Mayor Alyia Gaskins has been selected to join NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of rising Democratic state and local elected officials, the organization announced Wednesday.

Gaskins, who was elected mayor in 2024 after serving three years on City Council, is one of 22 leaders chosen for the 2026 class, selected from more than 2,200 nominations across NewDEAL’s 15-year history. The center-left network now counts 247 members from all 50 states, including fellow Virginia leaders Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Delegates Irene Shin, Mark Sickles and Kathy Tran.

The organization cited Gaskins’ work on affordable housing, public safety and health equity, as well as infrastructure investments in stormwater management, flood mitigation and transit. Gaskins, the first African American woman to serve as Alexandria’s mayor, has a background spanning public health strategy and city planning, including work on hunger policy, affordable housing investment and homelessness prevention at organizations including D.C. Hunger Solutions, the National League of Cities and the Melville Charitable Trust. She holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of Pittsburgh and Georgetown, and a certificate in municipal finance from the University of Chicago.

“I’m proud of the progress we are making in Alexandria and also know how much more there is to do,” Gaskins said in a statement. “I look forward to sharing my experience and learning from other leaders to continue the work of building healthier, more vibrant communities.”