ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Before Tuesday morning’s sunrise, volunteers in zipped winter coats stood outside precinct doors across Alexandria, balancing campaign literature and coffee cups in the chilly dawn air as campaign signs fluttered in a brisk spring wind.
At 6 a.m., doors opened at all 32 precincts across Alexandria, from City Hall to the West End. Neighbors greeted neighbors, and handshakes crossed party lines. Some voters came before work; others came after school drop-off. As evening approached, many precincts saw a final surge between 6 and 7 p.m., when voters streamed in to cast their votes before polls closed.
By Tuesday night, Democrat Sandy O. Marks (D) had secured a decisive victory…