Norfolk, VAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Norfolk City Council Election 2026

5 of 8

council seats up

5 contests

8 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council Ward 1 · Unopposed

City Council Ward 2 · Unopposed

City Council Ward 3 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 4 · 1 seat

City Council Ward 5 · Unopposed

Five of the eight council seats are on this ballot, one in each of Wards 1 through 5. Voters choose one candidate for their own ward. The mayor and the two superward seats are not up until 2028.

1 note on these statements

Scott R. Guirlinger is the only candidate in Ward 1, after Vice Mayor Martin Thomas chose not to run again; Courtney R. Doyle in Ward 2 and Tommy R. Smigiel, Jr. in Ward 5 face no challengers. WHRO · Sep 18, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Kenneth Cooper AlexanderMayor; term ends Dec. 31, 202810sourcedCarlos J. ClantonCouncil Member, Superward 7; term ends Dec. 31, 20289sourcedJeremy D. McGeeCouncil Member, Superward 6; term ends Dec. 31, 20289sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesFlock license plate cameras, Capital spending: downtown and the east side, Budget, taxes and schoolsKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Last day of early in-person voting

Sat, Oct 31, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Flock license plate cameras

Where it standsNorfolk police operate 176 Flock license plate reader cameras under a $430,000-a-year contract that expires Dec. 31, 2027; residents opposed to the cameras have spoken at council meetings for months.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to renew, change or end the Flock contract and what oversight rules apply to the cameras.

Capital spending: downtown and the east side

Where it standsAfter east side residents protested that capital spending favored downtown, the council delayed and then approved an amended $352 million FY 2027 capital improvement plan.

What's on the tableThe next council will write the FY 2028 capital plan and decide how to divide project money between downtown and neighborhoods.

Budget, taxes and schools

Where it standsThe $1.6 billion FY 2027 operating budget kept the real estate tax rate at $1.23 and the vehicle personal property tax rate at $4.33 per $100 of assessed value.

What's on the tableThe next council writes the FY 2028 budget, sets tax rates and decides how much local money goes to Norfolk Public Schools.

MacArthur Center redevelopment

Where it standsThe city-owned MacArthur Center mall closed on June 27, 2026; master developer Hg80 is expected to bring a design and development agreement to the council.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on the redevelopment agreement and on public spending for the site.

Housing and population

Where it standsNorfolk lost 6,846 people, or 2.9% of its population, from 2020 to 2025, according to Census data cited by The Virginian-Pilot.

What's on the tableThe next council will rule on residential rezonings and decide whether and how the city funds housing programs.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Norfolk keep using Flock license plate reader cameras?

  2. 2. Should the council have approved the $352 million FY 2027 capital improvement plan?

  3. 3. Should the council have passed the FY 2027 operating budget, which kept the real estate tax rate at $1.23?

  4. 4. What should the city do first about housing costs?

  5. 5. Should the City Council and School Board hold regular joint meetings on budget planning?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Kenneth Cooper Alexander, Carlos J. Clanton, Jeremy D. McGee5 on this ballot

8 council seats. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

  • Norfolk voters have elected the mayor directly since May 2006, which added an eighth member to the City Council; the other seven members are elected from wards, two of them from superwards. City of Norfolk
  • Five Norfolk City Council seats are up for election in 2026, and council members serve four-year terms. The Virginian-Pilot · Sep 22, 2026
  • The Virginia Department of Elections lists eight qualified candidates for Norfolk City Council in Wards 1 through 5. Virginia Department of Elections
  • Only Wards 3 and 4 have contested races; Wards 1, 2 and 5 each have one candidate. WHRO · Sep 24, 2026
  • The City Council elects a vice mayor from among its members. City of Norfolk

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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