How the election went down

For a spring municipal election without a massive turnout, Tuesday's contests ended with some excitement.

We saw incumbents tumble Tuesday, and one race was very very close.

As phones started ringing at the Waynesboro registrar office at 7:03 p.m., most of the city seemed to be enjoying the spring weather.

Inside the city offices, City Council and School Board vote counts were rolling in.

Outside, shrill bleats from a trio of referee whistles reached in the late afternoon all the way to downtown, as lacrosse players crisscrossed Anderson Field in a close game. A man in shorts carried a package to his truck. Someone was washing their Jeep, and orange and purple flowers along the sidewalk lent their fragrance to the warm May air.

Did gorgeous spring weather contribute to lower-than-expected voter turnout Tuesday in Waynesboro? It’s unclear.

But as city workers tallied votes, it was a dead certainty that much of the community was outside working, playing or running errands — and not necessarily voting during the after-work time period.

One big upset in the Waynesboro race was Ward C candidate Robert "Bobby" Henderson beating out incumbent Jeff Freeman. Chanda McGuffin, who came in second in her bid for City Council in Ward C, was still upbeat.

“My campaign team has been superb," she said. "They’ve worked with me since October. We’ve tried to listen to the issues from some people who are unheard in the community. I believe we’ve done it well. … I’m proud of that.”

Across the races, you could tell that people in Waynesboro who came out and voted care about the important issues, McGuffin said.

Debra Freeman-Belle of Ward C will take her place on the school board July 1.

She was in Richmond today fighting for state funding for the WARM shelter, where she works.

“I’m an advocate for children who live in poverty and attend our schools," she said. "I think my perception is different. And I will work in coming years to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”

Erika Smith won the election, and has a new baby.

"I am just excited to continue to be doing what I’ve been doing - hit the ground running" with the school board. But the candidate - who was at the polls today - gave birth just five days ago. "I’m a bit in shock right now and tired.”

It is her sixth child.

“He’s sleeping right now, but we’ll probably pay for that.”

Staunton saw a higher voter turnout than in past years. The polling places were alive with people handing out fliers, asking to sign petitions and being a part of the democratic process.

The results favor renaming Robert E. Lee High School and against restoration of Weekday Religious Education, both of which became key issues in the contentious School Board contest.

The single Staunton incumbent who lost, Ron Ramsey, had expressed skepticism over the name change on cost grounds.

Ray Ergenbright and John Hartless had staked out a pro-WRE position and opposed stripping the R.E. Lee name from the high school. Hartless additionally questioned spending the full $40 million budgeted on a high school renovation. Ergenbright, a former city commissioner of the revenue, and Hartless were the two lowest vote-getters in the election.

Kenneth Venable had taken a similar pro-WRE position, but also signaled skepticism that any religious group could create a program that would meet his standards as a school board member.

At the registrar's office, calls were coming in shortly after 7 p.m. and the printer was buzzing with each ward's result.

Amy Wratchford was at Redbeard Brewing Company in Staunton awaiting to hear the results. She was frantically checking her phone every few seconds and eventually had to plug it into the wall.

She won a seat on Staunton School Board, along with Venable, Christine Poulson and, in the special election, Natasha McCurdy.

Wratchford, Poulson and McCurdy were clear that they thought the R.E. Lee name is problematic on a public school. None advocated for a return to Weekday Religious Education.

Wratchford knows what she plans to do first.

"I'm so excited," she said. "First thing I will do is listen and to learn from those who have served already."

Poulson said she was shocked to win.

"I feel good, I'm so excited," she said. "I'm looking forward to listening to the kids and the teachers and making the schools a better place for both."

Venable said he really wants to reevaluate how the money is spent — especially if teachers are spending their own money to buy things for the classroom.

"Teachers don't make enough to do that," he said. "You don't spend your own money at your job."

He's also looking forward to what is coming with the high school renovation and making sure Staunton is "doing the right thing long-term."

Incumbent Ramsey narrowly lost his bid for re-election and was feeling it Tuesday night while others were celebrating, but he said he's still going to volunteer in the school system as much as he can and he has faith in the new board.

"At this point, there's a lot of learning so they need to be prepared," he said. "With any new member, you spend the first year listening, but I know these people can do it."

The Board of Elections will not conduct a recount, despite some earlier confusion on question. Any provisional ballots will be counted and added in on Friday.

For the Staunton City Council race, Mayor Carolyn Dull was re-elected to council, as well as Terry Holmes. Newcomer Brenda Mead also received a seat, edging out school board member Amy Darby who hoped to step up to council.

Mead celebrated the night at the Mill Street Grill.

"I was grateful to my diverse, dedicated committee of Staunton-loving advisors," she said Wednesday. "They encouraged me to keep it positive. They encouraged me to connect with voters by showing up at forums and front doors. They insisted that I know the facts and make them the foundation of my platform."

Overall, Staunton had an 18 percent turnout.

Waynesboro saw a 15.8 percent turnout.

In May 2016 Waynesboro saw a 19 percent turnout and Staunton only 12.5 percent.

Here's a preliminary rundown of who won and who came out to vote. Totals won't be certified for seven days. Provisional ballots, if any, won't be counted for three days.

You can look back at our live blog here.

