Election results in Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, and Appomattox
A quick summary of results in four of the Fifth District's 24 localities
Elections create points to begin measuring political actions and influence. At heart, this newsletter is an act of a political science graduate who ended up spending a lot of time doing research. I became a journalist while at Virginia Tech because I am fascinated by the details of local government and how and why decisions are made by those chosen to make them.
Democrats have won control of both houses of the General Assembly under districts that were the result of a nonpartisan process that created a Fifth District that for the first time in my life makes geographic sense. Since May 2022, I’ve been learning about the 24 localities within the district, 22 of which are almost wholly contained.
This is not a newsletter about the actions of the one person elected to represent three quarters of a million people in the U.S. House of Representatives. Instead, this is a way for me to know more about the political culture of elected local bodies. I really want to know more about the details of what makes up this geographic place that never existed until two Special Masters appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court drew up the map.
If you’re new to this work, I’m a journalist based in Charlottesville who has covered this part of the district for about 16 years or so. In 2020, I began a newsletter and podcast called Charlottesville Community Engagement as the first offering under my company, Town Crier Productions. Thanks to Substack, I’m able to make a good chunk of my living doing this work.
This work is the second or third product of the company, a company that so far consists of just me. As such, I have learned I have not been able to get to every single meeting but having a goal has pushed me to be much more organized.
Today’s edition is the result of work for my internal records that I want to share with the 450 of you or so who have signed up. I know a lot of you are reading, and I really appreciate that. I thank the dozen or so of you who have pledged a subscription here, and I do plan to turn that on as soon as I can guarantee the quality.
In any case, now it’s time to get to the results for the A counties. Albemarle is at the end because I wrote that section up earlier in today’s Charlottesville Community Engagement. Tomorrow: Bedford County and Campbell County, at least, and perhaps more!
Amelia: Felts and Easter fend off challenges; Morris to replace Weyant in District 3
Three of the five seats on the Amelia County Board of Supervisors were up for election on Tuesday. There will be one new member in January. (review the unofficial results)
In District 1, incumbent David Felts Jr. won re-election to a seat he has held since a special election in 2020. This time around the independent candidate defeated independent John M. Harmon III with 528 votes to 278 votes. There were two write-in ballots.
There was an open seat in District 3 because Shaun Weyant opted to not run for re-election. Republican Benjamin Morris received 669 votes to 229 votes for G.W. “Will” Martin III.
In District 4, incumbent Howard Joseph Easter IV had a much closer race than in 2019 when he won office with 67.9 percent of the vote. This time around he had a challenge from Walter H. Townsend. Easter garnered 498 votes to Townsend’s 418 votes. That’s a victory with 54.13 percent of the vote.
In the School Board races, District 1 member David Geraghty won election to a full four-year term after being elected to a one-year replacement team last November. He was the only candidate on the ballot.
In District 3, newcomer Wesley W. "Wes" Eary was the only candidate on the ballot to replace Mike Neller. Eary won handily.
There was a contested race in District 4 to succeed Bonnie Vega. V. Kay Fletcher defeated Martin J. C. Konkel 682 votes to 207 votes.
Amelia County is within the 10th Senate District. Republican John McGuire was unopposed and received 3,920 votes in the county with 153 write-in votes.
The county is also within House District 72. In Amelia, Incumbent Republican Lee Ware got 79.54 percent of the vote with Democrat Bilal Z. Raychouni getting 20.37 percent.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Lee Randolph Harrison fended off a challenge from Noelle Nochisaki with 61.07 percent of the vote. In the Commissioner of Revenue race, incumbent Laura Walsh defeated Marie Moore Willet with 64.64 percent of the vote.
The unofficial turn-out in Amelia County is 55.05 percent of registered voters.
Former Amherst Supervisor Ayers elected as the next county Sheriff
Just as in Charlottesville, there were no contested races in Amherst County for three seats on a five-member legislative body. Just as in Charlottesville, two incumbents won new terms and one newcomer will take office in January.
Tom Martin will remain the District 1 Supervisor and David W. Pugh, Jr. will continue being District 4 Supervisor. Christopher R. "Chris" Adams won election to District in an uncontested seat vacated when the incumbent resigned to run for Sheriff.
Like Albemarle, Amherst County has an at-large School Board member but not an at-large Supervisor. David Childress won a three-way race in which he defeated incumbent Ginger Burg.
Childress won 47.59 percent of the vote with Burg getting 27.16 percent and Charles Johnson III getting 24.4 percent.
Lori Saunders won re-election to District 1 on the School Board with 1,108 votes to 650 for challenger Angela Wilder.
In District 3, incumbent Christopher Terry narrowly fended off a challenge from Dawn Pool. Terry had 1,242 votes to 1,199 for Pool.
In District 4, incumbent Patricia Liggon was the only candidate on the ballot and won easily.
Amherst County is within Senate District 11 which was won by Democrat Creigh Deeds. However, Republican Philip Hamilton carried the district 7,168 votes to 3,295 votes.
The county is also within House District 53, which was won by Republican Timothy Griffin. Griffin had 7,162 votes to 3,052 for Democrat Samuel R. Soghor.
Commonwealth's Attorney Lyle Carver eeked out a victory against candidate Richard T. Gilman with 50.68 percent of the vote.
There was a four-way race for Sheriff in Amherst County to replace the outgoing E. W. Viar Jr. The victor is L. J. “Jimmy” Ayers who has held the position before and resigned from the Board of Supervisors to run as reported by the Amherst New Era-Progress in June.
Ayers had 48.97 percent of the vote with Michael “Mike” Robinson coming in second with 36.58 percent of the vote. Eric Elliott had 10.33 percent and R. Dale Meeks Jr. had 3.86 percent.
