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Del. Ellen Campbell, having just completed her first session of the General Assembly on Saturday, announced Monday she is a candidate for reelection. Because of redistricting, she will be seeking to represent a newly reconfigured district that includes only a portion of Rockbridge County.
Campbell won a special election in early January to fill the unexpired term of her late husband, Ronnie Campbell, who died in December.
Ellen Campbell currently represents District 24, which encompasses all of Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington, in addition to portions of Amherst and Augusta counties. Campbell, a Republican, resides in Raphine, which, under redistricting, will be in newly-redrawn District 36 that encompasses northeastern Rockbridge County, part of Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Republican incumbent Del. John Avoli of Staunton also lives in new District 36 but has announced that he is not seeking reelection.
The redrawn districts become effective following the Nov. 7 elections later this year in which all 140 members of the General Assembly – 100 in the House of Delegates and 40 in the state Senate – will be up for election. Primaries to select party nominees for these elections are to take place on June 20.
“I am humbled and honored to seek again the opportunity to represent the district I was born, raised, currently work and live in,” said Campbell in announcing her candidacy. “I so look forward to building on the great work we accomplished this legislative session. … My priorities remain the same. I will work tirelessly and focus on solutions that will lower tax burdens on our citizens, provide public safety, restore common sense in our educational system, support agriculture, and protect our constitutional rights, … ” The other member of the General Assembly who presently represents the Rockbridge area, Democratic Sen. Creigh Deeds of the 25th District, previously announced his intention to run for reelection in a new district. Deeds, a resident of Bath County, has said he plans to move to Charlottesville and seek election to reconfigured District 11, which encompasses Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Nelson and Amherst counties. Current District 25 stretches from Bath County to Charlottesville and includes all of Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista.
Under the redrawn map, Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista are to be in new Senate District 3, which is to also include the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig, the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Covington and parts of Augusta and Roanoke counties. No incumbent senators are currently living in this district.
Southern Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista are to be in new House of Delegates District 37, which also includes all of Botetourt, Alleghany and Craig counties as well as the city of Covington. Republican incumbent Delegates Terry Austin of Buchanan and Christopher Head of Botetourt County reside in this newly redrawn district. Head has announced that he will seek election to the state Senate in new District 3.
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and Rescue and the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office.
Virginia State Police investigators were called in and remained on the scene well into the evening Friday and returned Monday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A celebration of life for Mrs. Ford will be held Saturday at Virginia Military Institute, where she had been employed. (Her obituary can be found on page 3.)
