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There will be at least two new constitutional officers in Rockbridge County next year. Commissioner of Revenue David Whitesell and Treasurer Betty Trovato have both decided to not run for reelection.
Whitesell is completing 20 years as commissioner of revenue, having been elected five times to fouryear terms. Elected three times, Trovato is in her 12th year as treasurer but has worked in the treasurer’s office for 37 years – since 1986.
Brooke Tomlin, chief deputy under Whitesell, is running to succeed him as commissioner of revenue. Michele Clark, victim witness director in Buena Vista, has completed the paperwork to qualify as a candidate to run for county treasurer.
Rockbridge County and Lexington constitutional officers whose terms expire this year are Clerk of the Circuit Court Michelle Trout, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jared Moon and Sheriff Steve Funkhouser. Trout has completed the paperwork to qualify as a candidate for re-election. Moon has indicated he is running for reelection. Funkhouser has not made his intentions known.
Three incumbent members of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors – Leslie Ayers of the Buffalo District, David McDaniel of Natural Bridge and Bob Day of South River – are each running for reelection. County School Board members whose terms expire this year are Kathy Burant of the Natural Bridge District, Wendy Lovell of Buffalo and Neil Whitmore of Walkers Creek. Burant has qualified to be a candidate for re-election.
Buena Vista office holders whose terms expire this year are Mayor Bill Fitzgerald, City Council members Stanley Coffey, Steve Webb and Cheryl Hickman and School Board members Wayne Flint, Teresa Ellison and Mac Felts. Fitzgerald is not running for reelection. Council member Tyson Cooper has qualified to be a candidate for mayor. Coffey has qualified to be a candidate for reelection to Council.
In Glasgow, the terms of Mayor Paul Williams and Town Council members Tom Camden, Lisa Rogers and Andrea Bradley all expire this year.
Candidates have until June 20 to file to run in the Nov. 7 elections.
There will be a special election Nov. 7 for Buena Vista treasurer. Mary Lee Huffman is retiring at the end of this month. Her chief deputy, Amy Hudson, begins her duties as interim treasurer this Monday. A 15-year veteran of the office, she is to be a candidate to fill the remaining two years of Huffman’s term.
Also on the ballot Nov. 7 are all six members of the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District Board – two each for the county, Lexington and Buena Vista. Currently serving in these seats are (from the county) Reid Macky and Tim Goodbar, (from Lexington) Larry Hurd and Charles Winder and (from Buena Vista) Rob Deyo and Herbie Huffman. Only Huffman has completed the paperwork to be a candidate in this year’s election.
Rockbridge area voters will help elect three members of the General Assembly in reconfigured districts, also on Nov. 7. Republican Del. Ellen Campbell, currently of the 24th District, is a candidate for election to new District 36 in the House of Delegates. District 36 encompasses portions of northeastern Rockbridge County as well as part of Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.
Former Glasgow Vice Mayor Jade Harris is seeking the Democratic nomination to be a candidate for new state Senate District 3, which encompasses all of Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington, in addition to the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig, the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Covington and parts of Augusta and Roanoke counties. Del. Christopher Head of Botetourt County is seeking the Republican nomination to be a candidate for Senate District 3.
New House of Delegates District 37 encompasses southern and western parts of Rockbridge County, all of the cities of Lexington, Buena Vista and Covington, and all of Botetourt, Alleghany and Craig counties. Republican incumbent Delegates Head and Terry Austin of Buchanan live within these boundaries.
If primaries are needed to determine party nominees in any of these races, they will be held on June 20. Next Thursday, April 6, is the deadline for declaring candidacies for prospective June 20 primaries.
