Unofficial results from Tuesday’s general election show strong Republican victories across Botetourt County, where voter turnout reached 61 percent, with 16,822 ballots cast out of 27,411 registered voters, according to the Virginia Department of Elections, who released the preliminary figures. According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), voter turnout last Tuesday was second only to 2021 among Virginia gubernatorial elections since 2001.
Last week, county election officials noted that the results remain unofficial until certification, scheduled for today, Wednesday, Nov. 12. Certification is pending the arrival of the provisional report from the state, which was not available before press time.
In county-level contests, Tim T. Snyder won the Amsterdam District seat on the Board of Supervisors with 74.14 percent (2,535 votes). Write-in candidates collectively received 25.86 percent (884). While the specific number of votes for Linda George—who ran an active, community-supported write-in campaign—was not yet available, her candidacy drew attention from residents and added a measure of competition to the race. In the Buchanan District, Linda M. Rottman won decisively with 91.87 percent (2,216).
For the School Board, in the Amsterdam District, Board Chair Anna L. Weddle received 95.54 percent (2,999), while in the Buchanan District, Jenny P. Wilson won with 69.04 percent (1,784) against Kathryn H. Beard, who earned 30.26 percent (782).
In the Town of Troutville, the special elections for mayor and a council seat both involved write-in candidates, whose names and totals were not yet confirmed at press time. For the three open regular seats on Troutville Town Council, Vickie L. Abbott led with 33.15 percent (118), followed closely by Jonathan T. Simmons with 30.90 percent (110) and Laura C. Bumgarner with 30.34 percent (108).
Locally, incumbent Republican Terry L. Austin maintained his seat in the House of Delegates (37th District) with 73.03 percent (12,106), while Democrat Andrew W. Hartless received 26.25 percent (4,351).
In the special election for Buchanan Town Council, Shean C. Bowers secured a victory with 78.95 percent (360) over challenger Spring Alissa Witt, who received 19.96 percent (91).
In the statewide contests, Botetourt voters overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates. For governor, Winsome Earle-Sears (R) received 70.30 percent of the vote (11,791), while Abigail D. Spanberger (D) earned 29.52 percent (4,951). The race for lieutenant governor followed a similar pattern, with John J. Reid II (R) garnering 71.83 percent (11,973) to Ghazala F. Hashmi’s (D) 27.89 percent (4,648). In the attorney general race, Jason S. Miyares (R) led decisively with 74.33 percent (12,364) over Jay C. Jones (D), who took 25.52 percent (4,245). Although Botetourt County voters strongly favored Republican candidates, statewide results ultimately went to the Democratic nominees in all three contests.
Please note: final, certified results are expected later today once the state’s provisional report is received and reviewed by the Botetourt County General Registrar’s Office.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
