Campbell defeats Parrish for Amherst supervisor’s seat

The second time was the charm for Madison Heights resident Frank Campbell Jr. in Tuesday’s election.

Campbell defeated Leon Parrish, the current longest-serving member of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, while Claudia Tucker won the District 2 seat on the board over Bonnie Limbrick.

In a rematch of the 2005 race that saw him defeated by 57 percent, Campbell won the District 5 seat Tuesday by 78 votes, according to Gary Beasley, county registrar.

Parrish, a Democrat who has served on the board since 1993, edged Campbell by 142 votes four years ago.

Beasley said Campbell received 691 votes while Parrish received 613.

Campbell, a lifelong resident of Madison Heights and a business owner, has described himself as a “conservative open to change” who would bring “a lot of common sense to the board.”

Meanwhile, Tucker was elected Tuesday by 929 votes, Beasley said, while Limbrick received 888 votes.

Tucker becomes just the second female supervisor in the county’s history. The first, former Sweet Briar professor Judith Elkins, was elected in 1993 and died of cancer before completing her first term.

She will take over the District 2 seat to be vacated by Vernon Wood at the end of the year.

Currently a member of the county planning commission, she has said she would advocate for “openness” and “transparency” and help bring an “era of professionalism” to county government.

Beasley said Tucker received 561 votes in Court House precinct, where Limbrick pulled in 675, and Tucker received 327 in the Temperance precinct, where her opponent pulled in 179. Tucker received 41 central absentee votes while Limbrick received 34, Beasley said.

Parrish, who has represented the Old Town Madison Heights area on the board since 1993, is the board’s current chairman and liaison to the planning commission. He served on the Amherst County School Board prior to becoming a supervisor.

Beasley said Parrish received 592 votes in the Madison precinct and 21 central absentee votes while Campbell pulled in 677 votes in the Madison precinct and 14 central absentee votes.