Spillman defeats Bryce for Albemarle At-large School Board race; Mallek and LaPisto-Kirtley win re-election to Board of Supervisors
A brief look at the unofficial results from Election 2023
Of course the penultimate installment before the 600th edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement falls on the day after Election Day. The purpose of this publication is to bring people information about what’s happening, and there’s nothing like an election to provide a glimpse into what the close-up future might look like. I’m Sean Tubbs, glad to still be employed in a profession that allows me to do this work, though a little sad this one’s not a podcast.
In today’s edition:
Allison Spillman has won election to the at-large seat on the Albemarle School Board
Incumbent Albemarle Supervisors Ann Mallek and Bea Lapisto Kirtley have won new terms
Democrats have taken back the House of Delegates with a 51-seat majority and have retained the Senate
A look at local races in Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson
First shout-out: Camp Albemarle
Today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for over sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”
Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Are you looking to escape and reconnect with nature? Consider holding an event where the natural beauty of the grounds will provide a venue to suit your needs. Visit their website to view the gallery and learn more!
Spillman defeats Bryce for at-large school board race
The most expensive race in Albemarle County history so far is most likely going to end up being the at-large School Board race between Allison Spillman and Meg Bryce.
When the votes were counted, Spillman had 24,174 ballots to 14,815 for Bryce. Put another way, that’s 61.87 percent of the vote to 37.91 percent, with 0.22 percent writing in a different name.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to serve this community as your at-large School Board member,” Spillman posted on her campaign’s Facebook page.
According to the unofficial results, Spillman carried 22 out of the 30 precincts that had reported as of this morning with just provisional ballots waiting to be counted.
Through October 26, Spillman spent $176.423 and Bryce spent $90,584. The reports for campaign activity through November 30 are due on December 7, 2023.
The other contested School Board race was in the White Hall District where Rebecca Berlin fended off Joann McDermid. Berlin had been appointed by the School Board in late 2022 to fill a vacant seat but claimed a four-year term by getting 53.79 percent of the vote to McDermid’s 45.91 percent. That’s 4,305 to 3,674 if you want the information that way. Berlin carried three of five precincts in unofficial results.
In the Rivanna District, incumbent Judy Le easily defeated a write-in candidate with 5.438 votes to 807 votes and got a majority in all six precincts.
In the Scottsville District, incumbent Ellen Osborne had no organized opposition and claimed 96.47 percent of the 4,577 votes cast.
Mallek and LaPisto-Kirtley win re-election to Albemarle Board of Supervisors
There will only be one new member of the six-person Albemarle Board of Supervisors when they convene for their first meeting on January 3.
Incumbent White Hall Supervisor Ann Mallek had a close race against challenger Brad Rykal but ended up winning with 4,415 votes to 3,956 votes in her quest for a fifth term. That’s 52.64 percent to 47.17 percent with 0.19 percent for write-ins. Mallek carried three of the five precincts with provisional ballots waiting to be counted.
In the Rivanna District, Bea LaPisto Kirtley received 4,430 votes to 2,836 votes for challenger T.J. Fadeley, or 60.74 percent to 38.89 percent. The incumbent carried five of the six precincts in her bid for a second term.
The new member will be Michael Pruitt to represent the Scottsville District. The candidate was unopposed in the race to replace Donna Price and received 97.23 percent of the 4,581 votes cast in the unofficial canvas.
2027 is quite a ways away, but will Pruitt be the latest in a series of one-term Supervisors in the Scottsville District? Since Lindsay Dorrier retired in 2011, no candidate has sought a second term.
Supervisor Chris Dumler resigned in June 2013 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery. He was replaced by interim Supervisor William “Petie” Craddock before Jane Dittmar was elected to a replacement term of two years later that year. Dittmar ran for Congress rather than seek a full four-year term and Planning Commissioner Richard Randolph was elected in 2015. Randolph opted to not seek another term, leading to Price’s one-year term.
Unofficial turn-out in Albemarle is at 47.87 percent.
Deeds re-elected in new District; Laufer and Callsen to join House of Delegates
This election is the first time districts created through a non-partisan process in 2020 were actually before the voting public. Statewide, Democrats held their narrow control over the Senate and appear to have picked up a slight majority in the House of Delegates.
