It’s been a lifetime since a Roanoker has not represented the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia in the House of Representatives.
That will change in 2019.
And, Buchanan town officials have scrambled at times to get enough people to run for Town Council— it was one of the reasons council agreed to ask for a charter change to reduce the number of council seats from six to four.
But, come November, there will be eight candidates on the ballot for those four seats.
Nate T. Hansard added his name to the candidates who filed to run for council just before the deadline last Tuesday. Others on the ballot will be two incumbents, James “Jamie” Manspile and Jane H. Kneisley, along with Christopher B. Witt, John T. Mays, Brenda L. Noszek, former council member Diane B. DiPalma and Joe V. DiPalma.
Lewis wins Democratic Primary
For the first time in 65 years, the person seated in January as Virginia’s Sixth District congressman will be from the central part of the district that includes part of Roanoke, Botetourt, Lynchburg, part of Bedford County, Rockbridge County and north through the Shenandoah Valley to Stephens City in Frederick County.
Jennifer Lynn Lewis of Waynesboro received the Democratic Party nomination to run for the seat being vacated by the retiring Bob Goodlatte.
Lewis received the nomination in last week’s primary election, garnering 47.6 percent of the vote in a four-candidate race to represent the Democratic Party.
She’s running against Republican Ben Cline of Rockbridge County, who got his party’s nomination during a convention in May.
While the Sixth District has been adjusted with each census, what’s been consistent since the early 1950s has been Roanoke as the home of its congressman— dating to Richard Poff, then Clarence Burton, Caldwell Butler, Jim Olin and Goodlatte.
While Lewis, a Democratic Party volunteer, easily carried the primary with 8,206 votes— 20 percentage points above second place Peter J. Volosin— she did not carry Botetourt.
Roanoker Charlotte Ann Moore won Botetourt by one vote over Lewis— 166 to 165, according to the Virginia Depart of Elections’ tally.
The turnout was light for both the Democratic Party Primary to pick the party’s candidate for the House seat and the Republican Party Primary to choose a candidate to run against Tim Kaine for U.S. Senate.
Only 475 voters cast ballots in the Democratic Primary in Botetourt, and 17,242 district-wide. The highest turnout was in the central and northern part of the district where Lewis easily carried the day.
Stewart will face Kaine
Corey A. Stewart won the Republican Primary for Senate. Statewide, he got 44.9 percent (136,532) of the vote to 43.1 percent (131,275) for Nick J. Freitas and 12 percent for E.W. Jackson (36,499).
Stewart easily carried Botetourt where he received 54 percent (475) of the 880 votes recorded last Tuesday. Freitas received 341 votes and Jackson 64.
Stewart was strongest in the Mill Creek Precinct in Botetourt where he got 64.5 percent of the primary votes.
It was a relatively quiet day for poll workers. Only 8 percent of the county’s registered voters cast ballots, according to Voter Registrar Traci Clark.
Town Council Races
While Buchanan voters will have plenty of choices for council, only one person filed to run for mayor— Craig Bryant, who was appointed earlier this year to fill Larry Hall’s unexpired term.
In Fincastle, Mary Bess Smith is running for re-election as mayor, and three people are running for the three council seats up for election— George W. Sydnor Jr., Paige Wright Ware and Edward D. Bordett.
In Troutville, W. David Horton is running for re-election as mayor and four people are running for three council seats, all with experience on council. They are current incumbents H. John Cook, Jr., Patricia M. Shaver and Spurgeon O. Vaughan, Jr. and former council member Granville E. Grant.
