Early voting has been sparse in the Rockbridge area for the upcoming primaries being held this Tuesday, June 17.
A Democratic Party primary is being held to select nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general. A Republican Party primary is being held in the 37th House of Delegates district to determine the nominee who will run for delegate.
The 37th District includes the cities of Lexington, Buena Vista and 10 Rockbridge County precincts. (The county precincts in the 37th District are Airport, Ben Salem, Plank Road, Effinger, Collierstown, Highland Belle, Maury River, Natural Bridge, Falling Springs and Goshen.) The incumbent who is running for re-election is Republican Del. Terry Austin of Botetourt County. He is being challenged in the GOP primary by Austen Schwend of Botetourt County.
Candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for lieutenant governor are Alex Bastani, Ghazala Heshmi, Babur Lateef, Aaron Rouse, Victor Salgado and Levar Stoney. Candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for attorney general are Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Registered voters can cast ballots in one or the other primary but not both. - Tuesday, June 17, is also the deadline for candidates to qualify to get their names on the ballot for the regular local elections that are being held Nov. 4 The deadline to qualify to be a candidate in the special Nov. 4 election for Rockbridge County and Lexington sheriff is Aug. 15.
Candidates who have qualified for the special election for Rockbridge County and Lexington are interim incumbent Tony McFaddin, Christopher Norris and Fred Smith.
Boyd Brown II and Steve Hart have qualified to be candidates for the Kerrs Creek District seat on the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors currently held by Dan Lyons, who is not running for re-election. Amy Shumate Clark has picked up petitions to be a candidate. Scott Guise, who had previously announced his candidacy, has withdrawn from the race.
Walkers Creek District supervisor Jay Lewis is being challenged by Steve Reese. Both have qualified to be candidates. In the two county School Board races on the ballot, Kerrs Creek District member Catie Brown and South River District member Corey Berkstresser are both circulating petitions to run for reelection. No challengers have stepped forward.
Glasgow Mayor Paul Williams has qualified to be a candidate for re-election, as have Town Council members Lisa Rogers and Tom Camden. Kent Dunn is the other incumbent whose term is up this year.
In Buena Vista, Mayor Tyson Cooper and his challenger, Jesse Lineberry, have qualified to be candidates. Incumbent Council members Danny Staton, Stanley Coffey and Melvin Henson have qualified to be candidates for re-election. Challenger Frank P. “Frankie” Huffman III has also qualified to be a candidate. Other potential candidates for City Council who have picked up petitions are Amy Gilliam, Stephanie Noel Branch and Debbie Gilbert.
Lisa Kerr and Roy Mohler are running for re-election to the Buena Vista School Board. Ray Gilbert is also a candidate. John Rice and John Roberts, the other incumbents whose terms expire this year, are not running for re-election.
In the constitutional officers’ races in Buena Vista, Treasurer Amy Hudson, Commissioner of Revenue Ashton Beverly, Commonwealth’s Attorney Joshua Elrod and Sheriff Randy Hamilton are running for re-election. Hamilton is being challenged by Chris Wheeler and Alan Buzzard.
In Lexington, Treasurer Pat DeLaney is running for re-election and Kelly Glass is running for commissioner of revenue. Karen Roundy, the incumbent commissioner of revenue, is not running for re-election. -In other election-related news, Debbie Garrett has been appointed to the Buena Vista Electoral Board. She is serving as co-chair, along with chair Dennis Hawes and secretary Steve Baldridge.
