Though the votes are still being tallied, the major election results are already known.
Republican Ken Boyd has secured a third term representing the Rivanna district on the Board of Supervisors, defeating Democratic challenger Cynthia Neff. But down in the Scottsville district, Democrat Chris Dumler has defeated Republican James Norwood. That means that the Board of Supervisors now has three Democrats and three Republicans, which is bound to affect their agenda. (That’s an oversimplification—one of those Democrats is actually an independent, and Lindsay Dorrier was technically a Democrat but voted like a Republican.)
The three Democrats swept the City Council race, putting the Huja-Galvin-Smith ticket into office over the handful of independents in the race.
In state-level races, it’s no surprise that Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. David Toscano won reelection handily, but it is surprising that odds-on favorite Connie Brennan, a Democrat, was defeated by scandal-plagued Republican Matt Farris in the 59th House district, despite the presence of a conservative independent who sapped some votes from Farris. The Senate race pitting incumbent Democrat Edd Houck against Republican challenger Bryce Reeves has proven to be a nail-biter. With 91% of precincts reporting, Houck is up by just 37 votes, making a recount a near-certainty. If Republicans take one or two other Senate seats in Virginia, then the Houck-Reeves race will quickly become very important, because it would decide control of that chamber.
In down-ticket local races in the city, Democrat Llezelle Dugger won Charlottesville Clerk of Court with 75% of the vote over Democrat-turned-independent Pam Melampy. Colette Blount, Amy Laufer, Jennifer McKeever and Willa Neale won the Charlottesville School Board race. And in the county, Ned Gallaway won the at-large school board seat, and Lonnie Murray and Steven Meeks won the Soil and Water Conservation Director seats.
I am absolutely disgusted, revolted, and ashamed to be part of a district that is so bent on voting Republican that they would elect a dishonest, unethical crook like Farris.
Farris’s election is a pretty big surprise. It looked like Connie would win in a walk. I figured it’d break down 50/40/10. One lesson for me is that it’s foolish to try to prognosticate about the voting behavior of people in a big, brand-new, rural district in which I don’t live. Hope is not the same as expectation.
It is interesting to note that our district, 59, had a voter turnout rate of 42%, second only to district 9, which had a turnout rate of close to 50% (based upon a quick scan of the results).
Let me be the first to say goodbye and good riddance to ‘Mayor Norris’.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2011/EB178FD6-875D-4B0D-A295-900A0482F523/Unofficial/00_003_s.shtml
Unless I’m reading something wrong, I think Brennan won and Farris lost.
Yep Hes, sure looks like it!
Surprised McKee lost to McKeever. Thought for sure it would be Blount, Laufer, McKee & Neale. I guess McKeever’s old time connections with the dem party paid off in a few extra votes.
Great to see more teachers on the School Board. The Division needs to see things through teachers’ eyes!
The AP has it for Farris, with a lot more votes counted than the link above, FYI.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2011/by_county/VA_Page_1108.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS
The SBE displays county results without telling you it is only part of the legislative district. Ferris won due to a lode of votes in Campbell County:
https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2011/EB178FD6-875D-4B0D-A295-900A0482F523/Unofficial/8_l_4AC3DFEB-BCE4-4256-96CA-632D12209E3F_s.shtml
SBE also does not tell you how many seats are up in something like City Council or Soil & Water District.
Ah, its the old accessibility-compliant-but-didn’t-bother-to-make-title-attributes glitch along with the visual-info-without-text fallacy. The partial pie graphic says this, if you turn off images (or hover over the image in one particular nonstandard-but-friendly browser):
“partial pie meaning that the result being displayed is not the full result but result for the locality being selected”
Alabama here we come. This is bad news.
Colfer, thanks for that. I saw the pie at 3/4’s but didn’t correlate it to anything. Mainly, because I saw 100% of the precincts had reported. I failed to understand I was only looking at Albemarle Co. only and as you pointed out, not the District as a whole. Sorry to get folks excited/disappointed…
Just read the Daily Progress account of the BoS races in Albemarle. It’s fair to say Neff was not a paragon of graciousness with her post-race comments.
Dissapointed that Bob Fenwick didn’t get in. He is a good man for the community that doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. I hope he continues to be involved in the city affairs.
“Just read the Daily Progress account of the BoS races in Albemarle. It’s fair to say Neff was not a paragon of graciousness with her post-race comments.”
Nor was Boyd, according to his comments in that same article.
Ken wasn’t quoted in the article, Walt. Not sure what you’re referring to.
My fault for reading the DP article too quickly. I see now that it was Boyd’s partner, Rodney Thomas:
““I don’t think [Dumler] is a good candidate,” Thomas said. “I can work with most people, but it’s going to be an uphill battle. He’s already made statements I disagree with.””
Well I agree with you on that. Not a great way to greet a new colleague.
Working with people with whom you disagree would seem to be a bare minimum skill set for any elected official to have. It’s surprising to hear Thomas admit that this is a real struggle for him.