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By Ed Smith
There will be contested races later this year for the two local sheriffs’ positions – the one serving Rockbridge County and Lexington and the one serving Buena Vista.
, page 4 Newly appointed Rockbridge County and Lexington Sheriff Tony McFaddin, who took office Jan. 1 following the retirement of Steve Funkhouser, is one of four candidates for this post. McFaddin and Chris Norris have qualified to have their names on the Nov. 4 ballot. Fred Smith and Leonard Stewart are circulating petitions to get their names on the ballot.
Buena Vista Sheriff Randy Hamilton is running for re-election to the office he’s held for the past 29 years. He’s being challenged by Chris Wheeler and Alan Buzzard. All three have qualified to get their names on the ballot.
Lexington Commissioner of Revenue Karen Roundy is not running for reelection. She has held this office since January of 2001. Running to succeed her is Kelly Glass, currently the chief deputy in the Rockbridge County commissioner of revenue’s office. Glass is circulating petitions to get her name on the ballot.
Four potential candidates have picked up petitions to run for the Kerrs Creek seat on the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors. Dan Lyons, the incumbent, has indicated he is not running for reelection. Potential candidates to succeed Lyons are Scott Guise, Boyd Brown, Bill Russell and Steve Hart.
Walkers Creek Supervisor Jay Lewis has picked up petitions to run for reelection.
County School Board members whose terms expire this year are Neil Whitmore of the Walkers Creek District and Corey Berkstresser of the South River District. No one has yet picked up petitions to be a candidate for either seat.
Buena Vista City Council members whose terms expire this year are Danny Staton, Stanley Coffey and Melvin Henson. Staton has qualified to be a candidate for reelection while Coffey and Henson have picked up petitions to run for re-election. Buena Vista Mayor Tyson Cooper has qualified to be a candidate for reelection.
Buena Vista School Board members whose terms expire this year are Roy Mohler, Johnny Rice, John Roberts and Lisa Kerr. No one has picked up petitions to run for these offices yet.
Lexington Treasurer Pat DeLaney, who’s held this office for more than 50 years, has not yet indicated whether she will be a candidate for reelection.
In Glasgow, the terms of office expire later this year for Mayor Paul Williams and Town Council members Kent Dunn, Lisa Rogers and Tom Camden. No one has filed paperwork to be a candidate for any of these offices.
The deadline to qualify to be a candidate in the regular local elections is June 17. The deadline to qualify to be a candidate in the special election for Rockbridge County and Lexington sheriff is Aug. 15.
Voters will also be electing on Nov. 4 a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 members of the House of Delegates. Locally, the terms of Del. Ellen Campbell of the 36th District and Del. Terry Austin of the 37th District will expire later this year. Campbell has announced her intention to seek re-election.
The announced candidates and presumptive party nominees for governor are Democrat Abigail Spanberger, former 7th District member of Congress; and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, incumbent lieutenant governor.
Candidates for lieutenant governor include (for the Democrats) state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi of Chesterfield County, Babur Lateef, chairman of the William County School Board; state Sen. Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach; Victor Salgala, an attorney who former worked for the U.S. Department of Justice; and Levar Stoney, former Richmond mayor; and (for the Republicans) John Curran, business consultant in James City County; Pat Herrity of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Richmond radio host John Reid.
Republican Attorney Gen. John Miyares is a candidate for reelection. Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to run for attorney general are former Del. Jay Jones of Norfolk and Shannon Taylor, Henrico County commonwealth’s attorney.
If any primaries are needed to determine party nominees, they will be held June 17.