As of this publication, Democrats have won 51 seats in the House of Delegates to 48 for the Republicans with one race left to be decided. That race is House District 82 which covers Petersburg and Dinwiddie County. Incumbent Republican Kim Taylor has a 173-vote lead over Democratic challenger Kimberly Pope Adams.
House Minority Leader Don Scott is set to become the Speaker of the House when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
Right now the Democrats have 21 seats in the Senate with the Republicans at 18 seats with one race left undecided. That’s Senate District 24 where Republican challenger Danny Diggs has 1,022 vote lead over Democratic incumbent Monty Mason.
Locally, Democrat Creigh Deeds has won election to the new 11th Senate Seat by fending off Republican Philip Hamilton. The unofficial vote count was 46,830 for Deeds to Hamilton’s 25,058 votes. That’s a 65.05 percent margin for Deeds, who won majorities in Albemarle (70.19 percent of the vote), Charlottesville (89.67 percent), Louisa (50.59 percent) and Nelson (50.99 percent).
Hamilton carried Amherst County with 7,168 votes to 3,295 votes for Deeds, or 68.42 percent to 31.45 percent.
Former Charlottesville School Board member Amy Laufer is set to join the House of Delegates to represent District 55, which covers most of Albemarle County and parts of Louisa County, Nelson County and one very small sliver of Fluvanna.
Democrat Laufer defeated Republican Steve Harvey with 21,642 votes to 13,747 votes or 61.08 percent to 38.8 percent. Laufer carried Albemarle 18,941 votes to 10,984 votes for Harvey. In western Louisa County, Harvey had a slight majority of 1,709 votes to Laufer’s 1,598. In northeastern Nelson, Laufer had 1,100 votes to Harvey’s 1,053.
In Fluvanna, three voters chose Laufer and one chose Harvey.
In the new District 54, Democrat Katrina Callsen ran unopposed and secured 96.84 percent of the vote including 8,314 votes in Albemarle and 10,192 votes in Charlottesville. Callsen had been a member of the Albemarle School Board before resigning to spend time on the campaign. She’s also Deputy City Attorney for the City of Charlottesville.
Second shout-out: Extending the Season with the Piedmont Master Gardeners
In today’s second subscriber-fueled shout-out: There been a recent dip in temperatures, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop growing some of your late fall vegetables. At 2 p.m. Saturday, November 18, the Piedmont Master Gardeners and Virginia Cooperative Extension will present “Season Extenders in the Edible Garden,” a free Garden Basics class on how to use crop choice, garden layout and row covers to grow fresh produce into the winter.
The class will take place at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1118 Preston Avenue in Charlottesville, and will include a hands-on demonstration of how to position and secure row covers. Register at https://piedmontmastergardeners.org.
McGuigan elected to at-large Supervisor seat in Greene County
Greene County’s Board of Supervisors is made up of four representatives from magisterial districts and one who represents the whole locality.
Francis X. McGuigan defeated Todd Sansom to be the at-large representative with a 64.16 percent margin, or 3,632 votes to Sansom’s 1,977 votes. McGuigan ran on a campaign of Preserve Rural Greene and secured all six precincts.
Kelly Greer defeated Buddy Barre for the at-large School Board race on a 59.94 percent margin, or 3,147 votes to 2,021 votes.
There was no one on the ballot in the Monroe District and there were 294 votes for write-in candidates. There was no one on the ballot in this district for the School Board and there were 226 votes for write-ins. More will be known after the canvas at 2 p.m.
In the Ruckersville District, incumbent Davis Lamb was the only person on the ballot and got 1,022 votes in the unofficial count. Cherish Alberts was the only candidate for the School Board seat.
Unofficial turn-out in Greene County is 42.66 percent.
Goad and Hodge win election to Fluvanna Board of Supervisors
There will be two new members of the Board of Supervisors in Fluvanna County.
In the Fork Union District, D. Mike Goad defeated Horace Scruggs 683 votes to 381 votes to be next Supervisor. Goad is a member of the Fluvanna Planning Commission and is the Academic Dean at Fork Union Military Academy and will succeed Mozell Booker.
In the Fork Union School Board race, Danny Reed got 685 votes to 361 votes for Gary Davis Jr.
