To the editor:

I was pleasantly surprised to read in the March 25 Alexandria Times that former Mayor Allison Silberberg will challenge incumbent Mayor Justin Wilson in the June 8 Democratic Primary.

I consider Silberberg to be the lesser of two evils. After all, both are liberal Democrats. But Silberberg seems to have genuine concern and empathy for us older, longtime residents who have done so much to make Alexandria what it is today.

She at least tries to help us protect our neighborhoods against government overreach and unnecessary development and maintain our quality of life. As a 60-year-old lifelong Alexandrian with family roots in the city that go back 100 years to the early 1920s, I appreciate the courage she has exhibited to not just go along to get along with her fellow members of City Council.

As for Wilson, he seems to be a stereotypical yuppie technocrat that communicates through his smartphone. He seems to favor dense development to increase the tax base. He doesn’t seem to be a “people person.” I don’t care for him.

As for the candidacy of Annetta Catchings, you can’t take it seriously as she only moved here last August. Her campaign would be quixotic at best.

-Greg Paspatis, Alexandria