Election Day has much to offer, even in off year

Election Day is Tuesday. While it is an “off year” — in that there are no congressional, gubernatorial or presidential contests — there still is plenty on the ballot.

Statewide, all 40 seats in the state Senate, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates, will be on the ballot, though many candidates are unopposed.

There are all sorts of contested races at the local level – Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Nelson and Campbell counties all have at least one contested supervisor race, for example, and Sheriff matchups in Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell are contested as well. School board seats and Constitutional officers like Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue also have drawn contests in several localities.

Statewide races

The areas two biggest matchups:

* A state Senate election in the 22nd District, between Democrat Bert Dodson and Republican Tom Garrett, is at the top of the ballot in northern Lynchburg and Amherst and Appomattox counties. The district was created by the General Assembly’s redistricting process and does not have an incumbent senator. Dodson, a former member of Lynchburg City Council, and Garrett, who is commonwealth’s attorney of Louisa County, are making their first bids for state-level office. The Dodson-Garrett race could play a key role in deciding whether Democrats or Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, and whether Gov. Bob McDonnell’s full agenda can be completed. The Democrat-controlled Senate has blocked some of his legislation the past two years.

* The House of Delegates race in the 59th District, involving Democrat Connie Brennan of Nelson County and Republican Matt Fariss of Campbell County, picked up energy two weeks ago. That’s when it was disclosed that a court issued a protective order against Fariss in 2002, ordering him to stay away from a Lynchburg woman. Up until then, reports about hunting-law infractions, a concealed-weapon conviction and a DUI offense that were on Fariss record had not seemed to attract much attention. After the protective order was reported, cash contributions flowed in faster to both Brennan’s and Fariss’ campaigns. Gov. Bob McDonnell endorsed Fariss on Wednesday, saying his business background qualified Fariss to serve in the House. Linda Wall of Appomattox, an independent candidate in the 59 th House race, also was revealed to have had a lesbian relationship with a junior-high student when she was a gym teacher in the 1970s.

Other contested state office matchups:

State Senate, District 23 (parts of Lynchburg, Campbell County, Bedford County): Republican incumbent Stephen D. “Steve” Newman, Democrat challenger Robert W.T. Short Sr.

House of Delegates, District 19 (Bedford County, Bedford City): Independent incumbent Lacey Putney, Republican Jerry Johnson, Democrat Lewis Medlin Jr.

Lynchburg

For the first time in at least a decade, Lynchburg voters won’t all see the same ballot on Election Day. Due to state redistricting, the city now is split between two Senate districts and two House of Delegates districts. Half the city will be vote in the hotly contested 22nd Senate district race while the other half remains in the 23rd Senate district, where incumbent Steve Newman faces challenger Robert Short. The city’s House races are uncontested with incumbents Scott Garrett (23 rd District) and Kathy Bryon (22 nd District). Voters have no contested citywide races on the ballot; council elections are held in May.

Campbell County

Voters in Campbell County face one of the more confusing ballots in our area. Statewide redistricting left the county with three House districts, one more than in years’ past, and local changes have brought the creation of a new district and well as redrawn precinct lines throughout the county. Local races, meanwhile, include three contested board of supervisors races — in the Concord, Sunburst and the new Spring Hill districts, and a three-way race for sheriff.

Bedford County

This election is one of the busiest in recent memory for board of supervisors and school board races. Thirteen candidates between the two bodies are running for eight open seats; five are incumbents and the rest are newcomers. The sheriff’s race also is contested, with Mike Brown seeking a fifth term against Chuck Reid, an administrator at a jail facility in Moneta that is closing. This year also marks a redistricting of the county's seven election areas; four of the 29 precincts have changed locations. Eligible voters have recently received new voter cards and Registrar Barbara Gunter is encouraging residents to bring those with them to expedite the registration check-in process. Signage will be posted at the affected polling locations, she said, to make sure residents are directed to the appropriate location.  

Amherst County

Amherst County has three contested local races and is the only locality in the Lynchburg area to have contests for both Treasurer (incumbent Evelyn Martin faces second-time challenger Garry Friend) and Commissioner of the Revenue (incumbent Linda Mays Byers and challenger Debra K. Martin). The other race is in District 3, between incumbent Robert Curd and challenger Les Irvin. Redistricting resulted in eight different ballots in the county, more than in previous years. Some precincts have different candidates (namely, Amelon and Elon) due to redistricting. Not everyone will have the same candidates, even in their own precinct.

Appomattox County

Appomattox County ballots feature only three contested local races. Three candidates jockey for county sheriff, a seat that will be left vacant when current Sheriff Wilson Staples retires. Only one of three Board of Supervisors seats up for election is contested, as Chad Millner and Ronnie Spiggle vie for the Falling River District seat currently held by outgoing Thomas Conrad.

Nelson County

Nelson County voters have a healthy slate of contested local races, including a three-way race for Sheriff with incumbent David Brooks facing Mac Bridgewater and John Wright, both former Sheriff’s Office employees. Also contested are the races for Treasurer (incumbent Angela Johnson faces challenger Susan Stevens) and South District Supervisor, where incumbent Joe Don Johnson faces challengers Johnny Ponton, a former supervisor, and Larry Saunders, who lost to Saunders by three votes in 2007.

Contested local races

Appomattox County

Board of Supervisors, Falling River District: Chad Millner, Ronald Spiggle

Sheriff: C.A. “Butch” Bailey III, W. Todd Craft, Barry E. Letterman

Campbell County

Board of Supervisors, Concord District: Gary P. Stewart, Edward M. Foster Jr., Eddie Gunter Jr.

Board of Supervisors, Sunburst District: Tip Killingsworth, Steven Shockley

Board of Supervisors, Spring Hill District: James A. Borland, Lorraine Blanks Potter

Sheriff: Steve Hutcherson, Paul R. Adams, Richard W. Irvin.

Bedford County

Board of Supervisors, Dist. 1: Dale Wheeler, Bill Thomasson

Board of Supervisors, Dist. 6: Annie Pollard, Martin Leamy

Board of Supervisors, Dist 7: Tammy Parker, Kyle Williams

School Board, Dist. 5: L. Ricky Wilkerson, Julie M. Bennington

School Board, Dist. 7: Kevin S. Willis, Debbie Steele Hoback

Sheriff: Mike Brown, Chuck Reid

Amherst County

Board of Supervisors, Dist. 3: Robert Curd, Leslie Irvin

Treasurer: Evelyn Martin, Garry Friend

Commissioner of the Revenue: Linda Byers, Debra Martin

Nelson County

Board of Supervisors, South District: John W. “Johnny” Ponton

Commonwealth’s Attorney: Anthony D. Martin, Daniel Lee Rutherford

Sheriff: W. David Brooks, Mac E. Bridgewater Jr., John S. Wright

Treasurer: Angela F. “Angi” Johnson, Susan Kidd Stevens

Not sure where to vote and/or what candidates are on your ballot?

Voters with questions about where their voting precinct is located, or who is on their ballot, can find answers from their local registrar or from the State Board of Elections web site at www.sbe.state.va.us. On the right-hand side of the webpage, click on “Where do I vote in Virginia.”

Contact your Registrar

Amherst County: ( 434) 946-9315

Appomattox County: (434) 352-5302

Bedford city: (540) 587-6007

Bedford County: (540) 586-7649

Campbell County: (434) 332-9579

Lynchburg: (434) 847-1609