The Shadow
On Tues., Nov. 8, voters in the Town of Clifton Forge will have the option to vote for candidates on the local level and federal level, those who are incumbents or those who are newcomers.
On the federal level, U.S. Congressman Ben Cline (R) is seeking re-election for the Virginia’s 6th congressional district where he has served since 2019.
Cline, a lawyer from Rockbridge County, graduated from Lexington High School, attended Bates College and earned his JD from the University of Richmond.
Jennifer Lewis (D) is a mental health worker from Waynesboro who lost to Cline in 2018, when she garnered just over 40% of the votes.
She hopes to defeat Cline in her rematch, having branded him as a MAGA Republican who is against abortion and a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.
On the local level, six candidates are on the ballot for three Clifton Forge Town Council seats. Three are incumbents and three are newcomers.
The incumbents include Robert Umstead, vice-mayor, who was elected to Council, and two others who were appointed to Council to fill positions vacated by Dr. Ronald Goings who was elected to represent the Town of Clifton Forge as a member of the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors and former Mayor Pam Marshall who resigned.
The two who were appointed to fill the vacancies are Councilman Dale Burdette and Councilwoman Deborah Laudermilk.
Running against the three incumbents are Courtney Howard, Jeremy Bastion and Ben Nicely. Howard and Nicely are graduates of Alleghany High School, and Bastion, from New Orleans, recently moved to Clifton Forge.
In addition to voting for candidates, voters will be able to cast their ballots to approve the referendum to elect school board members or to reject it and maintain the status quo of having school board members appointed by the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors.
