Valentine concedes to Garrett; low turnout, LU voters helped deliver election

Del. Shannon Valentine conceded the Lynchburg House of Delegates seat to Republican Scott Garrett on Wednesday after a canvass of the votes showed little change in Garrett’s slim lead in their race Tuesday.

Low voter turnout, particularly in Lynchburg’s Ward II precincts, may have contributed as much to Garrett’s win as a strong turnout of Liberty University students at the Heritage Elementary precinct, results indicated Wednesday.

Just 43 percent of the city’s registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, compared to a 74 percent turnout in the presidential election last year.

In Ward II precincts, however, only 29 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. Those who did vote in Ward II went heavily for Valentine, giving her a 1,500-vote edge there.

But that wasn’t enough to offset the Heritage Elementary precinct, where Garrett picked up 1,640 more votes than Valentine.

John Lawrence, chairman of Lynchburg’s Democratic Party, said, “We feel like Shannon won the city, because she had a 1,400-vote lead until the last precinct came in, and that was the Liberty precinct.”

“I think the citizens of Lynchburg need to wake up,” Lawrence said, “and go out and vote,” starting with next May’s City Council election.

Walter Fore, a leader in the Lynchburg Voters League, said economic circumstances were a factor in the low turnout.

“A lot of people have just given up,” Fore said. “They don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

“They see voting as a waste, and as hard as we try to get to them, and especially young people, we just can’t get the message across,” Fore said.

But, Fore said, he found some reason to hope on Wednesday morning.

“I had several calls this morning from people who I think should have stepped up to the plate and didn’t. They kind of feel like they let their people down,” Fore said.

Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty University chancellor, had urged students in an online posting Monday to go to the polls.

“The rules have changed and LU now finally has a chance to make its voice heard in City Hall,” Falwell wrote.

“We are expecting those who want to continue to bleed LU and its students to show up at the polls on Tuesday to intimidate our students, faculty and staff. We will have dozens of poll watchers in place to quickly stop any intimidation or threats,” Falwell wrote.

Buses carrying Liberty students dropped them off at the precinct every few minutes.

While both parties had people handing out literature or supporting their candidates at Heritage Elementary, no complaints of intimidation had been reported to election officials Wednesday.

After the electoral boards canvassed votes in Lynchburg and Amherst County, which has three precincts in the 23rd House District, Valentine issued this statement:

“I have called Scott Garrett to offer my congratulations,” she said in an e-mail.

The canvasses showed that “the change in results was minor from the original projection, and while the result is within the margin of calling for a recount, I have chosen not to pursue this avenue,” Valentine wrote.

State Board of Elections figures showed Garrett with a 208-vote margin of victory.

“I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the citizens of this district for the opportunity to serve. I am very proud of our campaign, which was based on an honest discussion of the issues so important to Central Virginia.

“I count my service in the House of Delegates as one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I will certainly continue to work within our community and our commonwealth,” Valentine wrote.

Garrett said that when Valentine called him, “She was very gracious.” Garrett said he told her that “I think she ran a very strong campaign.”

Garrett said both parties would have a part to play in reversing the economic downturn. “This is not about Republican versus Democrat. It truly is about bringing everyone back together,” Garrett said.