Field set for City Council elections

A total of eight candidates have filed to run for Lynchburg City Council, according to the registrar’s office.

Councilman Randy Nelson, who was appointed to replace Scott Garrett in January following Garrett’s election to the House of Delegates, submitted his paperwork Tuesday morning just a few hours before the deadline elapsed. He was the last candidate to file. He plans to runs an independent.

Council’s three at-large seats will all be up for election on May 4. Here is a quick look at the full field of candidates:

Hunsdon “H.” Cary

• Age: 64
• Job: Retired, CEO of Westminster Canterbury of Lynchburg
• Family: married with three grown children
• City Resident Since: 1976. Currently resides in Ward IV.
• Political Affiliation: Republican
• Priorities: Limited government, fiscal conservatism, strengthening public safety, focusing education dollars in the classroom

James Coleman

• Age: 44
• Job: Pastor, Providence Ministries International
• Family: married with four children, ages 3 to 17
• City Resident Since: 1994. Currently resides in Ward III.
• Political Affiliation: Independent
• Priorities: Coleman is expected to make a campaign announcement today. During a prior run for council in 2006, he emphasized education, economic development and a need to unify the city.

Joan Foster

• Age: 63
• Job: COO, Family Alliance
• Family: married with three grown children
• City Resident Since: 1999. Currently resides in Ward I.
• Political Affiliation: Independent
• Priorities: Education, economic development, infrastructure improvement, preserving Lynchburg’s quality of life

Don Good

• Age: 45
• Job: Shipping and Receiving, Pet Dairy
• Family: married with three teenaged children
• City Resident Since 1974. Currently resides in Ward I.
• Political Affiliation: Republican
• Priorities: Limited government, fiscal conservatism, strengthening public safety, focusing education dollars in the classroom

Ted Hannon

• Age: 57
• Job: Attorney; President/Director of Kekaulike Management Co. in Hawaii
• Family: married with two grown children
• City Resident Since: 2003. Currently resides in Ward II.
• Political Affiliation: Republican
• Priorities: Limited government, fiscal conservatism, strengthening public safety, focusing education dollars in the classroom

Randy Nelson

• Age: 59
• Job: Attorney, self-employed
• Family: married with four grown children
• City Resident Since: 1952. Currently resides in Ward I.
• Political Affiliation: Independent
• Priorities: Nelson has not yet announced a platform, but has spoken before of his belief that decisions should be made in the best interest of the city as a whole. He’s also spoken against raising taxes in the current climate and said he wants to see the city’s essential services maintained at quality levels.

Brent Robertson

• Age: 20
• Job: Student, Liberty University
• Family: single
• City Resident Since: 2007. Currently resides in Ward IV.
• Political Affiliation: Independent
• Priorities: Downtown business incentives, pedestrian improvements to Wards Road, protecting funding for public schools

J.P. Vaughan

• Age: 74
• Job: Realtor, Coldwell Banker Forehand & Co.
• Family: married with six grown children
• City Resident Since: 1935. Currently resides in Ward I.
• Political Affiliation: Independent
• Priorities: Job creation, education, fiscal conservatism, pursuing a more collaborative approach to city government