As of yesterday morning, a week from Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, nearly 20 percent of Rockbridge area registered voters had cast ballots.
That’s an indication of the level of interest in the elections. There is a lot on the ballots this year. Voters in Buena Vista and Lexington are being asked whether or not to approve 1 percent sales taxes that would be used to pay for school construction projects. Voters across Virginia are being asked whether or not to approve three state constitutional amendments.
Nationwide, voters will decide which party will control Congress over the final two years of President Donald Trump’s tenure. In Virginia, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is being challenged by Republican Bert Mizusawa. In the state’s sixth congressional district, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ben Cline is facing a challenge from Democrat Beth Macy.
In Lexington, interim Mayor David Sigler and City Council member Nicholas Betts are vying to complete the mayoral term of Frank Friedman, who died in July. Three seats on Lexington City Council are up for grabs. Candidates on the ballot are Sigler, Meghan Ferguson and Amber Ansted. Will Kirchner is running as a write-in candidate. Justin Davis and LaTonya Douglas are the candidates on the ballot for two Lexington School Board seats.
In Glasgow, incumbent Town Council members Brandall Branch, Natalie Harris and Marcie Hill are running for re-election. A fourth candidate whose name will appear on the ballot is Kris Springer. Charles Gibbs and Mary Reynolds are waging write-in campaigns.
Goshen Mayor Tom McCraw is running unopposed for reelection. Four candidates are seeking election to three Goshen Town Council seats – incumbents Derrick Ogden, Chris Robertson and Michael Hicks and challenger Jeff Shaffer.
There are two special elections in Buena Vista to complete unexpired terms on City Council and the School Board. William Kerr is unopposed in his bid to retain the seat on City Council that he was appointed to following the resignation of Steve Webb. Michael Cartolaro is running unopposed for the School Board seat left vacant by the death of Wayne Flint.
In the county’s Walkers Creek magisterial district, Toria Brown is unopposed to be elected to the supervisor’s seat that she was appointed to earlier in the year.
Early voting in the offices of voting registrars continues through this Saturday, Oct. 31. Polls are open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Precinct changes that were approved in Rockbridge County earlier in the year are in effect for this election cycle.
As of yesterday (Tuesday, Oct. 27) morning, 3,599 votes in the county had been cast, or 20.7 percent of registered voters. In Lexington, 964 votes had been cast, or 22.3 percent. In Buena Vista, 681 votes had been cast, or 14.7 percent.
Combined totals for all three localities were 5,244 votes cast, or 19.7 percent of registered voters.
Editor’s note: The final installment in this year’s N-G candidate profiles can be found on page B10 with a look at Goshen candidates.
