckless driving in Virginia Beach and has had ongoing problems with her landlord. She ran as an Independent in 2009, but has since left her federal job and joined the ARCC. Hughes is one of three candidates that the ARCC certified to run for Council in November. The other two Republican candidates are Incumbent Councilman Frank Fannon and John R. “Bob” Wood.