Two-vote margin in special election for Amherst Town Council
Due to capacity restraints, I’m unable to report on towns at this stage of this newsletter, but at publication time, Kenneth S. Watts had 326 votes to 324 for Douglas Thompson with six write-ins. This one may come down to provisional ballots.
Wolfskill defeats incumbent Hogan in Appomattox River District
There will be one new Supervisor in Appomattox County as one challenger defeated one incumbent.
In the Appomattox River District, incumbent Supervisor William Hogan has lost a close race against Republican Ken W. "Dutch Henry" Wolfskill, Jr. Wolfskill received 495 votes to 428 votes for Hogan. J. Jerry Boyce Jr. got 83 votes and there were 12 write-ins.
In the Falling River District, incumbent Supervisor John Hinkle defeated challenger Laura Briceland 557 votes to 342 votes. There were seven write-in votes in the unofficial count.
In the Wreck Island District, incumbent Trevor Hipps was the only candidate on the ballot.
A write-in candidate won the Appomattox River District seat on the School Board. Incumbent Wyatt Torrence did not run for another term.
Incumbent Roger Brandon Stough was the only candidate in the Falling River District. Incumbent Jason Wells was the only candidate and consequent winner in the Wreck Island District.
Appomattox County is within the 10th Senate District. Republican John McGuire was unopposed and received 3,732 votes in the county with 121 write-in votes.
Appomattox is within House District 56 and there were 3,736 votes for Republican Tom Garrett who is returning to elected office after one term in the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fifth District.
Spillman defeats Bryce for at-large school board race in Albemarle
The most expensive race in Albemarle County history so far is most likely going to end up being the at-large School Board race between Allison Spillman and Meg Bryce.
When the votes were counted, Spillman had 24,174 ballots to 14,815 for Bryce. Put another way, that’s 61.87 percent of the vote to 37.91 percent, with 0.22 percent writing in a different name.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to serve this community as your at-large School Board member,” Spillman posted on her campaign’s Facebook page.
According to the unofficial results, Spillman carried 22 out of the 30 precincts that had reported as of this morning with just provisional ballots waiting to be counted.
Through October 26, Spillman spent $176,423 and Bryce spent $90,584. The reports for campaign activity through November 30 are due on December 7, 2023.
The other contested School Board race was in the White Hall District where Rebecca Berlin fended off Joann McDermid. Berlin had been appointed by the School Board in late 2022 to fill a vacant seat but claimed a four-year term by getting 53.79 percent of the vote to McDermid’s 45.91 percent. That’s 4,305 to 3,674 if you want the information that way. Berlin carried three of five precincts in unofficial results.
In the Rivanna District, incumbent Judy Le easily defeated a write-in candidate with 5.438 votes to 807 votes and got a majority in all six precincts.
In the Scottsville District, incumbent Ellen Osborne had no organized opposition and claimed 96.47 percent of the 4,577 votes cast.
Mallek and LaPisto-Kirtley win re-election in Albemarle
There will only be one new member of the six-person Albemarle Board of Supervisors when they convene for their first meeting on January 3.
Incumbent White Hall Supervisor Ann Mallek had a close race against challenger Brad Rykal but ended up winning with 4,415 votes to 3,956 votes in her quest for a fifth term. That’s 52.64 percent to 47.17 percent with 0.19 percent for write-ins. Mallek carried three of the five precincts with provisional ballots waiting to be counted.
In the Rivanna District, Bea LaPisto Kirtley received 4,430 votes to 2,836 votes for challenger T.J. Fadeley, or 60.74 percent to 38.89 percent. The incumbent carried five of the six precincts in her bid for a second term.
The new member will be Michael Pruitt to represent the Scottsville District. The candidate was unopposed in the race to replace Donna Price and received 97.23 percent of the 4,581 votes cast in the unofficial canvas.
2027 is quite a ways away, but will Pruitt be the latest in a series of one-term Supervisors in the Scottsville District? Since Lindsay Dorrier retired in 2011, no candidate has sought a second term.
Supervisor Chris Dumler resigned in June 2013 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery. He was replaced by interim Supervisor William “Petie” Craddock before Jane Dittmar was elected to a replacement term of two years later that year. Dittmar ran for Congress rather than seek a full four-year term and Planning Commissioner Richard Randolph was elected in 2015. Randolph opted to not seek another term, leading to Price’s one-year term.
Unofficial turn-out in Albemarle is at 47.87 percent.
Albemarle’s legislative races
Albemarle County is within Senate District 11 which was won by Democrat Creigh Deed in a race against Republican Philip Hamilton. In Albemarle, Deeds received 28,339 votes to Hamilton’s 11,989.
Most of Albemarle is within House District 55, which was won by Democrat Amy Laufer. Laufer faced Republican Steve Harvey and got 18,941 votes to Harvey’s 10,984.
Portions of Albemarle around the city of Charlottesville are in House District 54 where the only candidate on the ballot was Democrat Katrina Callsen. She had 8,314 votes in Albemarle and there were 343 write-in votes.
Reading material:
Albemarle County School Board race steals the show on Election Day, Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), November 7, 2023
Deeds and other Democrats win big in Albemarle County, Sandy Hausman, WVTF Public Radio, November 7, 2023
Rittenhouse, Goad, Hodge, Reed and Kelley win in Fluvanna, according to unofficial election results, Fluvanna Review, November 7, 2023
Some Prince Edward County races still not over after Election Day, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, November 8, 2023
Charlottesville, Albemarle Democrats declare victory over 'extremists', Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), November 8, 2023