In the Palmyra District, Timothy Hodge won against James Schoenster 483 votes to 333 votes to be the next Supervisors. Hodge spent 20 years in the Air Force before working in “global security printing” according to his website. He’ll succeed Patricia Eager.
The School Board race was closer with 425 votes for James Kelley to 409 votes for Brittany Gray.
There was a contested race for treasurer and Deborah Rittenhouse defeated Bryan Moeller with 63.83 percent of the vote. Rittenhouse will succeed Linda Lenherr.
Turn-out in Fluvanna County is currently measured at 38.27 percent of registered voters.
Woodard and McCotter win election to Louisa County Board of Supervisors
There will be two new members of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
H. Manning Woodward III won a three-way race to represent the Louisa District. He won 664 votes in the unofficial county, or 41.68 percent. Greg Jones Sr. got 553 votes and Christoper Colsey received 371 votes. Woodward will succeed Eric Purcell.
Republican Christopher McCotter was the lone candidate in the Cuckoo District and received 96.23 percent of the vote. He’ll succeed Willie Gentry.
Incumbent Republican Toni Williams was the only candidate in the Jackson District with 96.67 percent of the votes.
On the School Board, incumbent Stephen Harris was unopposed in his race for the Cuckoo District and Billy Seay didn’t have opposition in the Louisa District.
Bernard D. “Bernie” Hill defeated A.H. McClendon for the Jackson District School Board seat. Hill got 818 votes (65.13 percent) to McClendon’s 425 votes.
Unofficial turnout in Louisa County is 40.28 percent of registered voters.
Parr retains seat as West District Supervisor; Ligon wins election to South District in Nelson County
There will be one new member of the five-person Board of Supervisors in Nelson County.
Republican Jessica L. Ligon defeated Mary Kathryn Allen to be the new Supervisor for the South District. Ligon received 611 votes to Allen’s 419 votes, or 58.92 percent to 40.41 percent. She’ll succeed Robert Barton.
Incumbent School Board member Caesar Perkins won another term against challenger Philip Purvis. The unofficial vote count is 595 to 429 ballots cast.
In the West District, Republican J. David Parr fended off a challenge from Mark E. Franklin with a 683 to 354 unofficial vote count.
School Board member Shannon Powell was unopposed and got 380 votes.
Unofficial turnout in Nelson County is 57.59 percent of registered voters.
Charlottesville has lowest turn-out in region
Unofficial turnout in Charlottesville is 33.93 percent, which likely reflects a locality where neither the School Board race or the City Council race was contested.
In the City Council race, newcomer Natalie Oschrin received the most votes with 8,220 ballots cast in her favor. Incumbent Michael Payne received 8,006 votes and Lloyd Snook received 7,935 votes. There were 866 votes for write-in candidates. The next question now is who will be Mayor, as Snook has said he will not stand for that election by the five Councilors.
In the School Board race, Shymora Cooper had the most votes with 7,398 ballots cast. Next is
Amanda Burns with 7,367 ballots, followed by Chris Meyer with 6,809 votes Nicole Richardson placed fourth with 6,092 ballots cast. There were 569 write-in votes.
Other election news: Hanover County rejects switch to elected school boards
The Virginia Public Access Project is a great source for information about Virginia government and elections. The following pieces of information are derived from their work today to tally up everything they can. (learn more)
Hanover County has rejected a change that would have allowed direct election of School Board members. The vote is 52.57 percent against the idea.
There will be no casino in the city of Richmond with 61.62 percent of voters against the idea.
There will be no parimutuel betting in Manassas Park with no voters taking 58.88 percent of the vote.
The Town Council in Hurt will remain a six-member body with 86.51 percent of voters against the idea.
Ideas about #599
I always like to get a podcast version of these out to accompany the newsletter, but sometimes it’s just a good idea to proceed with the written version. There would have been no audio except my voice and that would have pushed back production by an hour or two. Elections are key moments in our democracy, and I know there are some of you who rely on this for information.
I also dispensed with “Reading Material” this time around but I’ll be back with #600 tomorrow and that will be a podcast that may include some of the material from this edition. Who knows? I’ve not done that work yet so I don’t know how it will turn out.
If you’d like to support this work and help it grow, do consider a Substack subscription or become a Patreon support. Today is not the day for the hard sell, but I also strive to not overly sell the work. I just want you to read or listen and to help me grow the audience!
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