Staunton

City council

Brenda Mead - 1,578 votes Former executive director of the Valley Conservation Council and a current member of the board of the Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District, Mead also volunteers for many community organizations. Mead moved to the Staunton area after four decades in the financial industry. She plans to apply her business and financial experience to expanding economic opportunities in the city.

Carolyn Dull - 2,163 Incumbent Dull was first elected to City Council in 2006 and was chosen as mayor in 2014 and 2016. A Robert E. Lee High School graduate, during her time on council Dull has served on the Central Shenandoah Planning District and the state Criminal Justices Services Board. During her service on the council Dull has tackled such issues as the historic downtown court house and the local fire and rescue system.

Terry Holmes - 1,826 Incumbent Terry Holmes was first elected to the council in 2014 and has served with the Redevelopment & Housing Authority and the Historic Preservation Committee. As the owner of the Mill Street Grill, Holmes has been involved in the local community for decades. Holmes has applied his business experience to the expanding economic development in Staunton and having an educational system and infrastructure that support this.



Not elected: Amy Darby - 1,478

School board

Christine Poulson - 1,631 votes Poulson's involvement in the Staunton community includes volunteering with the Girl Scouts and the local Boys & Girls Club. A parent of two students Poulson hopes to bring her experience with conflict mediation to the school board. She supports changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School.

Amy Wratchford - 1,577 The managing director of the American Shakespeare Center, Amy Wratchford is a parent to two children in the Staunton public school system. After years of volunteering at local schools Wratchford would like to become more involved in the local schools by taking her management skills to the school board and improve the schools through partnerships with local companies and non-profits. Wratchford supports changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School.

Kenneth Venable - 1,322 graduate of Staunton’s Booker T. Washington High School, Kenneth Venable seeks to bring diversity to the administration and recruit more minority teachers for Staunton’s public school system. With a background in business administration and education, Venable started the non-profit Staunton Education Foundation. He has endorsed the school resource officer initiative through the Staunton Safe School Project and stated his support for changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School. He believes in bringing back the Weekday Religious Education program to the city’s school system.



Not elected: Ron Ramsey - 1,319; Ray Ergenbright - 1,100

School board special election

Natasha McCurdy - 1,520 votes The parent of three children in the Staunton school system Natasha McCurdy’s platform includes encouraging parental involvement, making the school system an inclusive environment and supporting the arts. She has endorsed the school resource officer initiative through the Staunton Safe School Project. McCurdy is in favor of changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School back to Staunton High School.



Not elected: John Hartless - 1,292

Turnout

18 percent

Waynesboro

City council

Ward C — Robert "Bobby" Henderson - 914 votes Henderson won over incumbent Jeff Freeman, who has been on council since 2010. As a former Virginia State Police officer and current fire investigator, Bobby Henderson brings decades of public service to the Waynesboro City Council, stating among his goals to support first responders, encourage public safety and growth and youth mentorship programs.



Not elected: Chanda McGuffin - 640; Jeff Freeman - 446

Ward D — Samuel Hostetter - 1,490 votes Area physician Sam Hostetter has been an active volunteer in the community’s school system to the Boy Scouts. His public service experience includes serving as a member of the steering committee for the city’s comprehensive plan update. Hostetter announced his candidacy as a chance to “give back” to the community that he and his family have found open and accepting. He plans to focus on expanding the city’s tax base to offer better pay to local teachers and first responders.



Not elected: Richard Burcaw - 499

School board

At-large — Erika Smith - 1,333 votes Incumbent Erika Smith was appointed to the At-Large position on Waynesboro’s school board in August 2017 to finish the term of Shelly Laurenzo. Her involvement in the school system started much earlier as four of her children went through the city’s school system. Among her goals for the school board are to improve teacher compensation and completing the high school renovation.



Not elected: Liza Fulton-Lawson - 583

Ward A — Diana Williams - unopposed Incumbent Diana Williams was appointed to the school board to finish the term of Doug Norcross in February 2017. An employee of the University of Virginia, Professor Williams stated as a board member her goals are to increase communication and collaboration between Waynesboro’s school board and the City Council, along with finishing renovations of the high school.

Ward C — Debra Freeman-Belle - unopposed Currently serving as the executive director of Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry, Freeman-Belle has spent nearly two decades working and volunteering in the Waynesboro community. As both a Waynesboro alumnus and a parent of children in the system, her priorities for the school board include completing the renovation of Waynesboro High School and updating other facilities in the city’s school system.

Ward D — Kathryn Maneval - unopposed Incumbent Kathryn Maneval, who currently serves as chairman of Waynesboro’s school board, was a parent of students in the Waynesboro school system and a volunteer in the system before entering public service. The longest serving member of the school board, Maneval seeks to see through the renovations of Waynesboro High School and work to make a place for the school system in the city’s comprehensive plan.



Turnout

15.8 percent

Updated 1:46 p.m. 5/2/18 to indicate that although the Board of Elections said there'd be a recount in the Staunton School Board race, the law has no provision for an automatic recount.

Updated 4:34 p.m. 5/2/18 to indicate that although a Board of Elections official said on Tuesday night that there would be a Staunton School Board recount, that the board today said it has no plans for a recount at this point. Provisional ballots, if any, will be counted Friday.

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